Free Printable Thank-You Notes

Today’s to-do list includes finishing up Lily’s thank-you notes for birthday gifts that have trickled in over the last couple of weeks. Do you make your kids (or yourself) write thank-you notes? We received one yesterday from our cousin Kate, thanking us for helping with her wedding shower and for the gift we gave her. Kate had taken time to write a very sweet and detailed note. Call me old-fashioned (it won’t be the first time), but it was nice to get something so personal.

I grew up adoring Princess Diana and I remember reading that she would spend hours writing thank-you notes by hand for luncheons, dinners, presents, and general kindnesses that came her way. I always thought that was such a nice way to live—thanking people for things, big and small. I fall far short of that (I’m pretty sure that one year I completely missed the boat on sending thank-you notes for one of the boys’ birthdays), but I do try to acknowledge gifts and kindnesses and make sure that my kids do the same. There are times when a phone call or e-mail is all I can seem to manage, but I hope it’s better than nothing.

And sometimes I’m ridiculously slow. It took me three years to write a thank you to the staff at the University of Minnesota hospital after Lily’s heart surgery. It was such a relief when I finally mailed a letter thanking them for their incredible kindness and skill. I had to hope that the people who had taken care of Lily were still there!

I like this thank-you card from Dandee Designs. It can be tricky for little ones to write in straight lines, so this design helps. Danyelle originally designed the cards to be gifts for teachers—her suggestion is to print a bunch out, buy some envelopes, and tie it all up in a cute bundle. You can download the cards here.