AIBU about advent calendar

[warmmfeet]

5 year old DS is v excited about Xmas and his advent calendar.

He's always been an early riser but is now getting up so early. 4:40 yesterday. Definitely excitement of opening his advent calendar is playing a part.

This is not sustainable so we've said he is now going to opening it after school / lunch on weekends.

He's devastated crying and screaming.

So AIBU ?

Alternatively get a gro clock and he can open it if he wakes after the clock. 4.40 is ridiculous.

Put it on a high shelf fgs

I think that's a very reasonable consequence of him waking so bloody early! 4.40 is the middle of the night. It's not like you're saying he can't have the chocolate at all so not quite sure why he's throwing a temper tantrum over it.

Good way to start teaching the time.

Ooh sorry you can't open it until the little hand points to 6 and the big one to 12. Or something

Because he's 5

I think having to wait till after school is a bit hard. I have an early riser and the rule is that you don’t wake anyone else till 6. Five is old enough to understand this. The advent is opened then. I think you’ve backed yourself into a corner though and have to follow through for a couple of days rather than give in to the screaming.

My dc were early risers. Especially with the run up to Christmas. I let them open it , then dosed whole they watched TV until proper wake up time.

Yes so perfectly old enough to understand his actions have consequences. He's not a baby who doesn't comprehend why he has to wait. There's absolutely no need for him to be crying and screaming because he has to wait until after school for some chocolate.

I think you've gone a bit far in your irritation. He shouldn't be allowed to have it until after breakfast, which allows you to set the time, but after school is a bit harsh!

Yes but you said you weren't sure why he was having a tantrum the answer is because he is 5

There might be no need for it but he's not a logical robot devoid of all feeling

Mine are only allowed theres when completely ready for school.
Growing up I get mine at bed time.

Its not harsh.

Same here @PuttingDownRoots . The perfect bribe for getting ready first thing.
3yo got himself dressed for the first time independently. I’m buggered in January!

@warmmfeet absolutely not harsh!

And if he calms down you can go back to after breakfast.

My 2 year old is doing the same. First year we’ve had one and it’s a nightmare.

Indeed. I don't understand why anyone thinks it would be harsh to not let him have chocolate first thing in the morning especially when it's contributing to him being up before 5am. If he can show he can get ready and be sensible then there's wiggle room to do it once he's completely ready, if not then he waits until after school it's not like the OP has said he can't have the chocolate at all.

simply do it after breakfast, or when completely ready for schoo (lncluding having had breakfast)

Thanks everyone! Well 30 minutes of screaming all done and he's now accepted the new rules and he's perfectly happy again. Dancing on my bed.

I do feel a bit harsh but like someone said it's not like he can't have it at all.

Yes he's 5 so he has a lot of tantrums still but less than when he was 2.

It's tough to hold your ground sometimes

Yes definitely. I feel like it could be helpful for him to learn some delayed gratification generally so this might help with that.

I probably did let my irritation take it too far but I'm sticking to it now.

@PurBal DD was like at 2 with her first. So she wasn't allowed a chocolate one until she could cope. Probably at reception Xmas.

Yeah, my DD's open theirs after nursery or after tea on weekends. No particular reason for it, just the way we've always done it. I don't think it's unreasonable at all.

Also second the Gro clock - very useful.

Reading this thread makes me feel so glad that we open ours after dinner.

We also take it in turns to eat the chocolate each day (your turn, Daddy's turn, Mummy's turn) because I have zero interest in my 3yo having chocolate every day.

It's just the boundaries that we've set from the start and works well for us.

It's not like you're saying no and taking it away completely all of a sudden, so YANBU. And you get to use it as an all day bribe as well if you want/choose/need to, too.