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Boo boxes

129 replies

CrispieCake · 09/10/2025 16:41

I know someone will be along in a minute to say you do you, no need to participate if you don't want to, yada, yada, yada, but I've just seen these in a shop window and
...wtf?!!!

What fresh parental hell is this?

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Mydadsbirthday · 11/10/2025 10:40

RaraRachael · 10/10/2025 11:35

Who has room in their house for 24 new books every year. Does each child get their own book?

I've never heard of so much unnecessary rubbish. The world has gone mad!

I agree this is ridiculous, even as someone who loves books!

I don't do the elf or Xmas Eve boxes etc but I have to say I find the idea of a boo box quite cute because my DC are a bit too old for trick or treating now and they love Halloween. However I wouldn't buy any plastic tat - I'd probably get a pumpkin for them to carve, some Halloween sweets and those novelty cakes you get and some cupcake making stuff. All consumable / compostable and stuff I'd have bought anyway.

Avantiagain · 10/10/2025 20:52

Boo boxes are essential in Spooky Season.

FortnumsWeddingBreakfastTeaPlease · 10/10/2025 20:49

I think it's a situational/social media thing.

If you don't have a close family, or a large home with lots of resources, then it's not so easy to do the more traditional "non tat" activities, so people compensate by doing what they can, which is often buying fast use seasonal items.

My parents have a big house and I've spent many an early December day collecting greenery and then we make wreaths and garlands at the table. We go to our local estate (DNan has gone since childhood) and the Duke and his family host carols in the Hall, where we all sing and warble out of tune
That's two examples of a hundred things we do over the festive season, all that technically cost nothing... because we have DNan and all our family nearby, and a tailor made environment. Ice skating? Sure, on the years DMs lake freezes over enough. Chestnuts roasting on the open fire? Off to the orchard in the garden to collect a trug full and we'll sit around the lodge, fire lit, listening for hedgehogs and bats. It's very easy to create what people perceive as a perfect Christmas if you've got a fuck tonne of resource, and your whole family there to act like the Von Trapps. I love it, but really recognise the privilege. Social media pumps this kind of stuff down everyone's throat as if it's what you should be doing. Except ice skating for us and our too many children at a pop up like winter wonderland, (which is my idea of hell) would come in at about £100. Without all the food, and travel and everything the hoard would want to buy when we got there. Another £200. It's a joke what these things cost.

So when people have it pumped into them on SM that they have to go all Kirsty Allsop, and they don't have a poncey house of their own or their parents, the pockets for £300 at a shite London pop up, another £80 for wreath making etc on top of all the presents and food and school parties... Guess what. A Christmas eve box is achievable, and they can make it lovely.

Our place, is nowhere near as grand, it's very very standard. We do have a box on Christmas Eve, which contains the old copy of The Night Before Christmas, and loads of wind up toys collected over the years which we set racing across the floor, so no new purchases, unless we see a new wind up to add. We've got stockings, with our initials, in red velvet from good ol' B&M

None of it's filmed or photos displayed online, but most of life is these days. And it's such an utter load of rubbish. Anyone can make a garland, but these influencers then hang it down their 60ft marvellous staircase, and talk like "you too can do this" . Well yeah, but it's not going to look the bloody same on my stairs is it, stop pretending this is what the average house should look like. Building abnormal expectations of normal.

We don't do Halloween in any sense, as my DM would say, "we're not American, nor are you going begging for sweets". So boo boxes make me shudder a little, from a personal perspective. But you know what, if it's what makes you happy, buy the box of stuff. It's not all landfill, it's mostly sweeties that get eaten.

Okiedokie123 · 10/10/2025 20:47

@TheGirlWhoLived yup Brrrrr baskets is another one.
As is “an autumn reset” - revamp of interior decor and accessories cos “summer” coloured cushions in the autumn would be a disaster!!

ohfook · 10/10/2025 20:41

RaraRachael · 10/10/2025 11:35

Who has room in their house for 24 new books every year. Does each child get their own book?

I've never heard of so much unnecessary rubbish. The world has gone mad!

We do a book advent but it’s the same 24 books each year. They were bought second hand and the kids love each year trying to figure out which one is their favourite. I am conscious that my eldest is probably getting too old for this though so I have swapped a couple of the less popular/more babyish ones out this year for books that I think he might still be interested in - still second hand!

I’ve been thinking about it though and I wonder if social media is making everyone feel like they have to do everything. So we have our book advent because I love the ritual of curling up together every night in December with an old favourite book, but I don’t do Christmas Eve boxes, new pjs for Christmas, boo boxes, brrr boxes, presents for first day back at school or presents for Easter. I technically do a 1st December box because I have a box of Christmas crap that we get out of the loft on the 1st December every year. I think most people probably do or one or two things that make a time of year a bit extra but when you look on social media it might appear that everyone is doing all of the things and then instead of it being something nice you do for your kids, it turns into just more pressure to spend.

