THANK-YOU LETTERS DO MATTER

● Don’t force your children to write them all at once. Two or three a day spread over the Christmas period is enough. Young children only need to write a sentence saying thanks. As they get older, they can add why they liked the toy or book so much.

● If writing to everyone who sent gifts isn’t practical, use email instead (or apps such as Touchnote, £2.99, that send cards from your iphone). ● Thank-you letters may be falling out of fashion but for the recipient, they are more treasured than ever. ‘A handwritten note, which is unique and lasts for ever, really is best,’ says Judy.