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Original poster

Chocolate in cards from school.

100 replies

MomOfCritters · 16/12/2021 17:04

When did this become a thing? DS is in reception and has been bringing home Christmas cards recently and some of them have chocolate coins or similar in them, I just wondered if this is a normal thing? I'm not bothered by it, more curious.

OP posts:
makingmiracles · 16/12/2021 21:22

Yeah we put coins in dd5 xmas cards, we received lots back today, 95% of them had choc coins/mini choc figures/mini candy canes/choc Santa lollies. I think its a sweet fairly low cost thing to do and the small ones enjoy it

Scrooge89 · 16/12/2021 21:31

Never had this!! Too allergy conscious

MeredithGreyishblue · 16/12/2021 21:51

@Babdoc

Certainly wasn’t a thing when my DC were in primary (25 years ago). I assume it’s part of the awful commercialisation of Christmas that has been happening in recent years - along with sticking chocolate in Advent calendars, opening an extra box of presents on Christmas Eve, having an “elf on the shelf” etc. Less well off parents must find it a nightmare to keep up with this arms race of conspicuous wealth display.
Yeah there was nothing commercial about Christmas in 1995 ...

Coal and a walnut and think yourself lucky

👀🙄

CoolShoeshine · 16/12/2021 21:59

I’m really surprised at all this - not so much about the chocolates being included but because when my DC’s were at primary (now teens) Christmas cards were being phased out. Schools were discouraging them because of the environmental impact - no mini post box and distributing them.
However the kids did being in fun size chocolate bars to give out on their birthdays.

DBI78 · 16/12/2021 22:00

Never heard of it I'd be annoyed as my son has allergies

Lolabray · 16/12/2021 22:33

I worked ina primary school for years and this never happened ?

EcoCustard · 16/12/2021 22:42

Dd in reception got 6 coins out of 13 cards this year and a sticker sheet. Non for dd last year who was in reception and Ds in reception in 2019 got 2 I think. Causes a few arguments with siblings and seems like yet another faff. I didn’t do cards this year though as it all seems more and more pointless at this age bag humbug Xmas Grin

Busybee5000 · 16/12/2021 22:49

We did it all throughout my kids primary years. Just a nice thing to do.

PeachesPumpkin · 16/12/2021 23:01

Really upsetting for those children with allergies or Coeliac disease though. Yet another thing to make them feel different/isolated and remind them of the fact there are so many things they can’t enjoy.

soundsystem · 17/12/2021 05:49

Not a thing here! I've got one in nursery, one in reception and a Y2 who've got plenty of cards and not a chocolate between them!

Atmywitsend29 · 17/12/2021 06:06

DS has changed school now (moved to a different primary) his old school sent lists home to all the parents with every child in the class so that we could purchase 30+ cards for a bunch of kids DS never talked about and it was "encouraged" to put chocolate coins or mini candy canes in each card. Hmm
This year DS new school hasn't done that, don't do that, and Ds hasn't asked about sending cards.

Caliexpidocioussuper · 17/12/2021 07:49

I was at primary in the late 80’s and early 90’s and this was a thing then at my school. I also had chocolate advent calendars all through the 90’s.

RunRunGingerbreadMan · 17/12/2021 08:14

When I was at school in the 90's some people did this. It wasn't chocolate coins but small chocolates on a piece of cardboard in the shape of something, like a ladybird, snowman or father christmas etc. They would often be stuck to the envelopes rather than put in the card itself.

RunRunGingerbreadMan · 17/12/2021 08:21

This type of thing, although oddly not very Christmassy.

Chocolate in cards from school.
Sunnysideup999 · 17/12/2021 08:24

It’s annoying for those on restricted diets or with allergies etc
What’s wrong with a card ffs!
Why do people always have to try and out do each other

Original poster
MomOfCritters · 17/12/2021 09:16

@RunRunGingerbreadMan

This type of thing, although oddly not very Christmassy.
Omg..I have no idea what this is, but I remember these 😂
OP posts:
1940s · 17/12/2021 09:35

@Babdoc

Certainly wasn’t a thing when my DC were in primary (25 years ago). I assume it’s part of the awful commercialisation of Christmas that has been happening in recent years - along with sticking chocolate in Advent calendars, opening an extra box of presents on Christmas Eve, having an “elf on the shelf” etc. Less well off parents must find it a nightmare to keep up with this arms race of conspicuous wealth display.
Chocolate coins are 80pence a bag and not every kid does it anyway. What a way to catastrophise.
reluctantbrit · 17/12/2021 09:41

DD started reception 10 years ago and we always had the odd card with a chocolate coin during primary school.

One year she asked to do it herself. I think it's a nice gesture but not something I would say is a must.

1940s · 17/12/2021 09:49

@NinaDefoe

It’s a kind gesture, a small gift.

Not sure what those of you with Diabetic or dairy/cocoa intolerant children want to happen.
I couldn’t eat dairy as a child as it made me very sick. I was given gifts of chocolate by well meaning friends all through my childhood.
I survived. I just gave it away.

My child is dairy free and she has to live with it. So I completely agree with you. We swap stuff out at home and it's not a big deal! If everyone catered and thought of every little 'worst case' scenario such as parents on the breadline / diabetics / allergies. It would be a very rigid boring place to be and everyone would miss out on everything for fear of offending!
1940s · 17/12/2021 09:51

@PeachesPumpkin

Really upsetting for those children with allergies or Coeliac disease though. Yet another thing to make them feel different/isolated and remind them of the fact there are so many things they can’t enjoy.
As a parent of an allergy kid I disagree. We have a stash of stuff at home we swap out which makes it easy enough. Imagine a class of 30 kids and not one kid allowed a chocolate or a gelatine sweet or a gluten treat at all because 1/2/3 kids in the class couldn't eat it. There's always alternatives and it's never an issue
mam0918 · 17/12/2021 11:44

@NinaDefoe

It’s a kind gesture, a small gift.

Not sure what those of you with Diabetic or dairy/cocoa intolerant children want to happen.
I couldn’t eat dairy as a child as it made me very sick. I was given gifts of chocolate by well meaning friends all through my childhood.
I survived. I just gave it away.

Same... it would be frowned upon to do this now but 30 years ago every chocolate egg month we had very fat and very happy pack of dogs lol.

I'm not traumatised by not eating the chocolate although I did occasionally wish people would think to buy me other sweets (boiled, mints, jellies, gums, chews etc...) instead but honestly never really dwelled on it.

TurnUpTurnip · 17/12/2021 11:49

My daughter didn't have any coins in hers she did have a candy cane but that one was from her teacher

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 17/12/2021 12:39

Only a couple of girls in ds’s class did this. Thankfully!
I’ve got all his written cards in front of me - we did this last night painstakingly and now he’s off sick!

iMombie · 17/12/2021 13:26

We’ve had a couple of coins back which I don’t mind. What annoyed me more was the massive candy cane that came home!!

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 17/12/2021 13:49

My dd year 4 has had this in the past.