Advent calendars gone awol

Your daughter probably ate the chocolate long before advent started

Oh, Eglantine21. I hope not. I got her one too I should have mentioned!

I wondered the same MoBrown
Although, if I had done that, I would have rushed out and tried to buy three the same
Just joking - I would never dream of doing that

Are your DGD not allowed sweets or chocolate MoBrown? If so, could you find Advent Calendars with other treats in them?

They are allowed the odd treat for special occasions and weekends so my DD is generally quite strict but I'd never thought unreasonably so. I just thought that as it's Christmas and it's such a small treat...

I looked into other calendars but they're very expensive considering I'd have to buy 9 of them (5 for kids, 4 for the grown-ups!)

No-one buys me one

I'd just buy the chocolate ones, hand them over and let DD decide what to do.
I have in the past done the rushing out to replace what I shouldn't have eaten!

Your grown up children and their husbands need an advent calendar?

Why not buy the ones that just have pictures behind the doors.
Or do you think perhaps that your daughter would like to buy the Advent calendars herself? I enjoyed buying an Advent calendar for my children and my daughters enjoy buying them for their children.

Next year give them to the recipients directly on December the 1st. Always think the best of people but plan for the worst.

I post them directly to the child. They love a parcel.

Did they definitely arrive? An umbrella was posted to me on the 3rd November which didn't arrive. Luckily the company replaced it. I think more things go missing this time of the year - although it does seem quite a few to go missing that way.

My daughter used to be very strict about her children having sweets and we discovered things we had given for the children that had been put away for later being given an prizes for party games at birthday parties. Later on as the children get older this strictness becomes more difficult. It’s a difficult one. Now I keep the sweets myself and give them very sparingly directly to the children. I have to add that the dentist remarks on the good condition of their teeth. The downside of me having sweets in my bag is that I eat them too, not good for the waistline,

Had they been placed up high somewhere so the children couldn’t help themselves? My DD had to do that when her children were little after one of her three virtually emptied her sister’s advent calendar. The calendars were fetched down after school, chocolate dispensed, and then they were disappeared again.

My other DD would not be happy if her children were given chocolate advent calendars. It is possible to find calendars like we had as children, without treats.

I was asked not to buy any as it seems they already have several. One of the stack is being passed on to our house for when they visit. I call that a result

Mobrown
Not good. Your DGD now know you had given them advent calendars via their mother and this hardly does DD any favours . Kids don't forget.
What the hell is wrong with some folk.Is it such a big deal for DD to allow her children just one choc a day from these advent calendars.?Xmas is for kids, they grow up to quick, although the way some adults behave I often wonder.

That's sad Mobrown.
Can I suggest still buying advent calendars but rather than them going in the bin at your daughter's you could put them in your supermarket food bank collection trolley?
It has been a very long time since I've seen a non chocolate advent calendar. Could you perhaps offer something of equal value that's not chocolate so you aren't giving to some and not the others? A very difficult situation for you. Good luck ?

Sarahellenwhitney Mobrown did say "I asked in a roundabout way so she didn't realise I'd given them to her mum"

Always best to ask parents if they can have chocolate advent calendars before you buy.

Am I the only Granny to have searched the shops for a non chocolate advent calendar with no luck. So I had to resort to buying them online. I remember my children’s excitment and anticipation on opening the little glittery windows to see what was inside and comparing the pictures. Now it’s all about the chocolate, how sad. I’m so glad both my younger DDs think the same and asked for non chocolate calendars. Now when it comes to the odd chocolate tree hanging, well many a time have they disappeared!

I never buy anything but traditional advent calendar. The dgc all have chocolate ones from their parents.

While standing next to a stand of Lego advent calendar in John Lewis, I asked where the traditional ones were and was directed to the chocolate dept. The traditional ones were with the Christmas cards.

Most independent shops sell the traditional ones - at least round here!

Can't you find an Advent calendar without sweeties, or make one yourself? If you have too many grandchildren to make them all calendars, you might like an idea that has become popular here in Denmark over the last 20 years or so for bigger children and grown-ups.

An Advent calendar of four small presents one to be opened on each Sunday in Advent.

I get mine from the pop up Christmas charity card shops.

Christian Bookshops always stock traditional Advent Calendars.
PS A traditional Advent Calendar tells the story of Christmas. Chocolate calendars and any other treat calendars are nothing to do with “Advent”, but are marketed under that name. Quite wrongly in my opinion. They should be labelled as December Treat Calendars.
Personally, I never give any kind of chocolate or sweets as gifts without first checking with the parents. I like to respect their child rearing decisions. ?

Nor me and I am about to post 7 to my 2 daughters and their respective partners, children and pets!