I was at a party on Sunday – it was a birthday party. I was thinking about whether I should send a thank-you card or not. Do you send a thank-you card when you are a guest at a birthday party? I might phone or send an email.. but are email thank-yous tacky?
Lately I have been in the habit of making a conscious effort to send Thank-yous out and feeling very high and mighty . The absolute KEY to being on top sending out thank-yous is to have the cards and stamps on hand. You can buy
photo cards and thank-you card and have them “just in case”. For years I would just go and buy a card when the even called for it.. like a sympathy card or thank-you or birthday.. then I realized that I sent out about a quarter of the cards I MEANT to – mainly because I didn’t have them.
Cards are just a question of being polite- even though it is good manners to send out a thank-you. Cards and letter make people feel good. It validates them. It makes you feel good. Getting a thank-you in the mail reminds the party giver or gift giver of the effort they put into it and lets them know YOU know that that went to the trouble and you appreciate it.

Your kids seeing you doing this and the learn that it something they can do as well. We often will sit down and make up a batch of cards… Not just Christmas but anytime.