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Writing Thank You Notes
Marni Wynne
Having a baby is indeed a moment in time to cherish. It marks the entrance of a new life to love, life plans altering to include a baby, well wishes from friends and family, and a time of being blessed with receiving gifts in honor of the occasion. Even though your time is filled with many new obligations and sleep is scarce, it is important to sit down and write thank you notes for the gifts received or acts of kindness bestowed by those who love you. We want to help you organize and prepare you to write your thank you notes in a timely fashion and heartfelt way.
A thank you note is a written acknowledgement of appreciation; an opportunity for the one receiving the gift to express how the gift touched them. Etiquette suggests that thank you notes should be written within 30 days of receiving a gift. Too much time passing before sending thank you notes suggests that you have overlooked blessings and well wishes.
New moms will find it helpful to complete as many things as they possibly can before the baby is born. So on their never-ending lists of "to-do's before baby", the purchase of thank you note cards should be a top priority. There are many beautiful thank you cards that can be purchased and a new mom needs to decide which one best fits her personality.
Once the thank you notes are purchased, spend a few minutes thinking about what you want to say to each friend or relative.
[Thankfully ;) ] thank you notes should be brief and to the point. They should include specifics about the gift and express the thoughtfulness of the giver in thinking of you and/or your baby. The person who receives the note should feel special and important - so no generic, preprinted thank you notes!
Avoid thank you notes along this line: “Thank you for the gift. It was appreciated.” This leaves the impression that the writer does not really know what was given to her, that she didn't have time to write the note in the first place or that the gift was of little to no value to her. Be brief, be specific, be grateful and most of all, be respectful. Remember these four simple "be-s" and you will offer a thank you note that is charming and most of all appreciative. Below are some examples and ideas on how to compose your thank you notes. It will make the note writing task a lot easier. Happy gift receiving and thank you note writing!
- Dear Leslie,
Thank you so much for the baseball outfit for Caleb. Your taste in clothes for boys is adorable-as usual! Thank you for your friendship and for thinking of Caleb and I. Sincerely, Natalie
- Dear Melanie,
I was thrilled when I opened your gift! You always seem to be in tuned to the practical needs and the Diaper Genie and Baby Wipe Warmer will not only be practical during late night diaper changes, but very convenient! Megan will especially appreciate not receiving a "cold shock" in the middle of the night when we use the diaper wipes. Thank you so much for thinking of us in this special way. Sincerely, Natalie
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