January 31, 2010
Email or paper thank you notes for baby gifts?
strangeharmony asked:
This is my second girl so I never received a formal baby shower. However, since the birth of my daughter I have sporadically received kindness from others either in the form of gifts like gift certificates or $20, or prepared meals, or entertaining my toddler while I recoup, or folding laundry. I’ve never been good at paper and know I am more likely to thank people sooner through gracious emails rather than paper and stamps. However, I don’t want to seem less than grateful. What would you think of emailed thank-yous?
Dawson
This is my second girl so I never received a formal baby shower. However, since the birth of my daughter I have sporadically received kindness from others either in the form of gifts like gift certificates or $20, or prepared meals, or entertaining my toddler while I recoup, or folding laundry. I’ve never been good at paper and know I am more likely to thank people sooner through gracious emails rather than paper and stamps. However, I don’t want to seem less than grateful. What would you think of emailed thank-yous?
Dawson
Comments on Email or paper thank you notes for baby gifts?
Braylon
i think its fine to send an email, just use good grammar/punctuation, make the letters a pretty color and font, and add a background if possible. or u could jsut send an ecard. :]
Donavan
i’ve always thought that a thank you should be handwritten. even if you write the same thing in all of them, people feel like you actually put some effort into making it special for them. email is just so impersonal.
Bianca
Personal thank-you notes are much more acceptable. After all, each gift giver made a personal effort to send the gift or give assistance; the least you can do is put your own personal effort in to show your appreciation.
Sara
A hand-written thank you note would be much more sincere and thoughtful, I think. All those people who did those really nice things for you would absolutely love to get a nice little surprise note in the mail! Everyone loves getting “nice” mail, instead of bills!
Orion
Personally I think the paper thank you note is the way to go. It seems like you put more effort into thanking the person. Emailing to communicate with people is ok at other times but I know a lot of people that save things like cards from friends and family members.
Albert
While Miss Manners wishes people would retain the quaintness of paper, pen, and stamp, modern times may call for updating our “mode” of communications.
In this case, I would suggest that if you regularly correspond with the person you wish to thank via emails, then it should be perfectly acceptable to email a thank you to them. Just be sure to give them your PERSONAL thanks… “Oh, Mary, you were SO kind to babysit for us the other night! Your thoughtfulness gave George and I a chance to reconnect with each other!”… and so on.
With those for whom you do NOT regularly email, then you should resort to the quaint tradition of paper, pen, and stamp. But, as suggested above, you do not need to be stodgy and formal in your thanks, nor long and drawn out. Just think of how you would say “thanks” to them if they were standing in front of you to hear you say the words… “Eleanor… Thank you for the gift certificate! It really came in handy to buy little Joanne that cute outfit for her christening. I will send you a photo of her in the dress! It was the hit of the day!”
Have a polite day.
Kassandra
I think it’s always more thoughtful to mail a personal thank you. The person knows it takes time to pick out cards, hand write them, buy stamps and go to the mail box. They know you took the time instead of whipping out some quickie e-mails. This goes for invitations too unless it’s for something like a casual girls’ night out.