Are "thank you" notes a thing of the past

[catnapper]

I think Thank you notes are still being sent. I know my daughter sent them for her baby shower. Iwrote all my thank you's for my wedding and people kept asking me why they didn't get one... I kept saying "but I maled them!" only to find them YEARS later stamped and rubber-banded together in a stroage box. oops.

I would epxect a Thank You note for a formal occasion (wedding gift, shower gift, graduation, etc.) but I have a coworker who sends a thank you note for EVERYTHING. It gets embarassing actually.... last week I gave a coworker lunch. I had a coupon for buy-one-get-one free. I gave her the free item. A few days later I got a Thank You note in the mail. Seriously? I don't expect a formal thank you for an impromptu gesture.

[Asiel]

I always send thank you notes or cards for gifts or any act of kindness received. My gr.children are always here for the holidays so they thank us in person but if we mail birthday gifts we get a phone call or at east an e-mail thanking us...the day I don't get a thank you will be the day I stop the gifts and they know it . My kids have never forgotten to thank us for any gift or favour we do for them..

[Scooter's Mom]

I still try to send Thank You cards... I may not always remember, my brain isn't always successful, but I try.

[Lady's Human]

My children are required to send thank-you cards for presents, so no, they're not a thing of the past.

[gini]

Just an idea............ Maybe if we sent out "thank you cards - you know, they sell them 10 or 20 to a box"

as the gift they might get the hint. Or is that being too obvious?

[Lady's Human]

That strikes me of just the subtle gesture a relative or two would make....

[Alysser]

I've always sent thank you notes or made it a point to call the person if I received money in the mail or something for my birthday or christmas. I've never had any huge party or something, so I've never sent thank you notes for that. I do believe it's a nice thoughtful gesture and there is a need for it, guess some people don't feel that way.

[sasvermont]

I've always sent thank you notes or made it a point to call the person if I received money in the mail or something for my birthday or christmas. I've never had any huge party or something, so I've never sent thank you notes for that. I do believe it's a nice thoughtful gesture and there is a need for it, guess some people don't feel that way.

You hit the nail on the head, thoughtful gesture. I don't understand why some people, old and young, have decided to stop being thoughtful and in many cases, respectful.

I have a niece who at some point earlier in life had a baby girl. Everyone was thrilled. A girl. I bought that child many, many outfits. Expensive ones, cute ones, sweet ones, trendy nice ones, but not ones sold in Walmart (Disney characters etc.)... and the clothes were on hangers, tags attached, when I went to visit her a few years later. It broke my heart. In one case, I had bought the same outfit in two different sizes. It was a little pink and white striped OshGosh overall dress. I suppose her taste was different, but gosh, not only did I not get thank you notes, the clothes were never put on the child's back. I wish she had just given them away. I am not the only person has happened to. Her own mother had the same problem. Gifts, no notes, never used. Both of us finally stopped buying things for her children, clothes wise. Now I just send cards.

There is much to be said about ungrateful people. To me, they have a personality flaw that will come back to bite them in the butt eventually. It won't just show up when it comes time to send a thank you note. They seem to be self-centered and will probably be that way for the rest of their lives.

I am going to give this a rest now. As you can tell, my feelings have been hurt and I won't be changing my mind about thank you notes any time soon!

[redbird]

I don't think saying 'thank you' in some way is old fashioned at all. I would never ignore something that was given to me or said something nice to me. If I couldn't thank them in person, I would find a different way to do it. That's not being old fashioned, it's being a normal human being.

[Craftlady]

I always send a "thank you note" it's rude/bad manners not to. IMO
I hate when you give a wedding/shower gift and even baby gifts and dont get a thank you note.
I was raised to send a note and I also include some personal conversation in the note.

[Bonny]

Sometimes I get thank you's & sometimes not. Myself a lot of times I am a month late in sending a thank you out but get it done eventually. I like sending a personal message along with the thank you & I like receiving them too.

[Kirsten]

That is sad not even to hear the words "thank you" after you have given a gift to someone!

We usually don't send "thank you" notes over here (with the exception of special events, like weddings, etc.), I figure it's because the postal charges are really expensive in Germany, compared to other countries, but of course we give the person a call and say thank you. E-Mail and text messages are also an option, but I find a telephone call more personal in such a case.