Kids' Thank You Notes

Squirmy just turned 6.  She has no appreciation, no concern, doesn't take anything seriously, and could truly care less whether she has a party again or even receives gifts again.  It is so disappointing to have this be my child, age 6.  I love her, despite her rudeness.  Yet, how to get a kid who obviously does not care at all to write notes?  We're not talking Emily Post notes, either.  We're talking, thank you for the ____ being the one sentence in there.  She claims she can't do it, yet managed just fine for one of her best friends.  Her writing is such gibberish.  It's a nice day outside, and we'll happily sit inside all day along. I don't care.  

I can't begin to count the number of notes I've written on her behalf since she was born, even writing some as her ghostwriter (which I guess is very tacky, but hard not to do if I don't even know the kids' parents).  I have read (and confirmed at the card store) that a 6-year-old who knows how to write and is learning to read must write his or her own basic note--that's what's done, and what's expected.

She started crying, because I yelled a little bit as she was being so irritating in her lack-of-concern, I'm so funny, ha, ha, making a joke out of the whole thing.  I actually thought that tears would be better than silliness.  In no way does she actually CARE though.  Tears don't mean caring.  Tears mean that she's upset that I'm not coddling her and letting her watch TV or go play with friends or do whatever else she'd rather be doing.

She was like this after visiting a food pantry as well, having the nerve to complain that she was "starving", proving that she learned nothing about the children who don't have enough food to eat on a daily basis.

In many ways, this makes me question my mothering techniques!