Bea Lewis

Without a doubt - one of the most common questions asked wherever and whenever I  speak to groups is why our children or grandchildren don't bother to acknowedge a gift we send them, and if it's a gift of money, they have no problem to cash that check the minute it comes in the mail.  So frustrating. So hurtful. One woman laments that it really bothers her that she goes out of her way to give, but never  to receive.

 Another wonders if she should stop sending them gifts. I wondered, too. But here are a few creative and clever ways grandparents dealt with the issue.

 1. A Boca Raton grandfather, tired of not getting a thank you- sent  half a check to his grandson with a note saying that he would send him a whole check when he received a thank you note. He never had a problem again. The family joke became""What do you want for your birthday? A half or a whole.?"

2. A Lake Worth grandmother sent a package to her grandson and included a thank you note and a stamped, self addressed envelope so all the grandson had to do was sign it and drop it in the mail,. Couldn't  be easer, right? Wrong! Even then, she said, she didn't get a response!

3.  A West Palm Beach mother sent a birthday card to her son and said to buy something special with the enclosed check. But she never enclosed a check. She got an immediate response! 

Bottom line: It's not worth getting so up tight about nor getting your nose out of joint. if your kids don't send you a thank you note. (Text messaging  and e-mail are quite acceptable) l 

Tell your kids how you feel and that you really don't want to send them any more gifts if they don't respond to you. See what happens.  Or maybe  you can come up with your own creative, clever way of getting a response. We'd love to share it with others.