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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel sad that a £2 chocolate advent calendar is no longer enough?

218 replies

Ricekrispie22 · 02/09/2018 07:47

There are so many toy based advent calendars around these days and I feel they're just getting bigger and bigger. thetoptoys.blogspot.com/2018/09/toy-based-advent-calendars-sequel.html#more
I much preferred it when you could just get them a good old Cadbury choc calendar and that was enough. It's not like I need any more plastic tat in my house. Is it just me?

OP posts:
bushtailadventures · 02/09/2018 08:20

Have you tried to get one with just pictures? We always had one, both when I was little and when my (adult) dc were too. Trying to find a nice one for dgd last year was a nightmare, crap pictures and so expensive.

Isitme13 · 02/09/2018 08:21

If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.

I don’t like chocolate ones - I see no need to promote eating chocolate each day just because it’s December.

I have used toys in advent calendars before now, but not as a whole toy calendar - bits here and there to fill out a refillable calendar.

The only ready filled one I’ve bought is the Tinc one, which was really good, and all bits got used.

diddl · 02/09/2018 08:21

Same as onceup -just picture ones.

Some years we didn't even get a new one!

Buy what you want to for your kids!

dementedma · 02/09/2018 08:22

hate the chocolate ones as much as the tat ones. We still do a traditional one with a sparkly winter scene or nativity. Dcs are now 27, 24 and 16 so it mostly falls to 16 year old DS to open the windows. He still loves doing it.

Poloshot · 02/09/2018 08:23

It's September

Blinkingblimey · 02/09/2018 08:24

Omg - you’re making me feel like a right miser😂...... mine all share a big one with pictures!!!... there’s enough extra choc around at Xmas without adding to it!

scrappydappydoo · 02/09/2018 08:24

Yanbu but we don't have the chocolate ones either I get irritated by people calling them advent calendars as they have nothing to do with advent. They are just countdowns to commercialisation. We have a 'calendar' of small books that tell a bit of the real Christmas story everyday and that is it. But you would probably see me as BU for that. Each to their own.

Kewqueue · 02/09/2018 08:24

We have 1 sparkly paper one between three kids and no-one complains! Just do what you prefer.

melissasummerfield · 02/09/2018 08:25

I have looked at the toy ones, and what you get in them is just a load of crap, My ds3yo loves disney cars and when i saw a cars one i was tempted until i saw the contents - 3/4 of it was flags or oil barrels!

We have one of the huge felt ones that i put my own treats in, which they like.

Blinkingblimey · 02/09/2018 08:25

Ooo just seen a few posts that mean i’m Not the only one😅

LittleCandle · 02/09/2018 08:29

I saw several lovely 'old-fashioned' advent calendars the other day and think I will get one for my DGD. There is no need for a chocolate one and even less need for ones that have toys! If you don't want to buy the toy one, and your DC complain, then they are spoiled. There should be no expectation of huge amounts of tat at Christmas. I spent all my DC's childhood fighting this with my XH. Thankfully, as adults, they appreciate all they are given, but I did have talks with them about greed when they were younger.

TeenTimesTwo · 02/09/2018 08:29

We have chocolate calendars and also a 'proper' one. The proper one is from Phoenix cards years ago and each day you slot something into a nativity scene, starting with the star on Dec 1st and culminating with Jesus on the 24th.

TheRoadLessRocky · 02/09/2018 08:29

I had a picture one. Luckily, as an only child, I didn't have to share the window opening. However, it was the same advent calendar every year. I didn't know others got new ones. Part of the fun as I got older was trying to remember which picture was which day, and the nostalgia of seeing them.

Am tempted to pull the same trick on my DD but the DSCs would probably tell her at some stage how they always got chocolate ones.

EleanorLavish · 02/09/2018 08:30

Chocolate ones? Pah! Modern rubbish.
We have a traditional pictures one (Bush good selection online) and DH opens it each day. Then puts it on FB.
The. Excitement.
Everyone has to guess what it’s going to be, the FB folk get involved in this too!Grin
Drum! Holly! ChristmS pudding!
The suspense. The fun.
Bin the chocolate ones.
You don’t ‘have’ to buy plastic ones.

DontDribbleOnTheCarpet · 02/09/2018 08:30

I almost never remember to buy Advent calendars. Nobody complains. One year I felt very flush and got them Lego ones, which they loved, but my feet were tortured by lurking Lego pieces for months afterwards. But the next year they didn't mention having any kind of calendar (and they really would have if they wanted them!).

I remember the picture ones from when I was small. Everyone else had chocolate ones but my mother doesn't really approve of enjoyment, so we didn't. The whole experience was a bit disappointing to be honest.

AnnaMagnani · 02/09/2018 08:34

Some of us feel the same about the chocolate ones.

When did it become that the paper ones with a picture in weren't good enough and there had to be chocolate?

DH and I get a paper one each year and guess the picture. The suspense is overwhelming.

SandraTheBee · 02/09/2018 08:36

not christmas chat already?
I was commenting to one of my kids that it won't be long before the big tubs of completely tasteless and half filled rose/ quality street make an appearance.

LucyLastik · 02/09/2018 08:37

Already spotted them in my local Tesco!

DontDribbleOnTheCarpet · 02/09/2018 08:39

Our Co-op already has stacks of tubs of sweets right by the door when you go in. But I'm not sure if that's aimed at Christmas or Hallowe'en.

Morethanthisprovincallife · 02/09/2018 08:39

Well I feel sad the picture ones aren't enough.

We started with those and dc loved them then Mil shoved the Milk choc ones at them and ruined it now

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 02/09/2018 08:39

Last year I bought DS a Thomas calendar with a mini train for each day. I bought it because I didn't want him having chocolate every day, but inevitably someone gave him a Paw Patrol chocolate one from the pound shop.

Guess which one he preferred? This year I'm just getting the chocolate one. And not even the fancy £2 one either.

SnuggyBuggy · 02/09/2018 08:40

I hate how many advent calendars these days don't even have Christmassy scenes on them. I quite like the fabric calendars that you fill up each year and reuse

Chugalug · 02/09/2018 08:40

I can't stand the creepy elf on the shelf...and as for Christmas Eve boxes ...is the fact it's Xmas eve and exciting anyway not enough? No ? They need presents as well ......I don't like ither of these rediculous ideas...so I don't do them...same with the toy advent calendar..if you don't like it ,don't do it .

Hufflefloof · 02/09/2018 08:40

My boy had a Thomas Mini calendar last year, it was good value compared to buying the 25 toys separately, and included 5 exclusive engines he couldn’t buy anywhere else (he collects them). The money came out of his present budget, so he had one less gift on Xmas morning, but got so much pleasure and excitement for the whole month.

whiteroseredrose · 02/09/2018 08:40

Quality Street tubs were in Tesco last week ☹️.

My teen/adult DC still get Cadbury £2 ones (used to be £1!). And DDog gets a dog choc one. I'm sure DD would love a make-up one but tough!