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Original poster

To think world's gone mad RE advent calendars

127 replies

bourbonbiccy · 01/12/2018 10:05

So I caught a little bit of a breakfast show and they were discussing how chocolate advent calendars should be banned as its not good for children !!!!

Am I the only one that thinks this is just crazy. A little bit of chocolate each day for the run up to Christmas is not going to have a negative affect on your child if they have a balanced diet the rest of the time.

OP posts:
CoolGirlsNeverGetAngry · 01/12/2018 13:23

We used to have picture ones and me and my brother had to take turns!
My dd has a HappyLand one because she’s my pfb

Skyejuly · 01/12/2018 13:25

Why do people have to post their calender on FB as if no one has ever seen one.

EmeraldShamrock · 01/12/2018 13:29

Last year my DC ate the whole thing, they won't be getting one this year.
As long as they're used properly then I think it is fine.

Oblomov18 · 01/12/2018 13:31

As we don't do like Elf, chocolate advent calendar is our preferred daily option.

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 01/12/2018 13:36

We never had chocolate calendars, only the picture ones. But really, a tiddly chocolate piece per day, what harm can it do. I get more annoyed by the adult ones, most are just an expensive rip off.

MrDonut · 01/12/2018 13:46

Spend 250 pounds on a beauty calendar, then post on MN every day about how disappointed you are. Repeat every year.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 01/12/2018 14:04

I had a beauty one last year (€40 from M&S) and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the little thrill of having something to open every day. I haven't got one this year, but I might next year again. It's true that there was a lot of stuff that I wouldn't use, most of which I gave away, but there was stuff that I tried and liked too.

KateTheShrew · 01/12/2018 14:12

My two DCs just have the picture ones (still both too young to complain, or know about the chocolate ones Grin)

They both get plenty of chocolate/treats anyway, so we're not strict about that, but I like the fact that it's just about counting down the days and also that there's no plastic in the calendars, so they can be recycled.

MrDonut · 01/12/2018 14:16

BlackAmericano, I’m sure most people love their beauty calendars. Just the MN threads about them are always so negative. Maybe this year will be different.

Heatherjayne1972 · 01/12/2018 14:19

My nephew opened all 25 windows at once. To ‘make Christmas come quicker’!

My 16 yr old dd was amazed that my sisters and I only had a picture one when we were children
She thinks we were hard done by

Thesearmsofmine · 01/12/2018 14:21

Meh it’s a tiny amount of chocolate! I asked my children which calendar they would like this year(homemade, toy etc) and they picked a paw patrol one with that gross kinnerton chocolate in. They love it though!

Lonely200144 · 01/12/2018 14:28

I would love to be able to buy a 2 pound chocolate one 😂but my daughter can’t eat chocolate so we have a Lego friends one it doesn’t feel the same !

Cornettoninja · 01/12/2018 14:34

People get very over excited about things that don’t affect them don’t they? Being told off and directed to do things a particular way because some kill-joy busy body can’t unclench doesn’t really make me want to reconsider my ways.

My dd has a chocolate one because she’s already got too much ‘stuff’ plus her birthdays in December so more toys is not something I’m encouraging tbh Grin

The only thing I will change next year is to get a more one that’s counting down more obviously, the character one she’s got isn’t really clear.

MiddlingMum · 01/12/2018 14:36

I don't like the chocolate ones as the chocolate is either disgusting or really expensive.

I bought my nephew a Divine plain chocolate one. Vegan, with no palm oil. I haven't heard yet how it tastes, but probably lovely.

Maelstrop · 01/12/2018 14:41

They've run out in Asda. Gutted.

QueenCity · 01/12/2018 14:45

My children have never had a chocolate advent calendar. I always buy them the traditional ones like we had as children. It's not an issue with them eating chocolate I just prefer the old ones and they like trying to guess what the picture will be each day. We also have a wooden advent Christmas tree that has a bauble hung on it each day until Christmas and a countdown to Christmas thing that they change each day.

fartfacemcfartfaceface · 01/12/2018 14:46

I saw this and I think it must have been a bit of a slow news day. The woman's argument against advent calendars was very weak lol.

Xenia · 01/12/2018 14:59

We had the ones with religious pictures (no food) as children. It was still exciting!

Babdoc · 01/12/2018 15:01

I’m so glad to hear that some of you still have traditional calendars with pictures telling the story of Advent. That’s what an Advent calendar is meant to be, not some greedy consumerist chocolate fest.
My children had a beautiful woodland Advent calendar that we got out every year - they knew which pictures were on each date after a few years, but they still loved the tradition of taking turns to open them.
I knitted them a Nativity set too, and we always put that up at the start of Advent.
For Christians, Advent is meant to be a time of meditation and purification in preparation for the coming of Jesus - rather in the way that Lent is a time of fasting before Easter - so chocolate in calendars is utterly inappropriate!
I don’t understand why atheists want Advent calendars at all - why don’t they just buy a pile of chocolate bars and eat them whenever?

shoofly · 01/12/2018 16:35
Hmm
Orangecake123 · 01/12/2018 17:47

Do what you want to do. I remember we had one at school which every child got a turn to open. I'm a huge advent calanders fan girl.

Cornettoninja · 01/12/2018 18:17

I don’t understand why atheists want Advent calendars at all

You mean you literally don’t understand that Christmas has become a cultural celebration simultaneously with a religious one and societies, whatever their beliefs or lack of, have rituals and celebrations because that’s what humans have a drive to do?

Or are are you being deliberately scornful and looking for an argument? Granted I’m not a practicing Christian but I’ve arranged to attend religious activities with my dd as part of our Christmas celebrations and it seems to me your post doesn’t contain much kindness or turning the other cheek. Is that in the spirit of advent then?

Xenia · 01/12/2018 18:38

I go with what the children want. This year one wanted one and he wanted a £40 from Harrods of all things but as none of the others do and it may be one of the last years I buy one (as he is at unviersity) I agreed. Total waste of money of course (he is at university and yes it apparently has a very good chocolate each day).

Guiven small children a small dose of chocolate on a regular basis is pretty awful. It is a bit like feeding a small bit of heroin each day to someone to keep them hooked. We push sugar on children at ever turn in ways we never used to do. Even at a ski resortin the fresh air in the snow they were handing out chocolate - nutella had a stand; then our gym had a bowl of chocolate by reception at Christmas. No wonder the nation is booked on it and the fattest we have ever been in history.

stayingaliveisawayoflife · 01/12/2018 19:01

My sister had a chocolate advent calendar, my brother had a chocolate advent calendar, I had a picture one. I am allergic to caffeine. Don't get me started on Easter eggs and my jar of mints!

EyUpOurKid · 01/12/2018 19:12

My Mam is the vicar and bought DS the meaningful chocolate advent calendar Grin

He also has the happyland one, so today's offering of an elf is currently watching the happyland holy family who are sat on the kitchen table. I expect they'll be joined by tomorrow's polar bear or whatever it is too Grin