Help - advent

[Gemma888]

I don’t want to sound horribly ungrateful, because it’s a lovely gesture, but I need some advice.

MIL has put together “advent sacks” for me 7 and 5 year olds, with a little wrapped gift for each day of advent. The trouble is, DH and I are really worried that it’s a bit excessive and just going to desensitise them to presents before the big day. We’d rather they waited, as we feel the anticipation is a big part of the fun, but I don’t want to upset the kids too much (as they already know about it), or offend MIL.

Any ideas for how best to handle it?

Or are we being a pair of grinches?

You’re being a pair of grinches. They’ll enjoy spreading it out and appreciate each little gift more than a pile on Xmas day.

That's a difficult one, but for this year let them have them. Coming from having in laws that have given the absolute cheapest advent calendar to us for our son, your MIL must have gone to a lot of effort to make these for your children.

If you end up feeling like they're too much, I'd suggest DH has a word for next year.

It depends on the gifts, if they're just little somethings then no problem but if it's full blown toys and games then I thing you need to think hard about keeping them back and threatening to ruin any relationship they have with them.

If she's done it, accept it

I agree with @goose1964. Little sweets or similiar fine - full on proper gifts and I'd have a word with her (or your husband has a word).