Am I allowed to unwrap ds's present from neighbour (which I strongly suspect is MONSTER tube of smarties), bung in something lentilly, and rewrap tonight when he is in bed?

[FrannyandZooey]

Or not?

when dd has a party bag full of vile stuff we put it in a cupboard and give her a little bit every day or two

after a while we edit it if there is far too much stuff

mine get so many, they forget they had them............

But what a very, very splendid present. You can't take it away. Well, you can, of course, but I don't personally think you should.

In that case (now I know that you're not feeding him gruel ), let him open them and then put them and any other junk out of reach until he's eaten his lunch.

making it easy for disappearing sweets....

I am going to rattle it

listen hard and see if you can detect cheap chocolate in a sugar coating, everyone

Why can't he have smarties?

I personally would reduce the amount of smarties in the tube, simply so that he doesn't eat them all at once.

Smarties in Belgium are different BTW - full of additives and a harder, more vibrant shell.

its christmas, let him have them!

Speaking as a chocolate snob (I usually only eat fairly traded dark stuff) I have a great weakness for Smarties. And those chocolate coins, swoon. Do leave them.

really? you really reckon smarties?

have shaken, am 99% sure they are smarties

and have terrible feeling the other package is AFTER EIGHTS

oh hold on they must be for me and dp surely?

Wisteria he can have smarties, I would rather he didn't

It's odd. I am a semi-lentil-weaver now, as a daughter of a full lentil weaver, but have a soft spot for the crap of my childhood that I wasn't really allowed to have.
You know there's a lesson in there somewhere methinks.

Franny, the tubular one is probably a rolled up copy of the 'National Geographic Kids' magazine, and the square box contains a microscope.
Have faith.

I doubt he would eat them all at once

I will be honest and say that one od the reasons I dislike him having branded stuff like this is that he then recognises it as something fun he was once allowed. Then every time we go shopping he spots them (we all know they are at kid height by the checkouts in every shop)

at the moment he simply doesn't know what a packet of smarties is and has never asked for them. Does that make sense? He honestly does regularly get nice things to eat that he likes, including chocolate

Humph I love your optimism

I'd not let the boys have a whole bumper tube to themselves. Mind you, DS1 wouldn't eat Smarties. He's suspicious of colourful sweets. I don't buy them, obv [Nestle abhorer]

you are probably right Darrell, I got a huge tube of smarties in my stocking at Christmas every year and I really could happily never touch one again

ditto twix, mars and milky ways all of which I had in my lunchbox every day

After Eights?

oooh, After Eights

am completely with motherinferior on the chocolate coins

Well it is Christmas...

I would let him open them and then put them away in a cupboard and allow him a few at a time if he asks; chances are he will forget all about it.

You could just do some cupcakes/ gingerbread men with him after Christmas and use them to decorate

are they Nestle? [ignoramus]

I really want to swop them for something else. I think I will. Sorry chaps. He can share an after eight [boak] with me and dp

I do like chocolate coins myself, although not crazy about them

Wisteria you are right

if it wasn't for the brand recognition thing I would let him have them

probably

After Eights also Nestle [realises nobody talks to me at parties for a reason]

I see where you're coming from, but I suppose it does get difficult when it comes to other people's gifts.
The whole supermarket thing drives me crazy. I tend to order on-line to avoid it, but mine stand by the counter at the post-office pointing at all the sweets.
Consumerism is pushed down their throats from the moment they are born, it would be lovely if they could stay innocent for as long as possible.
What about wrapping a few smarties in a non branded tube?

ick I can't bear After Eights

will give to my sister or something when we visit