DEAR ABBY: For years you have printed letters from grandparents complaining that they don't receive thank-you notes. Well, I have a question: Do these people send thank-you notes to their grandchildren for gifts they've received from them?
I'm an active senior with 25 grandchildren. No matter how small the gift, I always write them a thank-you note. Each child in a family gets his own. This year, I received a pencil, a hand-drawn picture, and some 99-cent earrings, among other things. They all merited a note.
The children love getting their own thank-you note. And as soon as children can print "Thank you" they should be encouraged to send their own.
As my grandchildren have grown up, they have developed good manners, and I always hear from them no matter where they are. -- OHIO GRANNY
DEAR GRANNY: I commend you for setting such a wonderful example for your grandchildren. One of the secrets of writing an effective thank-you is to do it immediately after receiving the gift, while the reaction is spontaneous.