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?!

I am 40 and my mum gets me an advent calendar. Ignore the bollocks from other people and get what your kids like/have asked for.

beyond a certain age, the ratio of packaging and price to content is rather silly.

one year I scored a hit by buying a box of After Eight mints (ensuring it had >25 mints), and dated the covers with a gold pen plus some bonuses (a couple labelled ‘Mum’).

There is a red bull F1 advent calendar that your son may like. I’m not sure how much it is though so not sure it’s within your budget.

If you think your daughter would like the horse one then get her that and ignore the ‘she must have a beauty one now that she’s 15’ remarks.

Food ones are good. They do marshmallow, jelly beans, popcorn etc

If you want to get your son a chocolate one and it’s cheaper than your daughters and want to even it up, just get your son a voucher for something like Costa, Greggs etc, I’m sure he’ll appreciate that at uni.

Last year when dd was 15 she got a gonk one. It was brilliant. This year shes happy with just a chocolate one as " nothing will better the gonk one "

She has had body shop one when she was 14, but honestly sometimes they are a bit meh. Lots of stuff you would never buy.

Tonys chocoloney.

Wow I'd love to receive an advert calender. I'm not sure my mum ever got me one.

I'd stick to chocolate for your ds as thats ehat he asked for and I'd ask your dd what she would prefer. I'm 34 and I still have my horse figures from when I was a child. Never too old.

Get him a chocolate one. There are loads across different price ranges so I’m sure you can find one to match the pony one. Unless you actually will want most of the little items in the calendar, ones with “things” rather than edible or pictures are just clutter really.

Oh I've seen the Red Bull F1 calendar! It's amazing but super expensive at nearly £80. Although given that its his birthday the day before on 30th November it could possibly count as a birthday gift as well? I like that all the little "bits" go towards one model rather lots of little bits that cause clutter especially in his small flat in halls!

Yes she's definitely more an outdoorsy girl. She likes makeup but she's not overly into it. I like the fact that she's still enjoying being young and loves her horses, her friends etc. I don't want to rush her into adulthood. There is plenty of time for that.

My kids have chosen theirs this year

15 yo chose a lindt
11 to chose a Tony chocolony

If you’ve bought it go for it, although if she said herself she was too old it’s a sign. Id second the chocolate calender!! I do hate people saying 15yos are too old for x, y and z, my 15yo is a legoaholic and loves comics, people regularly act like it’s a big shock because apparently he should want to be drinking and sneaking out with girls

She didn't say she's too old, it was a friend f mine who always feels the need to comment on such things.

My friend has a daughter the same age who is very "grown up", wears makeup, short skirts, crop tops, fake tan, out with her boyfriend, lots of selfies etc.

My DD is mostly into ponies and her friends and her guitar. She still wears M and S and Next (and lives in Le Mieux and wellies)! I think she will like the calendar, she loved opening last years' and will love the cute foals. But she's not a very "old" for her age 15 year old.

I don't want to rush her into adulthood but I also don't want to keep her a child if that makes sense. It feels like a tricky age.

I will only ever buy mine chocolate/sweet ones and I will carry on until they tell me to stop.
My DD 10 I have got the large Lindt teddy one and my DS 12 the Tony"s Chocolonely
I appreciate they are younger than yours but I plan to carry on. I can't see I'll ever upgrade to the 'stuff' ones as I'm afraid I'm on the wagon that says everything just becomes "more, more, more' and doesn't need to. Advent calendars used to be pretty pictures, then they became chocolates, and now they are toys/gifts. It's all too much.

I agree it's crazy how expensive some of them are. I remember the little picture ones (with glitter!) And how exciting it was to open them every day. But things do change. I can't really compare my childhood in the 80s to what they have now and to be honest I'm glad that they have more than we had. I couldn't conceive of some of the things they have and get to do. I've never been able to afford the fancy advent calendars until quite recently (I'm in a fab job now) and kind of feel sad I couldn't do it for them when they were little so perhaps it's why I feel I want to do it now. The Schleich Horse Club one is adorable with the little horse figures. DD would have loved it when she was little but back then it was a £4 Lindt one at best (or a Kinnerton with the yucky chocolates if things were tight!).

