Mom2mom poll: Do you write a holiday letter?

[kckady]

'Tis the season...for the annual holiday letter, right? Do you write a letter to send to family and friends each holiday season? Do you love getting them but don't have the time or the inclination to write one yourself? Do you sometimes send one?

Share your thoughts by answering the weekly poll question. Post your comments and read The Star's FYI section on Tuesday, Dec. 11 to see what other moms say. Also check back often on mom2momkc.com to see how the mom2mom panel answered.
The question: Do you write a holiday letter?
A. Every year
B. Some years
C. Never

[mamalackey]

I use to write one every year but stopped the every year thing after 9/11. It didn't seem appropriate that year.

This year one will be written. We have added two family members this year. Some of the people on our list have never seen/met them.

A photo will be taken when we all gather together later in the month since it never occurred to us to take one at School Teacher Daughter's wedding in June.

They will hit the mailbox probably on December 23rd along with all the lovely news of our family. New jobs, new homes, graduations, new husbands and new grand daughter!

[Qcaller]

I'm really haphazard about sending out Christmas Cards with or without letters. Sometimes the letter gets written but never sent. However, I absolutely adore receiving them and reading them. I love going to my parents house to read the letters from old family friends. Thank goodness my parents are such excellent correspondents.

I think the annual holiday letter gets a bad rap. There are some really fantastic modern takes on the whole thing. Here are a few clever versions found through Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/qcaller/christmas-family-letter/

I will say that the "voice" sometimes gets awkward. If mom is writing the letter, why not just make the letter from mom? No need for 3rd person grammar gymnastics.

Pam West

[ithaca2kc]

I do cards, but not a letter. Even the card seems redundant, as I also post the picture on Facebook - though I do wait until after I know the cards have been received. A letter... most of the people are Facebook friends and see what's going on year-round. I don't see much point for a recap.
I thought about stopping, but there are a handful of older relatives not on FB, plus some people have a collection from each year (I've been told).

[charsing]

I was forced to choose "Some Years" but it really should be "most years". Most years I compose a letter that highlights what everyone did during the year. When the kids were very young our schedule was even more hectic than it is now so I skipped a couple couple years. I am now back on track to "Every Year".

[sahmiam43]

I love reading those letters! I read every word of them, and if I didn't chronicle the adventures of my family via other methods throughout the year, I might do one every now and again, too. I think we did one when the kids were small and we moved three times in one year.

But now,we do a picture card every year and file that under, "a picture is worth a thousand words" and never write a letter.

[mygr8crew]

Every year that I send cards, I include a holiday letter. I have always gotten positive feedback, and I really love reading the ones that I receive in the mail. I only wish that I would be more consistent-right now it seems like I do this every other year, this year being an off year.

[JoLynne]

I love reading the letters but do not write them. Every year, though, I take or create a picture of my daughter as an angel and send it out as a card ... in both paper and electronic forms.

[battlefieldmomma]

I haven't written one in a few years. I could blame Facebook, but it is probably more because there is so much pulling me in all directions at this time of the year that I just don't get that one thing done. We use to take family & kid pictures, but haven't done that in a couple of years either.

[JayhawkKaty]

I normally do every year, but have decided this year that if I sent it, it would be to only a few people (I'm paring the list this year), and that it would probably be more trouble than it's worth. Like some other moms, I have some older relatives not on FB or who don't hear enough about my family through my mom, and they've enjoyed the letters in the past. Since I have only a few people to write this year, I'm just going to write a few lines in the card. Plus, that eases one burden off my list!