Advent calendars aren’t gifts?

[pingoose]

MIL has just dropped off an advent calendar for DD (halfway through advent but never mind). I’d already bought her one weeks ago, so now she has two which seems unnecessary.

AIBU to think you don’t usually give them to other people as gifts? They’re the kind of thing I enjoy buying and was looking forward to doing once I had kids!

[AcrobaticCardigan]

Tbh i think having more than one calendar is a bit ridiculous - imagine you have x3 kids each having calendars from you & both grandparents - that’s x9 calendars cluttering up the house! It makes more sense for them to just buy regular sweets or a selection box. It seems a bit mean to say no though, but where do you draw the line?!

[daisypond]

We didn’t get one each either, we had to take take turns each day. That was part of the fun. With my DC too, they had one to share between them. Now they are becoming young adults and not living full time at home, they get one each - bought and sent by me.

[ButtercupGirI]

My mother used to bring all sorts of stuff for my kids including those unwanted McDonald toys. Who cares as long as your kids are happy!

[newdeer]

My DC's great aunt used to send them the traditional calendars through the post. the kind with glittery images of the nativity in them. They adored them, just as I did when I was a kid. It was a lovely present.

[Amys136]

My manager in work always buys the team one each (all over 30). I think it’s a lovely present and the highlight of a December Monday is going in and eating Saturday and Sundays too

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

I'd have loved one of those glittery trad ones as a kid.- we never had one at all, and nobody ever buys me one now, boo hoo.
I've often bought one for Gdcs, and grown up dds, too.

This year I bought myself a just-pictures one with the Raymond Briggs Father Christmas on. I adore the RB Father Christmas - 'Blooming chimneys! Blooming aerials! #%.weather!'

[Somanyreasons]

I’ve got 3 kids. They each have a chocolate advent calendar from one set of grandparents, one uncle, and our well meaning elderly neighbours. They have a shared picture only calendar from the other set of grandparents, and a shared fabric one with pockets which I lovingly made for them years ago (their “real” one in my mind!). That’s 11 advent calendars cluttering up my kitchen. They are driving me potty, but in the context of picking my battles it’s not something I can really be bothered to make a fuss about about, as given the individuals involved it would inevitably cause offence.

[Thefaceofboe]

I bought my 2 nieces an advent Callander and also my godson.

[Shufflebumnessie]

My MiL buys our DC an advent calendar each year, saves me having to remember 😄

[needsomehelptoday]

Well it's a shame it's late but there's nothing wrong with a grandparent giving it. MIL gave ds his. I'm not precious about these things though.

[eddiemairswife]

I used to get my class to do a frieze along the class wall. Each day after the register I would pick a name, the child would open the window, and be given a little Cadbury's goodie. As we broke up before Christmas we had 2 openings a day towards the end of term.

[Fr0g]

grt5rI've got 3 - well, two for me and one for the cat
1 - M&S beauty calendar
2 - The cat's one originally bought for me (reduced last year, turned out to be empty, now filled with cat treats)
3 - Chocolate one reduced to 49p on abt 4 December - turned out to be a vegan chocolate substitute, taste merhhh, nothing like chocolate, but I still eat one every evening.

No objections if anyone wants to give me another!

[MrsKoala]

Oh no! I gave one on dc’s friends a playmobil one for his birthday on 30th Nov. I thought it was a good gift. He certainly pretended to like it.

[elfonshelf]

I had words when step-MIL tried to tell me that she was doing stockings so I didn't need to bother - that is very much parent fun not grandparent fun.

But I wouldn't care at all about advent calendars... DD has 4 this year (one from DH & me and one from each set of grandparents).

[Taswama]

We’ve had them as presents if the GPS happen to be visiting at the right time of year. A bit like Easter eggs really, if we see our DN close to Easter we’ll give one, if not we won’t.

[ReanimatedSGB]

Hmph. If your birthday is December 1st then lots of people think that advent calendars are fabulous gifts. But in the 1970s, when you had your birthday on that day, and people thought 'An advent calendar! What a perfect gift!' that was all very fucking well except they didn't have chocolate in them. Or toys, or Lego, or makeup. They just had a wonky picture of a candle or a robin behind every fucking door. And one year I got three identical ones...

As you were, OP and PP. I'm not bitter about it at all.

[LolaSmiles]

We used to get advent calendars from our parents, grandparents and, if we were lucky, family friends.

[coconuttelegraph]

Wow ok now I feel bad I haven’t been buying them for nieces etc

Why would you feel bad? People are telling you it's a totally normal thing to do, that doesn't mean the same as it's a compulsory thing to do.

[Unhappyvegan]

DS has 2, one from mil and one from great grandma.

[Thirtyrock39]

I am in the minority that agree with you op.
Mil decided years ago that it was her job to buy advent calendars - initially would only get picture ones and now gets kinnerton ones that the kids don't like and I end up guiltily buying them an extra one which we have to hide if she comes round . I know this sound really ungrateful but like you it is something I would have liked to buy myself for the kids and having two advent calendars seems excessive

[Janicejaniceahmfallin]

Yep, OP, it’s a thing. I utterly frigging hate them. No objection to doing the days of Xmas (always remember it being so magical and exciting when I was little, even though that was back in the days of advent calendars with ‘glitter and no chocolate’, as someone else put it!). And no objection to the chocolate, in fact - I always let mine have a pick from the tin before school.

But I really object to some ugly piece of shit corporate advertising covered in cartoons and filled with cheap junk littering up the place. Nevertheless we received one per child from both DM & MIL every single year for over a decade. But it’s really not the hill to die on, so you just need to get used to Spongebob fucking Squarepants or whatever arriving on your doorstep and try not let it ruin your Christmas spirit

[Iggly]

I don’t think that advent calendars are something to get precious about to be honest. It’s not up there with any milestone at all whatsoever and your dc won’t think “shit why didn’t mother ever get me an advent, why was it from granny”

[Pinkandgreenfloral]

Husband said he’d get me a Gin one, as I had complained that I never receive an advent calendar.
He didn’t of course.....

[sonjadog]

I had three each year growing up, from my parents and from each set of grandparents. I turned out okay. I don't see the problem with opening three little windows each morning and eating three small chocolates or whatever is inside.

[RagamuffinCat]

My birthday is on the 30th of November, so I have been bought advent calendars as birthday presents in the past. I love them!