Thank You's. A Lost Art?

Talking with a stranger in the check out line the other day and she told me no one does or expects thank you's anymore.

We do. On both accounts.

She said something about everyone knows kid thank you's are just adults forcing kids to write them.

Agreed, right?

But how will they ever know to do them later if we don't teach them? I ask.

I really, really, really didn't like doing thank you notes as a kid. My mom would make us do them right away.

But now it's habit. I make a mental note of what I've received or the kids have opened, add it to a list and cross it off when a note hits the mail.

We make our kids do thank you notes. This year they didn't even complain. An hour, the address book and a stack of cards and envelopes and the job was done within an hour.

And T and M write real genuine things like "I'm wearing the necklace right now!" to "The savings bond will really help me when I'm in college."

H just writes Thank You and his name, I write the rest. A ghost writer named "MOM" writes E's.

Do your kids do thank yous? Did you as a kid? Do you now?

I'm curious on this one. Are thank you notes turning into a lost art?