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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be mildly vexed that chocolate advent calendars are the norm these days?

212 replies

MoChan · 04/12/2009 13:34

I used to be so excited by my picture one and didn't need chocolate to make it interesting. My step daughter can barely believe they ever existed and clearly can't see the point if there's no chocolate.

OP posts:
nannynobnobs · 05/12/2009 22:57

Forgot to add, my dds have a fabric calendar with little rings instead of pockets, and I made a little felt stocking to tie on a different number each day. I have so far put Roses sweets in it, one each for them, and they don't have it till at least after lunch. I'll swap to something different when the Roses run out... This may be a lot sooner than I expected as they are yummy.

Seasonofgoodwill · 05/12/2009 23:16

YANBU. For me, Advent is for looking forward to, and preparing for, Christmas. The "feast" side of things is for Christmas itself.

Washersaurus · 05/12/2009 23:27

I mean FFS Star Wars! Lovely thought FIL, but really DC's are only 4 and 2yo....

I felt really sad as I had spent ages constructing the blardy Playmobil Father Christmas one for them to share - I was hoping to avoid them having cheap crappy choc ones. I do hope they don't remember they were given them

paisleyleaf · 05/12/2009 23:30

It's not the actual chocolate that's a problem for me either.
Just the chocolate ones are so boring and unimaginative.
Look at these...
calendar 1
calendar 2
Some of them are the kind of illustrations that stay with a child, and then there's the cute little pictures behind the doors.
You just don't get nice chocolate ones. (well not that I've seen).

Seasonofgoodwill · 05/12/2009 23:35

True enough paisleyleaf. No need for chocolate if the pictures are nice enough

fuzzywuzzywombat · 06/12/2009 00:23

Ive never had one... bought one ( fabric with self fillable pockets) for the DD when she was small, but never remembered to get it out in time for the first day of december, christmas is no big thing in our house, we dont even put the decco's up till christmas eve and then its very natural looking stuff - ivy from the garden with holly and bits clipped from the leylandi, its our family thing to do it together and as it doesnt last long its a bonus that it has to get recycled after a few days. Dont get me wrong im NOT a houseproud fussypants that likes things minimal- i just dont like the commercialism of it all

NotanOtter · 06/12/2009 00:25

paisley you are so right - gorgeous pics

Seasonofgoodwill · 06/12/2009 04:56

LOL @ "deccos"

edam · 06/12/2009 09:41

I don't put the decorations up before Christmas Eve but that's because it's not Christmas, nothing to do with commercialism. They wouldn't feel special if they'd been up for a month. (And my parents did the same so it's just what I'm used to.)

edam · 06/12/2009 09:43

Mind you, I discovered the downside today - ds woke me up early so he could find out what shape chocolate I had on the calendar dh bought for me...

(Would quite happily not have one myself but it was a nice thought of dh's.)

HopeForTheBestExpectTheWorst · 06/12/2009 09:53

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn on request of the poster.

hgualotemita · 06/12/2009 10:42

One of the 'feast' parts of Christmas itself is lots of nice things to eat on the day itself and just after. Daily chocolate for the whole of Advent as well just seems too much... like it dilutes Christmas a bit, or like it means you need to have even more chocolate and so on at Christmas to make it stand out from Advent.

I just don't see how something like chocolate coins in a Christmas stocking can be as exciting if you've just had a month of chocolate every day. I feel the same way about the Advent calendars with little presents to be honest - the treats people put in often seem to be the sorts of things that I would put in a Christmas stocking. What do you put in children's stockings if you've already given them 24 small stocking-type presents before Christmas has even arrived?!

I can see how if you've always had chocolate calendars then that's part of your Christmas and it seems meanspirited of anyone to want to take it away. I grew up with cardboard and glitter though so it doesn't feel like taking something away to me, just not adding it!

oldwoman · 06/12/2009 11:00

OP - YABU.

My DCs have choc ones - nice cadbury ones bought by my mum with father christmas on the front. They are thrilled with them. There are pictures behind each chocolate as well.

Quite honestly, choc is the norm and it's fun. My DS has a mild ASD and I think it makes it all the more important to take part in fun and harmless things like this. For a child who already socialises slightly abnormally, I think it's important to help him be part of what his friends are discussing.

Anyway, I can just imagine in 10/20 yrs time, children of people who have shunned choc advents calendars getting their own as adults. Seriously, don't be so sanctimonious about a few small pieces of choc. Let your child participate and enjoy. If you want them to have a picture/little toy one, then have 2 advent calendars.

