After all the gifts are opened and admired, do you take the time to write thank-you notes to the givers? As a child, many of us were required to write thank-yous for any gift we received, and it was often a tortuous process. As adults, some of us have stayed in the habit, while others gave it up long ago.

No matter your age, thank-you notes are good manners and just a nice thing to do. Particularly for older people, this recognition of the time and expense they took to buy and send a gift can make their day. Everyone loves to get mail that isn’t a bill or advertisement, and a hand-written note is something special.

You can make writing thank-you notes easier and more fun for your whole family with a few simple tricks.

Give cards for thank-you notes to every family member as one of their holiday presents. These note cards can be small and match the personality and style of each person.

Make a list of each gift and who gave it for every person in your family. At the end of the present-opening extravaganza, everyone will have a record of who needs thank-you notes for which gift.

You can make these notes particularly special and memorable by taking a photo of every recipient holding up or wearing the gift and enclose it with the thank you. If you decide to email your thank-yous, which is getting more and more acceptable among younger adults, you can attach the photos to each email.

Write your notes as a family. If everyone received a present from Aunt Joan, do a round-robin thank-you with everyone contributing a sentence or two. Even little ones can draw a picture or write a couple of words. This way you can also help each other come up with good ways to say thanks for each gift.

Gifts are special and givers deserve the appreciation that a thank-you note shows. Take the time to make the celebration special for those people who take the time to think of you.