10 Ways to Say Thanks

This article was originally published in The Creekline.

January is a month of numbers.  A countdown to the new year is where it begins.  Then we move to 3 or 5 resolutions.  Now, we’ll add a list of people your children should thank for wonderful holiday memories.  Yes, it’s Thank You note time!

I can hear you muttering something about winter doldrums being due to the outmoded practice of writing Thank You notes… but grumble no more!  You don’t have to stick with the stationary and fountain pen note (though those are my perineal favorites!)  There are as many ways to express gratitude as there were gifts under the tree.  It can be fun!  Browse through my 10 Ways to Say Thanks top ten and let me change your mind.

    TEN (We should count down, don’t you think?) Invite the giver over and enjoy the gift together!  Did your daughter receive a spa set?  Let her do nails with her friend.  Did Grandpa give his favorite Western to your boy?  Set up a time for them to enjoy popcorn and the cowboy movie together.  Whether your children jot a quick thank you note invitation or simply call to invite, using the gift together will create a better memory than any letter would.

NINE A picture is worth a thousand words.  Take a picture of your child enjoying the gift and let him write a quick thanks on the back.

EIGHT Draw a picture of the gift.  A horse-themed picture from your daughter to thank Nana for a My Little Pony set is sure to put a smile on any grandma’s face.

SEVEN Call!  Are you a procrastinator?  Super busy this time of year?  A call while you’re using the gift can be very meaningful.  We call Granny every time she sends a delicious treat and enjoy the moment together in spite of the miles that separate us.

SIX Write a poem.  Okay, okay- you can google one if you must.  But limericks are an easy, fun and funny way to mix it up.  These short (5 line) humorous poems with an AABBA rhyme scheme are perfect if the gift would be hard to gush over.  Fruitcake?  Tie?  No problem!

FIVE Let your little one watercolor a “picture” and you write a thanks for him over the dried masterpiece.

FOUR Pull out all the fun crafty goods (glitter, rick rack, googly eyes, stickers) and make the words THANK YOU pop off the front of a homemade card.

THREE Be specific in your thanks.  What was the gift?  How will you use it?  What was the first thing you thought when you saw it?  A thoughtfully written letter is never outdated.

TWO Give a sincere, personal thanks with a smile and a hug.  A live, in-person hug is hard to top!

ONE Keep it simple.  A post it note on the bathroom mirror, computer monitor, or any other unexpected place can brighten someone’s day.  Likewise, a flower picked from the garden with a little “thank you” attached can be simply perfect.

Grandparents, siblings, neighbors and friends put a lot of thought and love into the gifts, parties and treats your children received this Christmas.  When you teach the kiddos to say thanks, you’re giving the gift of gratitude which is in perfect taste all year round.