Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: I am one of those parents your readers complain about. Because I’m forgetful myself, I rarely remember to force my children to send thank-you notes. Now, being forgetful is not a good excuse for not teaching my kids to send thank-you notes.

I keep in the kitchen, where the mail is placed, a box of thank-you cards and some stamps. When a gift comes in the mail, I pull a card out of the box, stick a stamp on the envelope and set it and the gift at the dinner place of its owner. That way, the blank card is staring at the child, who doesn’t eat until the card is written. Of course, extortion with food means all of 87 seconds will be used to write the card. – Forgetful but Well-Meaning in Virginia

A thank-you note is a small gesture that carries a large dividend.

Teaching your children to send thank-you notes is a lesson they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. – Heloise