With the holidays winding down and the kids still on Christmas break, there's no time like the present to get your children to work on those ever-important thank you notes. {relatedarticles}Far too many parents don't appreciate the true value of having their kids write out thank-you cards to generous friends and family who weren't there for the big day. Many parents are uncertain as to what the proper protocol for thank you notes is. According to Emily Post, the golden rule regarding thank-yous is that you should always send a handwritten note if the giver wasn't present to thank in person. The etiquette gurus go on to say that if the gift is from a close friend or relative, an email or phone call will suffice. That said, sending a thoughtful thank-you note speaks volumes in regard to how you're raising your children. Ironically, your children will also benefit by creating the habit. Writing thank you notes is the perfect way for kids to practice their written skills while also honing their communication skills. It can also be a fun undertaking.

There are many ways you can approach the exercise. Maybe you'll buy the out of the box thank you notes or perhaps you'll print some off of the Internet.{relatedarticles} Once you have your cards in hand, create an arts and crafts station. Encourage your children not only to put their personal stamp on the card, but also express his or her gratitude in the card. The task at hand won't feel like a duty, but instead like a fun arts and crafts project. Even if you decide against doing thank you notes, you should at least have your child personally call Aunt Jane to thank her for the Zhu Zhu pet or Grandpa Tommy for the train set. This lets your loved ones know that their gifts didn't go unrecognized.