Good morning! Lorene here again to share another fun and easy printable with you. And this printable has magic powers to help combat the modern sense of entitlement that seems to be taking over the world!
That’s probably too dramatic, but I do feel like one major hurdle in modern-day parenting is teaching children to be kind and grateful, rather than mimicking the gimmes and other entitled behavior that seems to be everywhere!
So one small way that I’ve decided to help increase gratitude and decrease the “I wants” is to make sure that my children express thanks for any gifts that they receive. Verbal thanks is a given, but I also like driving the point home by having them write a small note to the giver.
My two preschool-aged kiddos (one 5 and almost kindergarten, one 3 and determined to keep up with her brother) are both growing more confident in their writing, but asking them to write 2 full sentences was straining everyone’s patience a little bit.
Instead, I whipped up a quick fill-in-the-blank thank you note that we could print out, fill in, and sign (partially inspired by one of the funniest parts of Diary of a Wimpy Kid ;). Works like a charm! And there’s also the option to color the back, postcard style, because the only thing cuter than early writer handwriting is little kid drawings, and the combo will just melt anyone’s heart!
DOWNLOAD the printable thank you card here
There is also blank space where I filled in one short sentence of what my child liked about the gift (in their own words), to help reinforce the idea that someone was so kind to give them something that they love.
The cards print 4 to a page, so just print on white cardstock and cut apart. After your littles have filled them in, hand-deliver or put them in an envelope to mail (they’ll fit in any standard A2 envelope).
I can’t say that this has been the magical charm to banish all the gimmes and “I wants” from our home, but I do think that it’s helping, so that’s a good enough start for me!
What do you do to help your children understand and express gratitude?
PS: Want that font? Free here from Dafont.
Those are really cute. I love this.
That's a great idea. Getting the kids to write thank you's after their birthdays or holidays can be like pulling teeth.
Good for you for teaching your children proper etiquette and providing the means for others to do the same.
Great idea! Helps kiddos learn politeness and manners!
I LOVE this! So much better than making my young one write out more and get frustrated after just a couple thank yous. Totally going to use this – thanks!
I really LOVE this idea! I am sharing this post all over the place! 🙂
This is a great way to begin to instill this common courtesy in kids!
This is truly excellent – I would enjoy receiving one in the mail from a little kiddy! What a great way to send a note and help them understand this is a routine. 🙂
These are so cute! My grandmother taught me very early on the importance of a thank you card, and to this day whenever someone gives me a gift, I get a thank you card out to them within the next few days.