Corsicana Daily Sun, Corsicana, Texas

Community News Network

Related Photos

Discussion

December 24, 2012

Be polite about gifts, even those ugly socks

By Mari-Jane Williams The Washington Post

Expressing gratitude is important, sure. But not wrinkling your nose when you open a hideous pair of brightly patterned, itchy socks on Christmas morning is important, too. We want our children to be grateful, but they also need to know how to be polite.

So we asked Daniel Post Senning, a spokesman for the Emily Post Institute, how to coach little ones to not show disappointment when they open a present they don't like and what is acceptable these days in terms of acknowledging gifts.

"The situations and circumstances of our lives change, and the ways that we express, show or share [gratitude] may change, but a good high-quality thank-you is still a fundamental part of etiquette," Senning said.

Senning says parents need to teach children how to receive every gift — even the ugly socks — with the same spirit and thought that it was given.

"Let them know that's part of the expectations," Senning said. "You can always say thank you for something, for thinking of you, or the thought behind the gift. Prepare them for the possibility ahead of time and be clear with the expectations."

A warm, spoken thank-you is perfectly acceptable on its own, Senning said, but a written thank-you note is always a nice added touch. If your child is not able to thank someone personally, she should send a handwritten thank-you note (with help, depending on her age).

Thank-you notes by email or text message are better than no acknowledgment of a gift, Senning said, but a written note is preferable.

"The medium is the message," Senning said.

"A more traditional handwritten note takes more time, more preparation, more thought. The more import you want to give the thanks, the more you want to think about the medium of the message."

Text Only
Community News Network
  • NUTRITION24.jpg Kebabs: Health kick on a stick

    Grilling is a simple way to feed your family well this summer. Start with a lean meat and a healthful marinade and then allow the grill to strip away additional fat for a heart-healthy and waist-friendly final result. Plus, grilling caramelizes the natural sugars in foods, which adds flavor without additional calories and fat.

    May 24, 2013 1 Photo

  • Boy Scouts: Yes to gay youths, no to adults

    The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its ban on openly gay youths but maintained a prohibition on gay adult leaders, a decision framed as a compromise but one that could lead to litigation and thousands of defections from one of America's largest youth organizations.

    May 24, 2013

  • Oklahoma Tornado Expert: Schools need shelters

    Ninety-four percent of Oklahoma schools do not have tornado shelters, according to Gov. Mary Fallin, even though at least one weather expert says they should be standard. With two Moore schools destroyed in Monday’s EF-5 tornado — and ...

    May 24, 2013 1 Photo

  • Twitter.jpg Twitter introduces website security tool after AP account hacked

    Twitter is adding a new security tool to its website, making it harder for outsiders to gain access to accounts, a month after a false posting triggered a stock-market decline.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • chinese restaurant survivors.jpg Siblings withstand storm in fridge

    Brother and sister co-owners of a Chinese takeout restaurant huddled inside a refrigerator to survive Monday’s deadly tornado that claimed 24 lives.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • taylortornadofamily Mom delivered baby as tornado struck

    Shayla Taylor was so far along in labor that her nurses at Moore Medical Center decided not to move her when Monday's tornado hit. They waited out the storm in an operating room, where the wall disappeared as the tornado hit the building.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • preview4.jpg TIMELAPSE: Take a tour through the damage in Moore

    Take a driving tour of the damage in Moore caused by Monday's tornado.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • Mayor wants tornado shelters in new homes

    Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis wants tornado shelters in all new homes in his city, where an EF-5 tornado damaged or destroyed more than 12,500 homes Monday afternoon. A proposed ordi­nance would require a shelter inside or outside each new residence.

    May 23, 2013

  • import 1.jpg AUDIO: Residents share their tornado experiences

    Moore, Okla., residents talk about living through Monday's EF-5 tornado.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • computer.jpg In fan fiction, your favorite characters do what you want them to

    When J.J. Abrams took over the "Star Trek" franchise in 2009, he boldly went where the series hadn't gone before — romantically — pairing Uhura with Spock. Many fans disliked the change. Some loved it. Others didn't care, because they just wanted to see Kirk and Spock make out.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo