Traditions

Give your children the gift of good manners: instruct them in the art of writing thank-you notes.

A good note is personal, specific and warm. Remind children to address the giver by name, mention the gift, and share how they'll use or enjoy it.

Better still, hold a family thank-you note session. Writing notes together teaches youngsters that gratitude is as much a part of the season as the gifts themselves.

Gifts are piling up beneath the tree, and Santa's ready to roll: time to prepare a Christmas morning basket!

The concept is simple: gather the tools and supplies you'll need to open Christmas gifts and put them in a basket, gift bag or gift box beneath the tree.

Include items like scissors, box cutter, notepad and pen (for recording "gifts received"), camera or videocam, trash bags, zipper food storage bags (for bundling small pieces so they're not lost) and extra batteries.

Add a Santa hat for a fun touch: she who wears the hat, passes out the presents!

Focus holiday traditions around reading, and make memories for a lifetime with a Storybook Advent Calendar.

Wrap 24 childrens' holiday books in gift wrap, then open and read one book each night from December 1 to December 24.

The quiet time calms frazzled children, and parents and grandparents enjoy listening to uplifting holiday tales during the season.

Internet celebrity monkey ("i'm small, i'm terry cloth, and i think i have a nice personality!") strikes again with his sweet, kid-friendly guide to writing thank-you notes.

monkey's illustrated tips on how to write a fun and friendly thank-you note are enough to make you forget his aversion for upper-case letters:

monkey - how to write a thank you note