TheGirlWhoLived · 10/10/2025 19:01

I AM very sarcastic but my 11 year old tells me Brrr Baskets are a thing 😆 she might have made it up though?
Current plans are a chocolate reindeer, Sherpa throw, Christmas-esque book, some Christmas jangly dangly earrings and some festive Percy pigs!

last year we did the beauty advent calendars and this year just looked like much of the same in them so we thought it would be fun for them to have a little basket full of seasonal-ish stuff 🤷🏻‍♀️ I might do a heart one in February, I might do something rabbit themed at Easter, who knows

MoominMai · 10/10/2025 17:15

CrispieCake · 09/10/2025 20:52

The anarchic thrill that kids get from rushing around darkened streets with masks on is part of the essence of the Halloween experience. I ditch half the sweets (all the teeth-rotting ones) back into the bowl when we get back and leave them out for the older children and teenagers who come later (towards the end of the night, we always get one little twat who empties the entire bowl rather than taking a couple as per the sign, which saves chucking any out).

But the core experience is that of plundering unknown and untold riches. My DC is usually half-drunk on the thrill of it and always begs "Just one more street!" A tame "Here's a few carefully curated goodies that Mummy put together for you" simply wouldn't compare.

Just what I was going to say. It just seems like these Boo boxes are a sanitised and soulless version of what the essence of Halloween is.

Guess it keeps retailers happy though but is horrible to think of all the extra tat that will eventually just become more landfill.

RaraRachael · 10/10/2025 16:53

I didn't think Brrrr boxes were a thing. I thought it was just a PP being sarcastic.

Why can't people just bring out the seasonal stuff without called it a whatever kind of box.

Everything has to be a performance these days and probably filmed for Instagram content that nobody gives a shit about.

JetFlight · 10/10/2025 16:29

I’ve just looked up brr boxes haha. Nuts. But I wouldn’t mind one. Nice stuff to cheer me up over the cold months.

ridl14 · 10/10/2025 16:16

Screwyoudavid · 09/10/2025 17:36

Just more tat in landfill and money spent on shite.

Literally! Count me out

thisfilmisboring123 · 10/10/2025 16:07

CrispieCake · 09/10/2025 19:01

It's the cumulative effect. I do elf-on-the-shelf and my kids do get a Christmas box. Before today, I would have shared that sentiment.

But "Back-to-School" gifts, Christmas Eve boxes, Christmas stockings, New Year's gifts, Valentine's day gifts, Easter gifts, summer holiday gifts.. And now "Boo Boxes" as well.

There must be some children in the country who never go a couple of months without being handed a new pile of stuff 😂. Where do people put it? They must have bigger houses than me!

Haha
What a hypocrite!

Maybe people who do boo boxes (fwiw I don’t) prefer Halloween and don’t do the elf and Xmas box shit.

DrPrunesqualer · 10/10/2025 15:57

Okiedokie123 · 10/10/2025 15:47

No idea. I never really embraced the notion of Santa with my kids as I’ve never been into lying to them.
Mine are both in their 20s now though and still get very excited about Christmas. No joy or magic lost. Lots of annual traditions in our house but nothing that resembles a trend or instagram fad!

Yes I really don’t like all the recent trends and we’ve always kept it very much as how I was brought up

Our kids are in their 20s too but I still have fun pretending Santas coming and leaving a carrot out. My kids just roll their eyes and have been for many a year 🤣

we generally call him St Nick though

Okiedokie123 · 10/10/2025 15:47

DrPrunesqualer · 10/10/2025 11:24

Wow !
Id rather leave that special moment of opening presents to one day

So for those parents who do Santa what do they tell their kids ?

No idea. I never really embraced the notion of Santa with my kids as I’ve never been into lying to them.
Mine are both in their 20s now though and still get very excited about Christmas. No joy or magic lost. Lots of annual traditions in our house but nothing that resembles a trend or instagram fad!

Ionlymakejokestodistractmyself · 10/10/2025 15:29

More bloody landfill to suffocate the planet with.

RESIST!

ThreePears · 10/10/2025 15:22

youalright · 09/10/2025 19:16

I remember i use to get told off because id eat the toffee and then say I was full so couldn't eat the apple 🤣

I remember that the apples had a tendency to have already gone past their best and weren't very nice anyway. Never been a fan of a pappy apple.

motheroflittledragon · 10/10/2025 12:37

opencecilgee · 10/10/2025 12:31

24 books?

wow! What’s wrong with the library ?

