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Original poster

To want to throw the advent calendars in the bin?

109 replies

Pregnantthenfkd · 07/12/2022 08:43

I want to preface this with - I am not actually going to throw my child's advent calendars away. But my god are they grating my cheese.

Does anyone else find advent calendars incredibly irritating? My 3yo has 3 this year (toy one from us, chocolate one and book one from grandparents).

All day long the asking about them, can she open another window? is it the next day yet? Today she was up at 4am asking to open them!! I thought the novelty would wear off by now but we're 1 week in and it's still all day long.

Is this obsession normal? Please tell me they grow out of this!

OP posts:
Spliffle · 07/12/2022 08:45

Advent calendars should be pictures only. I hate all the others.

Thereisnoname · 07/12/2022 08:46

No advice but I feel your pain. My 7 yesr old daughter is the same about the elf. Tried to get fid of him and all he'll broke loose.
Getting up a crack of dawn to find the elf, was up at 4.30 asking where he was this morning.

Caspianberg · 07/12/2022 08:46

No idea. My 2 year olds one is a fabric one. It’s his first year having one. I only put something in each evening for the next day this year, otherwise he would just want every pocket at once.

FunctionalSkills · 07/12/2022 08:46

Yup. Its part of their excitement for Xmas. Its one of those frustrating at the time but then you miss it when they're teens things imo...

DrManhattan · 07/12/2022 08:46

@Spliffle agree
Most of the ones around today don't have that much to do with the original meaning

RedHelenB · 07/12/2022 08:47

Spliffle · 07/12/2022 08:45

Advent calendars should be pictures only. I hate all the others.

Why?

FaazoHuyzeoSix · 07/12/2022 08:48

oh I miss that stage! mine are older now. yes of course they will grow out of it but this is a really useful development activity to help your 3yo gain a sense of passing time and how long it takes from one day to the next.

would it help to have a set routine eg breakfast, then advent calendar, then teeth clean, so that it's clear that if you haven't just had breakfast then it's not time for advent calendar? or you could have one after breakfast, one after lunch and one after tea to spread them out?

the really difficult thing is boxing day when there ate no advent calendar doors and no stocking and its all boring again...

TakemedowntoPotatoCity · 07/12/2022 08:50

She's very young so a pain in the arse about it currently. When she gets older/more of a sense of time/more self control it should improve (hopefully).

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 07/12/2022 08:50

Yep I have a 3 yr old and I kept a toy one back his granny gave him last year when he was two because it was for a 4-6yr old. He found that amongst the Xmas decs this year.
Then granny came and brought another toy one.
I had given him a chocolate one.
And granny also bought me and DH a choc one. And a toy one for our 1yr old....
It was hell for three days.
He just doesn't understand the concept because he is too young.

I let him open all the toy ones. Then last night I checked all the tat in the bin and he hasn't even asked about it.
He eats his chocolate one ok, one a day. Occasionally gets ours but we hid ours away so he isn't reminded by it.

3yr olds are too young for advent calendars.

I even bought a wooden one with lovely wooden pieces to be added to the tree every day and he just out them all on too. I just let him as I'm not really bothered about that - it looks better with all the pieces on obviously.

Festivecheer26 · 07/12/2022 08:51

Do you open them all at the same time? If so maybe spread them out throughout the day?

Chattycathydoll · 07/12/2022 08:51

I just let mine get on with it, especially as ours is a reusable one I made, I put chocolate coins in the pockets. Want to eat your chocolate at 4:30am? Sure, crack on, it’s your chocolate. In fact want to eat the whole thing at once and have nothing to look forward to? Your call.

Once she has freedom over it, it’s like the Shadowlands episode of Bluey, she realises the rules make it fun and she doesn’t actually want to eat it immediately.

Plus either way I’m not getting out of bed for it.

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 07/12/2022 08:51

Caspianberg · 07/12/2022 08:46

No idea. My 2 year olds one is a fabric one. It’s his first year having one. I only put something in each evening for the next day this year, otherwise he would just want every pocket at once.

