Advent calendar dilemma for teenagers!

[KHMP1971]

Hey everyone, would really appreciate some ideas thankyou!

I've got 2 DC. My DD has just turned 15 (in September) and DS I'd 18 (will be 19 on 30 November) and went away to Uni in September.

I always buy advent calendars although I've been told by some that they are now "too old" for them. Last year I bought DD the Schleich Horse Club calendar. I appreciate at 14 she might have been a bit too old but she's horse crazy, takes riding lessons on. Saturday and helps at the riding school, passed her BHS Stage 1 this year, and has a part loan horse for two days per week (oh the joys of winter mucking out!! Guess who has to help?!). I'd always eyed it wistfully in the past but it was out of my.budget as a single mum. However thanks to having a much better job since last year I can now afford to do things like this for her! She loved the calendar although admittedly he little figures were more collectible than play figures for her.

On impulse I bought the 2025 one after seeing it in Pony Mag and falling in love with the cute foals. However a friend of mine pointed out that at 15 she's "much too old" and I should have bought her something more like the Body Shop Calendar which she's bought for her DD. That's lovely but tbh a bit out of my price range. There's also a guitar picks calendar which I saw which she might have liked as she plays guitar and violin (has just started doing GCSE music in school). So my dilemma is should I send the Shleich one back and get her a guitar picks one, or should I let her enjoy her last years of "childhood" and cute advent calendars?

Also what about DS? He's coming home for thr weekend for his birthday (his uni is 200 miles away but obviously wants to spend hai birthday at home snd more importantly open the PS5 he's asked for!) I was going to get him a calendar but ... do uni students have advent calendars? He likes formula one and video games although when I asked him what type he said "just chocolate is fine thanks mum". But then I feel bad to spend more on DD's calendar and just £5 on a chocolate one for him. Are there are good calendars around his interests? He also likes experimenting with makeup (he does it better than me!) so wondered if that would be am option - a makeup calendar?

Would love some ideas on what you're buying for your teens?!

My teen is getting a Percy Pig one. She's not bothered about ones with "stuff" in them, it's all about the sweets.

My 22 and 24 yr old still live at home and I’ve always bought them a cadburys advent calendar, you’re never to old for a chocolate advent calendar.

dd got a fancy advent calendar one year but it came off her Christmas gift budget, so it was more of an early Christmas gift.

Would DS like this?EIGHT Advent Calendar Kit - Electronic Games https://amzn.eu/d/bDH1buN

Otherwise just a chocolate one is fine now he is an adult.

Sorry, I've just noticed all the typos :/ (my phone keyboard is awful!)

Yes I was thinking of getting DS a nice one as part of his birthday budget as he will be home for 29th/30th November and can take it back to uni with him. I'm just struggling to think of a nice one which would be suitable/fits with his interests.

Following this as I'd like to send a teen dd back to uni with an advent calendar when she visits this month.
@KHMP1971where did you see the guitar picks calendar?

It's on Amazon. Not sure if the site will let me post the link but if you search "guitar picks advent calendar" it will come up. It looks really nice!

DS plays piano so no use for him! But DD is a guitarist.

If DD will like the pony calendar and you want to buy it for her, do that. I'm nearly 50 and would not like a beauty advent calendar. You don't have to love beauty because you're a woman do you, whatever age you are.

Since DS has asked for chocolate I would just get him that. He'll be taking it back to uni after all and probably doesn't want to have to schlep stuff back and forth.

That's true. I also don't want to clutter up his room at hall with all the little bits! I think she will.enioy the horse calendar, she's more an outdoorsy girl than a makeup girl anyway but I didn't want to give her something much too young for her.

Just get a chocolate one! All these ludicrously over priced specialty calendars are just another way of making Christmas crazy expensive - don’t over think it!

I used to buy the expensive toy ones but last couple of years have gone back to plain old chocolate ones. I’d send the schleich one back and get them both chocolate.
Not because your DD is too old for schleich (lots of adults collect them) but because they’re a waste of money

Your friends opinion doesn't matter here. I think I would joke with dd, of course you are far too old to want an advent calendar like last years and kind of invite her to steer you towards chocolate or continuing like last year. I think they all get a bit samey, however beautiful, so I don't know if that one will have the same impact as last year.

OP why don't you ask DD which one she would like?
You can get some nice chocolate ones out there, just pick his favourite chocolate brand. Its what he asked for so dont feel guilty. I think its nice to get them one.
dont worry what others think.

If your mum can’t buy you the things that everyone else claims you’re too old for (but you still really love anyway), who can?!!

My teens have never had anything other than a chocolate calendar for years. When they were littIe used to fill a reusable calendar with toys and then when older fun activities to do each day. Never bought a fancy calendar (not interested in make up /toiletries or anything else that comes in acalendar). Eldest is away at uni and I will send her a chocolate calendar (she asked me if she should buy herself one but I said one might magically appear!)

Buy her what she likes, stop listening to people who don't live with her every day give their opinions. All this "grown up" stuff she can have for decades. Get her what she will enjoy.

Same for your son. Get him what he wants.

I just buy the cheap Cadbury ones for mine are adults now always have its just a bit of fun.

My teen requested Lindt one again this year, so that is what she'll get.

Thnx for the guitar pick one. I will be getting my 2 dds that one.

Ds (23) will get a coffee one does your ds like cofee/tea?

Previous years we have bought
Stationery
Rubber ducks
Mineral
Herbs and Spices
One year a dorito one that one was amazing

Im considering a cheese one for dh

I love advent calendars dont stop until mine are with a partner and earning so they can do them themselves

I went back to their childhood and posted off a cadbury’s advent each year ( for a couple of years). Just a cheap bit of fun and nostalgia.

I considered ‘gift type’ advent but my young adults would…

-Hate the waste created/consumerism
-Prefer the cash to buy ‘food’ rather than expensive unnecessary items
-Hate having so much clutter (especially the uni child who had to pack up and move each year).

It does phase out as they get older.

I bought my 19 and 21 year old daughters the Sephora one this year. Cost me £54 a calendar and they were thrilled with them ( they don’t get one every year so it’s a nice treat when they do)

I always get my son a calendar, but he only wants a chocolate one. He's 17 now. I got my eldest one until uni but then I stopped, although I'm sure he would have appreciated it still. It was just because I couldn't give it to him without posting it until the month was half over and I didn't get round to posting it. He'd said himself not to bother. Once someone else's mum gave him one though!
Both of them have been known to eat several days at once when they fancied some chocolate, so the magic definitely wasn't there!

We love a fun advent calendar in our house (even before we had DS). This year he has a Happyland one and DH and I will share the Taskmaster one.

In the past we’ve had cheese, hot sauce, tea, fancy chocolate (leonidas), wax melts, the list goes on.

I just get a pictures you open one but choose a nice one

I got my husband a Lindt one. We got him a malt whisky one a couple of years ago but decided it made more sense to buy a couple of bottles of decent scotch instead. I agree there is a lot of waste in them.