To suggest to the dc that we move from the wooden and Lego advent calendars to shop choc ones?

[Retropear]

Dc 10,10 and 9.

We have done a wooden draw thing with a sweet in and the same battered Playmobil one that is forever falling over from their 1st Christmas.

Kinda getting weary of them(and remembering to fill the wooden one each night).

Dd was lovingly stroking choc advent calendars in the Co-op and pointing out they'd never had one.

Considering suggesting it's time to switch but wondering if that would kill Christmas and be the beginning of the end re the magic.

Ie would I regret it?(obviously what the kids want is neither here nor there)

My two have Cadburys chocolate advent calendars. Wouldn't buy Kinnerton - it's horrible stuff. They love having an illicit chocolate after breakfast during the run up to Christmas.

I have a fabric one I made myself - felt tree in a pot. Pockets are on the pot and contain Velcro-backed decorations which you then stick on the tree. Chocolate- free and totally reusable.

Totally joyless too if you follow some schools of thought, but my DDs love it.

Even I, though, have been known to bung in the odd chocolate coin.....

Is kinnerton an American brand? The chocolate really is apalling.

We have a fabric pocket one - so I can put decent chocolate in there.... Heroes go down best here... and Cadbury coins....

but wondering if that would kill Christmas and be the beginning of the end re the magic.

Yes, because that is what the celebration of the birth of the Son of God is all about - advent calendars.

When pregnant, I vowed I would not allow chocolate Advent calendars in the house, only lovely pictures of the nativity. However, because ds1 is allergic to dairy, I find myself moving heaven and earth to source dairy'free chocolate Advent calendars so that he can have the same as his friends.

We do both. First we open the picture calendars (we have loads because we reuse the ones from previous years) and then we finish with a bit of chocolate.

Mine have a traditional picture one each - hard to get actually - plus a bowl of Christmas chocolates (coins, tree decorations, Lindt mini bears etc) from which they choose one each per day. That seems to work for us.

I have always bought chocolate ones for my kids. This year I have seen ones with just pictures like I had as a child and I would be buying those. I figure they will still get chocolate and I want them to experience the fun of guessing what the picture might be like I did.

We also have an Usbourne calender that has to be coloured in. I bought it a couple of years ago.

Hmm confused now- too many nice ideas.

LaG we're not Christian.

I'd let them have whichever cheap advent calendar they like, and keep the wooden one going along side it, with a real coin in each box. You can vary the denomination each day, but arrange it so that each DC have the same to avoid arguments. It will probably be cheaper than buying lots of little gifts and expensive chocs that fit the advent calendar boxes, and the DC can spend their cash with any that they get as gifts, or with vouchers, after Christmas. If this will impact on your budget you just cut back on stocking fillers. Or you could alternate real coins and choc coins in the wooden AC.

Meant to say, as the scrap of Kinnerton choc is so small it's hardly enough to taste, but if the DC decide they don't like it you still have other options here to consider. I think not letting them have them will only make them more desirable!

Love those German calendars, marzipanned! Have already got mine for this year but will bookmark for next year...

Greenbanana, My daughter's dairy allergic so up til now we've not done chocolate ones. This year I've decided to sucumb. Ocado (whole other thread) have a couple of dairy free ones in stock and I've seen them in Sainsbuys, too. We'll still dig out the old playmobile and Eric Carle pop-up one if I can find all the bits, though. Spoilt rotten, my kids. In my day it was one picture one between all four of us. (And my brother would sneak open all the doors in advance. Cheater.)