Oh good idea!! I'm using that for next yr when my youngest is 2!

RaspberryBlonde · 07/12/2022 08:51

We've just got picture ones this year @Spliffle and the DC are actually really enjoying them. Although not so much they're up at 4am to open them! We had Lego ones last year and the novelty wore off quickly.

Sadly they are getting chocolate ones from their grandparents at the weekend so that will be the end of the peace (not least as they'll want to eat 10 days worth at once!)

Sartre · 07/12/2022 08:52

I’ve always just had a reusable one which I fill with chocolate, saves any major hassle.

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 07/12/2022 08:52

Thereisnoname · 07/12/2022 08:46

No advice but I feel your pain. My 7 yesr old daughter is the same about the elf. Tried to get fid of him and all he'll broke loose.
Getting up a crack of dawn to find the elf, was up at 4.30 asking where he was this morning.

I will never ever buy that elf. I don't know why people fell for that marketing ploy!

NellyBarney · 07/12/2022 08:54

I only had them when oldest was 7 years old and they could manage. When dc 2 then wanted one, too, I bought him one too but accepted that it all would have been opened by end of day 1. Dh still does it to his advent calendar. I now just buy him a big tub on December 1 and he can eat it as soon as he likes. Don't ruin your Christmas season by fights over calendars. If she opens it all earlier, chances are she will still develop into a self disciplined human being 😀

EmergentThoughts · 07/12/2022 08:55

I've just not bought them this year. The cheap ones are full of waxy, nasty chocolate and the expensive ones are too pricey, I'd rather spend that money on stocking gifts.

We have a refillable advent, as well, but then there's the constant morning battle of "get in your uniform before you can have the chocolate" and fuck me, I just can't face it.

Gruffling · 07/12/2022 08:56

At 3 her brain is not mature enough to do advent calendars properly, it's not her fault.

I got my 3 year old a book one and she has opened them all already. She still has experienced and advent calendar, so what's the issue. Let her open them all if she wants too!

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 07/12/2022 08:58

Yes I meant to say don't get wound up about it just let her open them all if she wants it's really not a big deal

Caspianberg · 07/12/2022 08:59

I actually wasn’t planning one this year as Ds is 2.5 still. But a friend make him the lovely fabric one so I’m trying to use.

He doesn’t really understand it though. Have a mixture of bubbles, stickers, some colour in wooden Xmas decorations, mini haribo, odd kinder egg to put in. So he’s not expecting the Same thing every day.

The colour in tree decorations have been a hit. He’s had 2 so far, and they pass 5- 10 mins each morning which him at table whilst I make breakfast. I only have one more this year, but will definitely look for similar next year.

Whatafool123 · 07/12/2022 09:05

Unfortunately, it takes a couple more years for them to really get the concept of counting down the days. Ds is 5 and this is the first year he really understands he has to open just one door a day.

Hang on in there!

RudsyFarmer · 07/12/2022 09:08

The elves brought toy ones. One of my children is very grateful. The other, NOT AT ALL. He is demanding a chocolate one alongside the toy one. Next year his calendar will have individually wrapped pieces of coal behind each door.

BeanCounterBabe · 07/12/2022 09:17

Three advent calendars seems like a lot for a very small child to handle. We only had cheap chocolate ones until the DC were old enough to understand and appreciate the waiting to open a day at a time.

goldierocks · 07/12/2022 09:18

I'm not sure if they grow out of them - my DS still enjoys his, and he’s in his (very) early twenties!

I made it for him when he was a toddler, so it's become a bit of a tradition.

To want to throw the advent calendars in the bin?
WeWereInParis · 07/12/2022 09:20

My 3.5 year old is fine with hers, but she only has one standard one with a small chocolate in it. So while she does enjoy it, it's not that exciting that she'll nag about opening another throughout the day. She knows she has it in the morning and that's it. Having 3 would probably be harder for her to cope with as she'd probably get too excited and it's probably harder to understand than just "we open one door a day".

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