Re: Ettiquette [sic] and Baby Showers

[==Daye==]

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 03:38:14 GMT, Emily Roysdon
> wrote:

>Heh. I don't really care about getting a thank you note unless I'm
>mailing the gift to someone far away. I've mailed more than one gift to
>one of dh's relatives or my own, and never heard if they received it!

Most of the gifts that I receive from my family are mailed. They
live in the US; I live in Australia. Whenever I receive a gift,
I e-mail them and let them know that is received and I thank them
for the gift. I don't send a thank you note.

Is this proper??? BTW, my family doesn't think I am rude for not
sending one.

--
==Daye==
E-mail: brendana AT labyrinth DOT net DOT au

[Kate in Maine]

IMO, an email is better than nothing, but a handwritten note exhibits more
appreciation. YMMV. Really, if someone takes the trouble to mail a pkg
overseas to you, it would be nice to reciprocate in kind, via post.

--
~~Kate and Jim in Maine
2 daughters, 2 sons, EDD 7/4/03
These are the good old days!
"==Daye==" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 03:38:14 GMT, Emily Roysdon
> > wrote:
>
> >Heh. I don't really care about getting a thank you note unless I'm
> >mailing the gift to someone far away. I've mailed more than one gift to
> >one of dh's relatives or my own, and never heard if they received it!
>
> Most of the gifts that I receive from my family are mailed. They
> live in the US; I live in Australia. Whenever I receive a gift,
> I e-mail them and let them know that is received and I thank them
> for the gift. I don't send a thank you note.
>
> Is this proper??? BTW, my family doesn't think I am rude for not
> sending one.
>
> --
> ==Daye==
> E-mail: brendana AT labyrinth DOT net DOT au

[Ericka Kammerer]

==Daye== wrote:

>
> Most of the gifts that I receive from my family are mailed. They
> live in the US; I live in Australia. Whenever I receive a gift,
> I e-mail them and let them know that is received and I thank them
> for the gift. I don't send a thank you note.
>
> Is this proper??? BTW, my family doesn't think I am rude for not
> sending one.


If you were in the US, it would *technically* be improper,
with the caveat that sometimes things within the family are
handled less formally than they would be with others. In general,
email is considered too informal for thank you notes. After someone
else has taken the time, money, and energy to purchase a gift,
wrap it, and send it, only getting out actual pen and paper and
handwriting a note is considered sufficient (again, in the US).
Deciding whether one's family is informal enough to get away with
email for this sort of thing is tough. Most people won't own up
to being miffed at not receiving a "proper" note to your face,
so it can be difficult to tell if resentment is breeding in hidden
corners. And, of course, some people might not care at all, while
others do, so what you can get away with might not be consistent.
In the end, as with most family things, it's a judgement call.

Best wishes,
Ericka

[==Daye==]

On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 11:43:02 -0400, Ericka Kammerer
> wrote:

>In the end, as with most family things, it's a judgement call.

Thank you, Erica. I understand that it is a grey area. I get
your point that if it is someone other than family, a thank you
note should be sent. With family, an e-mail will be okay...
well, for my family.

--
==Daye==
E-mail: brendana AT labyrinth DOT net DOT au