Not everyone drives and has a walkable library. They are just small mini books and we can reuse them this year i doubt he remembers them. Also in all honesty I am too lazy to faff with tracking to the library with a baby/toddler and needing to be precious about the books. Our books fine chew them if you want knock yourself out mate

Gowlett · 10/10/2025 12:32

It’s Halloween goodies & costume. In a box.

opencecilgee · 10/10/2025 12:31

24 books?

wow! What’s wrong with the library ?

motheroflittledragon · 10/10/2025 12:19

CrispieCake · 10/10/2025 10:40

Maybe I'm being a bit unfair, but for a lot of people celebrations nowadays seem to be about giving stuff, not doing stuff.

So instead of the traditional Easter egg hunt with Impossible clues, many kids get a basket full of presents and large chocolate eggs just handed to them.

And instead of all the traditional fun Halloween games - apple bobbing, mummy wrapping, treacle scones, fortune telling etc. - many kids just get another box full of stuff.

And where there are activities, they're very staged - i.e. "wander around field of artfully placed pumpkins that we've paid £16pp to enter and take family pumpkin snap".

I'm not normally nostalgic for the past - I think lots of things were shit - but I remember there being more real fun around.

It is perfectly possible to do both. Not the biggest autumn fan so other then picking a pumpkin and books basket we don't do much that is seasonally special

But December i do go all out, Christmas movies every Friday running up to Christmas, advent calendar (got DS a book one and dh a coffee one so not exactly tat and especially books something i want to encourage anyway. DH built a lovely routine of reading the book to our 9 month old at the time) I did also do the elf and printed the picture so I can build and share the narrative with DS how his elf has grown up with him showing him the photos. We did visit Santa's Grotto. We made Christmas cookies and watched the ballet on tv snuggled together.

I will admit I don't buy DH or DS many just because treats that are not consumables and Christmas gifts are limited to one from the christkind on Christmas eve and then 3 from santa, and use Boo baskets, Christmas eve boxes, Easter baskets, and birthdays as opportunity to give them something they would want/need anyway. I only get DS new toys if he has truly outgrown or is in need of a new one

RaraRachael · 10/10/2025 11:35

Who has room in their house for 24 new books every year. Does each child get their own book?

I've never heard of so much unnecessary rubbish. The world has gone mad!

DrPrunesqualer · 10/10/2025 11:24

Okiedokie123 · 10/10/2025 11:10

Me neither!

24 books - one gift wrapped book for each day in December 1-24.

Wow !
Id rather leave that special moment of opening presents to one day

So for those parents who do Santa what do they tell their kids ?

JetFlight · 10/10/2025 11:24

CrispieCake · 10/10/2025 10:40

Maybe I'm being a bit unfair, but for a lot of people celebrations nowadays seem to be about giving stuff, not doing stuff.

So instead of the traditional Easter egg hunt with Impossible clues, many kids get a basket full of presents and large chocolate eggs just handed to them.

And instead of all the traditional fun Halloween games - apple bobbing, mummy wrapping, treacle scones, fortune telling etc. - many kids just get another box full of stuff.

And where there are activities, they're very staged - i.e. "wander around field of artfully placed pumpkins that we've paid £16pp to enter and take family pumpkin snap".

I'm not normally nostalgic for the past - I think lots of things were shit - but I remember there being more real fun around.

I agree with this completely. I’m sure there are people who do both but just giving stuff and not doing anything just seems so superficial.
Most people have the warmest memories of things they did with their family and barely remember the gifts they got (unless it was really outstanding)

columnatedruinsdomino · 10/10/2025 11:18

I'm sure if dads were in charge of Boo boxes, December 1st boxes, advent calendars, Elfs, Christmas Eve boxes, Easter hunts, Easter crafts etc all these holiday adjuncts would die a death pretty smartish! 🤣
I wonder if these are all designed to stop us silly women having the time to ponder more serious issues? (Joke).
I know everyone will say they enjoy doing all this extra stuff but think of your future tired, stressed self, after 25 years I have only just stopped decorating the house for Halloween and the last 5 years I've only done it out of 'duty'. 👻🎃

Okiedokie123 · 10/10/2025 11:10

DrPrunesqualer · 10/10/2025 03:07

I never did any of those things @Okiedokie123

whats the
24 Christmas books ?

Me neither!

24 books - one gift wrapped book for each day in December 1-24.

CrispieCake · 10/10/2025 10:40

Maybe I'm being a bit unfair, but for a lot of people celebrations nowadays seem to be about giving stuff, not doing stuff.

So instead of the traditional Easter egg hunt with Impossible clues, many kids get a basket full of presents and large chocolate eggs just handed to them.

And instead of all the traditional fun Halloween games - apple bobbing, mummy wrapping, treacle scones, fortune telling etc. - many kids just get another box full of stuff.

And where there are activities, they're very staged - i.e. "wander around field of artfully placed pumpkins that we've paid £16pp to enter and take family pumpkin snap".

I'm not normally nostalgic for the past - I think lots of things were shit - but I remember there being more real fun around.

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