Wonderstuff · 06/12/2009 12:12

I sent my mum out to get one for dd in a fit of guilt that she would 'miss out' (early pregnancy and hyperemeisis are warping my brain) So Tesco's had a choice of Ben10 or High School Musical on the 1st. F all to do with Christmas, DD now knows Ben10 contains chocolate, that she isn't allowed very often, but has no idea why - she's 2 - I shouldn't have bothered. Where does one get nice nativity ones with nice pics. I wasn't allowed choc when I was little, but got all excited about the picture. When I finally, by the late 80's pursuaded dps to get choc, I ate them all by about the 10th then had nothing left to open.

nion64 · 06/12/2009 15:06

Well i this year completely forgot about getting any kind of advent calender, no worries I thought they will all have the left over ones on sale (cheapy) can I find one, can i heck (I am sure they used to have them in the bargain bins when I was a kid - or has chocolate now got a 50 yr shelf life so they stick em back in the stock room?? . My only consolation is my son is 13 so when he makes his comments I can ignore it as he has too much chocolate anyway {blush]
There was also no non chocolate types floating around - its only 6 days in and I was looking from day 3 oh well

nion64 · 06/12/2009 15:08

However if I was to ever have another the idea of a material/wooden one is the wasy to go - I think its a lovely idea

daisy99divine · 06/12/2009 17:03

When I was little we had a chocolate one sent over from abroad. The excitement! but the chocolates had gone off - all white bits and yuck. Put us off for life! Only wanted pictures after then - possible solution for you OP?

Miggsie · 06/12/2009 17:18

I think DD is the only one of her friends not to have a chocolate one.

She mentioned this to me as though her friends had judged me a total failure as a mother.

I have therefore told her that advent calendars are there to remind us of the importance of the coming of Jesus AND on Xmas day there will NOT be a shortage of chocolate.

Yes, DD likes Green and Black's white chocolate and Santa seems to know this.

As DD says "it's a good job Father Christmas brings chocolate because I know you'd never buy me lots like that."

Yes, total killjoy, me

Tinuviel · 06/12/2009 17:38

We are reading an Advent book this year called "The Christmas Mystery" instead of an Advent Calendar. It is a fab book and the DCs love it. There is a chapter each day and it's about a magic advent calendar, so you still get a picture for each day in the book.

We usually have a religious one with pictures and have never had a chocolate one. I'll take my chances on my children feeling they had a deprived childhood when they reach adulthood! I have to agree with a PP: it's about building up to Christmas and waiting for it, not starting it 24 days early. They will have plenty of chocolate at Christmas itself.

Addictedtothepc · 06/12/2009 17:48

"Funnily enough I was in my priest's kitchen today

He has a Simpson's one. And apparently is nonplussed by the lack of correlation to the days of advent

But then what would he know- he is just a catholic priest."

Advent is not mentioned in the Bible is it? It's a cultural thing, as is the Advent calender. Culture is constantly evolving, so a priest having a Bart Simpson choc calender is not so shocking really.

numerouno · 06/12/2009 17:59

I found a couple of nice advent "cards" with little stained glass pictures in the doors. You take the backs off too and put them on the windowill and they look lovely.

The girls love opening them! I think it helps that they are fun cartoony pictures... and that Nanny has a chocolate one for each of them too!

paisleyleaf · 06/12/2009 18:28

oldwoman, "If you want them to have a picture/little toy one, then have 2 advent calendars."
Oh no. you really think the children not having the chocolate ones are missing out don't you?

Mishy1234 · 06/12/2009 18:39

It took a while, but I managed to find a paper one with no chocolate. DS is only 22 months, so I'd rather not go down the chocolate route just yet, but I'm sure I will do at some point in the future!

I wanted to make one so I could fill it with bits and pieces myself, but ran out of time this year.

I really like your idea LilyBolero, it's just the kind of thing I had in mind to make, but I hadn't thought of having a small tree to decorate day by day.

mummyontherun · 06/12/2009 18:55

Have not read whole thread so this may have come up - but not only do I not like chocolate advent calendars, but I cannot stand the ones with the random windows - in my opinion the windows must be part of the picture. I am even disappointed when the inside picture doesn't reflect the outside. I think this makes me a very ridiculous person?

sjcmum · 06/12/2009 20:01

Wonderstuff - try Traidcraft next year - they do several ones just with pictures. The one I got is joint with Christian Aid, Cafod etc - so the windows so far are actually telling the story of Christmas.

DD1 (aged 3) was slightly miffed on day 1 and said where is the chocolate (she was given one with choc last year and I thought she wouldn't remember.. but no...). However since then she has been so excited about just opening the doors and finding the picture that she hasn't mentioned chocolate again.

Back in my day, my brother and I shared one picture advent calendar, and one of us did odd numbers and one did even numbers..... we always fought for the evens because then you got the big 24 at the end!!!

Other idea - advent candles - you can buy or make your own. Great for the dark evenings, you just burn a little bit of the candle each night until it has gone.