When you turn the situation of gift-giving into a battle of wills, you may as well just not even give the gift. Another approach is to simply call the kids and ask them if they received the gift and if they liked it. This would most likely evoke a thank you. This way you won't sit around stewing and you can hear them thank you sooner than later. I always encourage my kids, whether or not they like a gift that was given to them, to make sure they thank the person who gave it to them.
People are more likely to continue to give gifts if they are thanked.
Laurie Abbo lives in Abilene and is the author of The Ten Commandments of Holistic Parenting. E.W. Scripps Publications , All Rights Reserved. Site users are subject to our User Agreement . We also have a Privacy Policy .