chocolate advent calendars epitomize everything that is wrong with the world today

[emkana]

bit OTT non?

no, I agree with Libby

Hmm is this a "jaunty" parenting website I wonder? It's not the first adjective I'd think of...

I'm with Libby. My poor, deprived children do not get chocolate in their advent calendars.

Oh heavens to Betsey, Libby, I realise you have to find a subject for your column but really...

My Infidel Inferiorettes have a Divine fair traded chocolate calendar each. It renders them a small piece of fair-traded chocolate every evening, along with a small chunk of the Nativity story.

I have a rather pricier fair traded Montezuma one, which cheers my evenings greatly.

I have only picture advent calendars for mine - only because when I was little I was gutted to be given an advent calendar with yucky chocolate with no picture.... and the chocolate was truly minging....

Each to their own.

I'll stick to not minding DD having a bit of chocoloate and a Playmobil toy every day for 24 days. I honestly see it not harming her, She knows all about Christmas and its true meaning, as well as the present giving and reciving and FC stuff, and is a pretty kind, generous and caring young girl. She wouln't dream of eating all the chocolates on day 1; wouldn;t even cross her mind.

It didn't hurt me. It is IMO harmless. DD will be fine.

But hey, if you don't want to - then don't. No problem.

Oh, and every time I extract another exquisite mini-block I get an extra frisson from the knowledge that I am Going Against Received MN Wisdom.

I so agree with Libby. Amen.

Stands and applauds Libby Purves.

God don't encourage her.

'Children not yet dulled into piggy insensibility appreciate the rolling year, the pattern of time and thrill of expectation.'
Yawn.

do you have a morally superior alternative, corn?

I liked the glittery picture ones!

kinnerton (barfeoso) is not something that I romatically remember from my childhood

Get a life!

I don't give an arse about advent or the "true meaning" (that is to say, appropriated meaning) of christmas, but apart from that I do agree with her. And I'm a chocolate lover, and so is DS, but chocolate advent calendars do offend my yorkshire calvinist sensibilities. For one thing we open the widow flaps at breakfast time and you CAN'T have chocolate for breakfast - that's just wrong. And it makes me sad if children can't be excited by plain-old chocolate-free, boring advent windows.

I'm with Libby

And ROFL ing at Mother Inferior's dissidence

an alternative to chocolate? Is there one?

I resent the implication that my children don't "get" Christmas just because they have a piece of chocolate every morning. There's far more to it than that surely?

My children appreciate a small piece of chocolate. They are perfectly nice non-piggy not particularly dull children. They don't have a Great Mystical Kinship with the cycle of the seasons, no, but I consider that quite, er, normal in people who are seven and five and live in a grimy city. Their advent calendar brightens their lives. And mine cheers me up no end. The prospect of a small piece of exquisite chocolate is a very lovely thing to get you through the day.

Yes, janitor.

You will not find true life in trashy chocolate. Believe me.

You will find true life in the real meaning of Christmas, however.

Brilliant post motherinferior.

If your children like a square of chocolate, buy a CDM and doll out a square every morning.

It serves the same purpose and is better chocolate.

If your children like a square of chocolate, buy a CDM and doll out a square every morning.

It serves the same purpose and is better chocolate.