Top tips on how to get your children to write thank you letters

“It’s time to start writing thank you letters” is probably my childrens’ least favourite Christmas phrase! After the excitement of receiving and opening presents at Christmas, it’s not surprising children see this as a bit of a chore (especially as they associate it with handwriting at school) but I believe the art of writing a letter is a life skill to instil in children at a young age, whether it’s giving thanks for a present or spending time with someone. Not only does it help them understand gratitude, but it gets them into good habits at a young age and they can build on the skills as they grow older and need to write formal letters.

Here are my top tips for making this an easier experience for all concerned:

For children who can write independently:

• Write a clear list of presents received with three columns:
  • Who from
  • Present received
  • Why you love it
• Suggest a structure for them:

Dear

I hope you had a lovely Christmas.

Thank you so much for my . I love it because .

We had a fun Christmas doing/seeing [state something that they enjoyed doing in the holidays

Lots of love from

• Avoid trying to write too many at a time – set a realistic target – two at a time
• Yes they would rather send a text or email and there’s nothing wrong with that, but try explaining that hand-writing a letter or card shows care and that you’ve made an effort which is reflective of the present-buyer making an effort in the first place

For younger children:

• Read the Jolly Postman with them – if you don’t know it, it’s a gorgeous interactive book all about posting and receiving letters
• Add faint line marks to help them lay out their letter (I can print these for you to save you the time – just let me know when you order)
• If your children are too young to write, ask them why they loved their present and write verbatim – it can be quite adorable writing in their language
• Let them decorate the envelope with drawings and stickers
• If they can write a little, write the letter for them but leave a blank where they can write the name of the present
• Put a selection of different coloured crayons in front of them so they can make it look pretty
• Please don’t judge me but bribery can get you a long way – consider giving them a couple of smarties (insert favourite treat!) for every letter written!

Young or old, let them choose their own motif (if they don’t see one they like – I can create a special one just for them), font and colours with their name on – they’ll be far more excited to write them