I completely understand wanting to do the things you couldn't do when they were younger, and that you didn't have yourself. I grew up breadline and we didn't have much at all when the kids were small and that has only changed in the last few years. This year I plan to get my son one of the larger Lego kits, because I have always looked at them around Christmas and I always thought 'one day'. I remember seeing the Christmas cabin and it was about £150 which, at the time, was too expensive. I felt very wistful about it, because it was beautiful and it was what I really wanted to get him. I wasn't looking for a big gift to impress him, I just saw it, and it was the gift I wanted to give him, but couldn't.
Keep the Schleich if it's sentimental for you! You might feel sad if you don't.
Get your son a reasonably expensive chocolate one and I'm sure he will be very happy 🦌

My kids don’t even have the chocolate ones… pictures only here. Same as I had as a kid. They are clearly very deprived 🤣

I have one for DS (16) which I’ve refilled every year for the last 4 years. Some things are trial sizes, some chocolate, some vouchers for ‘lift home from school’ etc so doesn’t break the bank.

i asked him this year if he would rather my budget went on advent calendar or stocking and he chose calendar

You're never too old for a advent calender!
If one dc likes maltesers, get them that one. If the other (for example) likes lego get them that one.
John Lewis has a gin and tonic one i quite like the looks of 😅

My DD has a chocolate one and a traditional picture advent calendar every year and she is nearly 17 - she loves it! She really looks forward to picking out the ones she wants and opening the doors in the morning.

Personally I think beauty advent calendars aren't remotely Christmassy, are total commercialised overkill and are just too bloody much. Sometimes simple things are better. DDs step-grandma bought her a beauty advent calendar last year which was kind of her but honestly DD wasn't that enthralled with it.

I think perhaps it is making up for what I couldn't do ten years ago. My friend was surprised when I said I'd got her the Schleich one and said "really? That's more what I'd get for my 8 year old" (she has a 8 yo DD and a 11 yo DD as well as her 15 year old) I would have had an 11 yo DD as well but she was stillborn in 2014 :'(

The Body Shop Calendar is a bit too expensive and although DD does like makeup etc she's not totally obsessed with it.

But maybe it's also as you said that wistful feeling that I couldn't do it when she was little.

I think I'll keep the Schleich one this year. She'll be 16 next year so perhaps the guitar picks will be best as she will be way past toy horses (who knows though!)

DS likes the look of the Dairy Milk one - am thinking of the formula one Calendar perhaps as a birthday present...

I’m 57 and my mum still gets me a Cadbury’s Selection Box. My dad used to do it before he died and she has carried on the tradition. One year my dad decided not to as we were all well into our 30s and we all went mad (in a jokey way) so he carried on after that :)

everyone in our house gets a very simple one: DH has got a Terrys Chocolate orange one, DC1 will get one full of crisps and snacks, and DC2 will get one full of gummi bears.
I will get a chocolate one too, i expect.

It doesn't have to be fancy it just has to be a countdown.

@KHMP1971

Ive just sent my 21 year old back to uni with a Reeces calendar. Last year it was a Liverpool FC one.
Ive bought myself a Galaxy one. Never too old for a bit of chocolate.
But if you are thinking of something more expensive Id ask her what she would like

It hasn’t crossed my mind that DC might be too old for advent calendars - 17 and 15 . It’s always just been chocolate ones though - I’m not keen on buying too much unnecessary ‘stuff’ - anything too present like feels a bit unnecessary with Christmas imminent

I’ve got my DD15 the Sephora one which she will love and then my DS a pot noodle one! Massive difference in price but they’ll both like them and things always even themselves out. DH is getting Brewdog and I’m getting Bird and Blend. Yep, advents are a bit bonkers now, but I love surprising people with presents.

Chocolate calendars here too for 13 and 10 year old DDs, and will be for the foreseeable.

Tbh they would probably love some of the beauty ones but having looked carefully, most of the products are really not suitable for their age or even for older teenagers. And the cost!!

Some of DD2’s 10 year old friends are getting Sephora and Charlotte Tilbury calendars apparently 🙄🙄🙄🙄

I think the only question is, what will your DD enjoy.