Children's Thank You Note Etiquette: The Art of Gratitude

With the holidays winding down, it is a good time to help your children and teens write thank you notes for their gifts. While the general guidelines of etiquette state that if you have thanked someone in person for a gift, it isn't necessary to send a handwritten thank you note, taking time to express gratitude through handwritten notes is a good skill builder for young people, as well as a welcome surprise for those receiving these notes of gratitude.

Consider age appropriate thank yous:

Children under age nine often love to make their own thank you cards. Provide resources for them to be creative such as fun colored papers, pens, pencils, stickers, and glitter. Adults can help very young children with writing "thank you." No matter the age of the child, they should each sign their own card, even if they haven't mastered the art of signing their name.

Older children and teens may choose to either create their own cards or purchase thank you cards. Adults can provide an opportunity for young people to shop and select their own cards which helps young people to build their confidence and feel "grown up." These young people are often of the age that they are able to create their own sentiments, however, they may still need some encouragement to write.

Some additional tips for thank you notes:

- provide a dictionary for children and teens to use in their writing
- no email thank you notes unless it is simply to let the gift giver know that the gift was received if it was sent by mail; follow up with a handwritten thank you
- send thank yous within a week of receiving the gift, though it is never too late to say "thank you"
- set time aside (schedule if necessary) to write out the thank yous, and make it a fun family event

In our hurried world, by making the time to handwrite thank you notes, your children and teens will build skills in the art of expressing gratitude and graciousness.

Workplace & Leadership Civility Survey - Your Feedback is Important

We need your input!

The Etiquette Centre of Minneapolis is conducting a survey on "Workplace & Leadership Civility" for the upcoming book, The Power of Civility, forthcoming May, 2011. We would really like to know your thoughts, your experiences, and your suggestions. This survey will take approximately 7-10 minutes to complete.

Workplace & Leadership Civility Survey (click here for survey)

Thank you in advance for taking the time to participate in this survey!

Should you have any questions, please contact Laura Barclay at (763) 432-9008 or by e-mail at: laura.barclay@etiquette-centre.com.

Science Behind Kindness and Compassion

Kindness, compassion, civility, respect, empathy, forgiveness, graciousness...why is it that some people seem to display more of these qualities than others? Could you make a list of those you know that either do or don't display these qualities? Which list would you fall in?

The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will be conducting research on how qualities such as kindness and compassion actually develop and in turn, could be nurtured.

To learn more about the Center, see: http://www.investigatinghealthyminds.org/.

Importance of Handwritten Notes

I was reading the September issue of the Costco Connection and was especially interested in this month's debate: "Should students still be taught cursive writing?" I was somewhat surprised that there is even a debate. The replies against learning cursive seem to indicate that all is needed is technology and that cursive writing is no longer used or important.

From an etiquette perspective, there is a time and place for both technology and cursive writing. Cursive is important for handwritten thank you notes, letters, invitations, and more. Think of how you feel when someone makes the effort to send you a handwritten note rather than an email or a text. What impression does it make on you? Does it feel more personal? Handwritten notes go a long way in making impactful positive impressions. As people move more and more to technology, you will really stand out and be remembered by making the effort to actually write by hand. It is not old-fashioned or stuffy. Rather, it is courteous, memorable, and creates a personal connection you cannot make with an email or text.

To read the article, click here.

Neighborhood Manners

If you have ever had an ongoing row with one of your neighbors, you may (or may not?) appreciate what Judge Huey of Tampa, Florida ordered neighbors in a decade-long feud. To help restore civility and neighborly manners, the feuding neighbors are ordered to hold six months of neighborhood potlucks. Will this work? Doubtful it will create friendships. Restore civility? Perhaps. We will see.

To read the article, see: "Pass the Peace: Feuding Neighbors to Hold Potlucks."

Niceness Predicts Leader Success

Nice Guys and Gals Finish First

The School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University studied 72 senior executives from 31 companies and found that “bully traits,” poor interpersonal skills, arrogance, impatience, stubbornness, and hard-driving style were detriments to executive success. Rather, successful executives demonstrated strong interpersonal skills, good people management skills, and self-awareness. Being “nice” was a tool of success.

To read the report, see: “When It Comes To Business Leadership, Nice Guys Finish First.”

Cell Phone Courtesy

July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month! For tips, see the Etiquette Centre's July Newsletter: http://conta.cc/clwMCu.