Generation Gap: Feel the changes

When it comes to writing thank-you notes, Jenny Street's kids take different approaches.
Molly, 6, eagerly selects her stationery, writes a personal message and decorates her notes with balloons, hearts and flowers.
Owen, 8, needs a bit more coaxing from Mom and favors fill-in-the-blank cards that don't require the same effort.
"He's a boy - he doesn't want to be bothered," says Street, who manages a stationery store in Phoenix.
If there's a downside to the holidays for some children, it may be writing thank-you notes. It's up to parents to make sure the job still gets done, etiquette experts say, for reasons beyond letting far-flung relatives know their gifts arrived.
"It reinforces the lesson of gratitude and appreciation for others' time and effort," says MichÇele O'Reilly, director of the Connecticut School of Etiquette, in Darien, Connecticut.
Adds Jean Summers, author of "The Kids' Guide to Writing Great Thank-You Notes" (Writers' Collective, 2005): "As our lives get more and more high-tech, people are starting to treasure handmade things. These are keepsakes."
Creating these keepsakes doesn't have to be a chore.