Advent calendar for a birthday- unreasonable present?

[OnceUponACock]

Is it unreasonable to buy a £20 advent calendar (a toy one, not a food one) for a 5-year old nephrew's late-November birthday?

Shadow You're completely right, it's very strange. However, it's DH's family so it's DH's decision and he thinks it's right to send the kids presents/vouchers.

I doubt MIL would have the mum's number. Even if she did and she gave it do DH, I don't think DH would text her and ask her.

They're a weird family

I have an easter birthday

Receiving easter eggs for birthdays is fucking lame. Same goes for advent calendars i reckon

the lego advent calendars are the business though

ask MIL to ask the kids dad.

If not - just some lego!

I have just bought one, a make up one, half decent ish, for a 42 yr old friend. She was thrilled. Bearing in mind I’d just buy her some random gifty pretty thingy for £5to£10she was thrilled with a treat a day until xmas

I also now buy one for my mum as part of her xmas pressie and give it to her end Nov

Im imagining youre married to a Gallagher brother

I think the advent calendar is a nice idea but maybe too risky. Better just to get a random lego set, there are so many to choose from. Or just send a voucher as usual.

I'm a mid-Dec birthday.

Now at 37 I'd love this but at 5 I don't think it's the best idea tbh.

Shadow No, not one of the Gallaghers, thank god!

Just buy him a Lego set. I have a December birthday - I think the rule of thumb should be to never mix birthday and Christmas whenever possible. Keep his birthday separate, as it's already a very difficult relationship it's better to err on the side of caution.

I think if they have specifically asked for something Christmas related then that’s one thing but not just because.

You also don’t know if the parents planned on buying it for him. Ds is a mid November birthday and I would have been rather pissed off if someone had got him a Lego advent Calendar as a present as I have one ready to give him at advent

I don't want to risk getting a Lego set because we've no idea what he's already got or what he might be getting for Xmas. I just thought an advent calendar would be a nice present but I don't have kids so I thought I'd check on here.

Anyway, it's not me buying any of this- DH's family, DH's problem

Ahhh my dd is right before xmas and genuinely she doesn’t care. If you buy an xmas themed outfit for example or a blanket, she’d rather have it for her birthday so get the use during December

lego set with gift receipt
seriously, there'a lot of lego out there.

I think if it's something they've asked for it's a great present but if not I think it's a bit risky. DD got a Lego Advent Calendar for her late October Birthday, but we'd already got her one as a surprise - it is quite annoying as they're not cheap and I can't find anyone else who wants it.

Although vouchers are considered by some as a cop out I think they're perfect in this instance, especially for a Boy you don't see very often. My nephew is 9 and we get him vouchers as he loves wrestling toys and my Sister doesn't even know which ones he has!

Ds would have loved a Lego advent calendar even as a birthday present - if it’s late November he will only have a few days to wait to open it, and the exitement will build. I think it’s a great idea.

I think it's a lovely gift, if you can afford maybe buy a smaller cheap gift or a £10 gift card to put in with it?

I had the same difficulty last year I bought the Calender then bought a couple of cheap bits from £ world to put in with it. :)

If you know it's something he'll love why not.

dd2 has just had her birthday and firmly at the top of the present list was the lego friends advent calendar.

I actually couldn't get it, but have since ordered it for her on-line as an extra birthday present.

So, on the one hand I think it is fine, but on the other, it was a specific requested item.
TBH most kids LOVE the lego advent calendars, so it wll probably be a hit with the child

I think parents usually buy the advent calendar. I bought my DC's ages ago.

Good of you to check!

I have a birthday at the end of January (and actually more than a month after Christmas) and got combined gifts all through my childhood and it sucked. In some ways, because there is angst you need to get it even more right.

I'd say vouchers for the birthday, and the advent calendar 'just because'. If you can afford it.

It's fine if you get two lego sets the same IMO as you can use the bits for anything.

Just get him some lego, I would.

My birthday is December 1st. When I was a kid I got an average of three advent calendars as gifts, every year.

I am old, so the advent calendars were all the sort where you just have a picture every day. I would have loved the toy ones, or the make-up ones when I got into my teens, but no such thing existed. (still sulking.)

If I had a November birthday I would love one,in fact DS has a Nov birthday but I'd have to get him a beer one and they're totally overpriced, and he's not a great drinker

My birthday is 1st Dec. I got an advent calendar as a part of my birthday present every year as a child. I liked getting them. YANBU.

Well personally I think it is a great idea.

To those posters who equate it to being given an Easter Egg for your birthday present can you not see it is not the same thing at all. That case seems like meanness and being given one present instead of two (Easter egg and birthday present) If it didn't happen to be your birthday then they would probably have got you the Easter egg anyway.

But if it wasn't the boy's birthday then he presumably wouldn't be expecting all his relatives to buy him an advent calendar? So a really good one, i.e. a Lego one, is an additional gift.

I think it's an amazing idea. I'd get my nephew one for his birthday, but I've already got him something. Its the gift which keeps giving! Wish I had a birthday coming up.. I like the look of the gin ones you can buy. 😀

Sounds like a wonderful gift. Who would complain about a present that gives every day for the following month? Madness!