Do you write thank you notes from child's POV or yours?

[g-mama]

My ds just had his 4th birthday party this weekend and it got me thinking...

Do you write thank you notes for gifts given to your child from your child's perspective or from yours? I've always written, "Thank you for the toy you sent Paolo", and signed it from myself, rather than "Thank you for the gift you sent me" and signing it from the child. I guess I'd feel a little silly since I'm NOT the child.

However, many of the thank you's I receive are written from the child's perspective. What is proper? What is more common? Thoughts, anyone?


Kristen
Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03

[August Mom]

I do both, actually. The grandparents seem to enjoy getting things written from DS's perspective. For baby gifts, all of my thank yous were from me & DH, not DS. However, once he started being able to communicate, I've done both. I also try to have him do something with the thank you note - color on it, put stickers on it, etc.

[JacksMommy]

I too feel silly writing a note from the child's perspective - it's a little cutesy for me and not my style, but I do think it's cute/funny when others do it. When my son is more verbal, I plan to either have him dictate notes to me or write it from me but include a quote from DS saying what he likes about it, etc. I think people are tickled by hearing from the actual gift recipient.

HTH,

Laurel
WOHM to Jack, 6/4/02
EDD baby girl 12/24/04

[gracelynne]

I usually write them from my POV -- but when DS gets gifts from other children, I write them from his perspective. For instance, he recently got a present from my cousin, but the card said it was from my cousin's DS (who is younger than mine). So I wrote the card from one DS to another, and threw in a compliment about one mom having better taste than the other. :)

[redhookmom]

I always wrote them from me. When ds was old enough to say thank you and what he liked about the gift, I wrote his words in quoatation marks.

[candybomiller]

Perhaps I'm geeky, but we always write the note from Matt's perspective. For gifts I got before giving birth that were for Matt, I would write something like "Mommy tells me I'm sure going to like wearing the outfit you sent, Grandma. According to Mommy, you have great taste." or some other such dreck. Grandma just ate it up.

[babymama]

I am planning on writing several thank yous this week for gifts DS got for his bday. I plan on including a picture from the party witht he word "THANKS" and then a note from DS's perspective - since he's the one in the picture and the one that got the gift. Something along the lines of "Thanks for coming to my 1st bday party" and "I really like the wooden dump truck", etc.

Lydia
Mama to Santiago, born 11/16/03

[C99]

It's more proper, IMO and based on everything I've read, to write the note as one adult writing to another. So that's how I always write them. I agree that the notes I've received "from the child" in the adult's handwriting are somewhat strange. When Nate is old enough/advanced enough to write a note, I will have him write the notes instead.

[papal]

GACK!!! This just reminded me that I STILL have not mailed out thank you notes for Leela's party.. WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ME? HOW COULD I FREAKIN' FORGET.

Sorry about that but to answer your question, i am like Candy, geeky and proud. I do the note from Leela's perspective... so it would be 'Thanks so much for coming to my party. I hope you had a wonderful time... I really love the xxx that you brought for me'... i especially do this if the gift was addressed from the other child.

Ok, off to find the Thankyou cards!!

[lizajane]

here's an idea-

at age four, could he draw a picture instead of writing a note? like a picture of the blue sweater he received? (for example) or even just a picture of anything. and then you write just a "thanks so much for the whatever it was" and help him write his name?

maybe that is more silly than writing the note in his POV, but i think it would be a nice way to transition to his writing the note. it would be a nice way to start teaching him about writing notes and expressing thanks, even when he can't write.

[jk3]

I received a Thank-you note for a baby gift from my college friend written from her new baby's point of view + signed with her name. It was freaky + I seriously thought my friend had completely lost it. I've never received another like it + I always write the thank you from me for my DS.

Jenn
DS 6/03

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030603/2/5/1/-5/.png

[jbowman]

The only time that I "adopt" Ellie's persona is when I write birthday, holiday cards, etc., to her nanny. Otherwise I write them from my POV. I think whatever someone feels comfortable doing is fine--it's nice either way.

[cuca_]

I always write thank you notes from DH and I. I have gotten many thank you notes written from the child's perspective, and as others have mentioned, I find this a bit strange.

Carmen
DD May 2003
#2 expected in May 2005!

[chlobo]

Well call me strange because I've been writing notes from DDs perspective. Mostly I do it with relatives who seem to eat it up.

[AvasMama]

Definitely from my point of view. This is a little pet peeve of mine :) When Ava is old enough to understand, I will help her write something or draw a picture for her thank-yous.

Robyn & Ava

[steph2003]

I'm a geek/weirdo then too cause I admittedly write it from POV of Griffin. I never gave it much thought as to whether it was proper or not! I also buy him cute little note cards with his name on the front - so I feel weird writing his thank yous using those note cards & signing it from me. But then again his birth announcements had matching thank yous w/his name across the front & I signed those with the entire family's names.

I guess I've always thought it was cute/taken in pleasure in getting a note from a child even though I *know* they aren't old enough to verbalize what was written - I still find the sentiment sweet when the parent writes something on behalf of the child from his/her POV. So I guess I'm weird like that.

Now my pet peeve is NO thank you at all!!! (my nieces are notorious for this & unfortunately now they are old enough to know better)

[pritchettzoo]

I guess I'm a freak too. The gift is for Gracie, so I write it from her perspective. The giver wrote the card to her, and it's not like she can read or anything. I'm not sending any to Miss Manners. I think it would be weird for me to say, "Thank you for the toy you gave Gracie. It saves us from wasting our money on it. OR The noises really drive me up a wall. Gee, thanks for driving me insane. Love, Anna"

At 4, you could probably get your child to draw a picture of his present and then write in "Thank you for the X. Love, Bob" underneath and get him to make some approximation of his name. At 4, he really could "dictate" something to you to write.

Shower gift thank you notes were written from me and DH.

If the gift giver is going to get his or her panties in a wad either way, then that's his/her problem. You're taking the time to thank them.

Oh, and Rashmi, don't feel badly. I still haven't mailed G's notes from her birthday yet. D'oh!

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)

[amp]

I haven't read the other responses, but in my past experience when receiving thank yous and what I plan to do with my child is that right now, I write the thank you from our perspective. Later, when DS knows that is what we are doing, I may still write the note, but will have him color or draw or "sign" his name, etc. to the card and then make it from his perspective. I think everyone understands that he is still a bit young to even attempt it right now, so when he understands it better, we'll do it the other way.