https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 04 May 2026 17:38:31 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375839 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 15:10:51 +0000 78h2o 2375839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: I love that tree! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375837 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 15:10:19 +0000 78h2o 2375837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are doing an advent calendar with pockets. I've put a variety of things in the pockets... sweet treats, slips of paper with random acts of kindness to perform, and slips of paper with holiday activities. I think I will also add a few slips saying she can unwrap a book. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375794 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:39:02 +0000 QueensBee 2375794@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started the Advent books with our 2yo yesterday and had a rough start as well! We also have one of the chocolate Advent calendars. Of course, he wanted to open all the doors of chocolate and all the books yesterday! I'm hoping that he'll catch on to the pattern of ONE chocolate and new book each night within a week or so. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375763 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:19:57 +0000 Jess1483 2375763@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't answer either. I'd probably try to reframe it and talk about it for a day or two, let others (even you and DH) open them sometimes, etc. if it doesn't get better in a week, I'd stop. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375762 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:18:38 +0000 pwnstar 2375762@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: We have this tree! We're only two days in, but LO was so excited to see all the ornaments and to be the one in charge of picking the ornaments each day.</p> <p>@sorrycharlie: I'm with @Looch:. I would continue and see what happens. It's so early in the process that I think your LO needs time to adjust/set expectations. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375760 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:15:46 +0000 mediagirl 2375760@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I forgot to answer the question - I would stop. Just say, we don't have one for every day but maybe we'll have a surprise book sometime later this week/month/weekend/whatever. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375757 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:14:20 +0000 Jess1483 2375757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did it last year with just putting a book in a box every morning. This year, we are unwrapping, but it hasn't been an issue. I just focus on the "practicing waiting" aspect and talk about how excited we are,, but need to be patient just like everyone was patient for Jesus' birth. But he also just had his birthday, so he is kind of presented-out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375733 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:51:58 +0000 californiadreams 2375733@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i am having a similar issue with our chocolate advent calendar. He opened the first one yesterday and got very upset when he couldn't have more than one. which i felt defeated the purpose since it is supposed to be fun, not upset him! today was slightly better although he was still pushing to have chocolates, but was not as upset. i will keep going with it, but may reconsider starting at age 3 with the next kid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375713 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:40:02 +0000 lovehoneybee 2375713@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tinyperson: This was our experience last year.</p> <p>Last night he made the connection right away that they were all books, and that we get to read a special Christmas/winter book every night until Christmas. When we were leaving this morning he informed me that he would get to open and read book #2 after his bath tonight. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375673 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:11:52 +0000 mediagirl 2375673@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: we have an advent calendar like that. We did it last year (2) and this year (3). She LOVES it. It's a little thing but she loves reminding us to do it every morning and she has to be in charge of what pocket the people sit in (ours has pockets for the things that hang on the tree) and where to put that day's ornament. </p> <p>I like saving up the gifts for the big day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375666 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:10:08 +0000 lawbee11 2375666@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think my LO would react the same way which is why I'm not in love with the idea where she gets some sort of present or treat every day. We're not doing anything this year but I saw this Melissa &amp; Doug "Countdown to Christmas" tree with magnetic ornaments that I might get for next year. Still exciting to put an ornament on the tree each day but without the expectations of a gift.</p> <p>[attach=1395/15/nyqt4w.420x600.M-D.jpg] </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375664 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:09:26 +0000 tinyperson 2375664@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're doing the books, and so far everything's been fine - We're doing the books in the evening, and reading a Bible story in the morning (and putting a pompom on a penguin's belly laid out with the days of the month). I'm mostly using Christmas books we already had on hand and only bought a few new ones. I've represented it as "let's see what book we get to read tonight for bedtime" instead of "let's open a present and see what you get." She hasn't seemed grabby about presents, but we're only on Day 2, so we'll see how it goes.</p> <p>ETA: LO will be 3 on Saturday. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375663 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:08:06 +0000 mediagirl 2375663@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: I'm sorry. I can totally see that happening with a 3 year old. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375658 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:06:36 +0000 looch 2375658@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would probably continue, but with the unwrapped books and see what happens. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375654 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:03:47 +0000 sunny 2375654@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had thought about this possibility, and I think my LO is someone who grows to expect things if she's been given the same message day after day, so I didn't want to start off the calendar with a "present" or a "treat". We read a new book last night (though I didn't wrap it, so I think she understands it wasn't a present), but I am going to try to mix it up with different things each day so she doesn't think she is getting a present every day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375596 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 12:19:05 +0000 mrsjazz 2375596@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is one of the reasons I didn't do the book thing (besides not wanting to get that many books)! </p> <p>Last night she got a box of Frozen bandaids and was talking about what she'd get for day 2. Some days she gets special treats, books, but most are activities because I didn't want her to be focused on the present aspect. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375588 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 12:14:48 +0000 Chillybear 2375588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did it last year and did a mix of christmas books and reg books. When we packed up the decorations I packed up the christmas books we gave her plus a bunch of christmas books she got as gifts. This year I'm just wrapping up the christmas books and doing 12 days... Next year she'll get the same christmas books. I feel like they will still be special since she only sees them this time of year. (some are classics - night before christmas, grinch, the birth of Jesus) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375582 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 12:13:58 +0000 regberadaisy 2375582@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: do you mean like she's expecting a "present" daily and not *just* a book? LOL never thought of it from this perspective! 3 year olds. Sigh </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advent-book-fail#post-2375572 Wed, 02 Dec 2015 12:10:22 +0000 sorrycharlie 2375572@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>so I was psyched to finally do the book advent calendar thing this year, as my oldest is 3. I've been saving books for a couple years now. you know, the pinterest-y thing where you wrap 24 books or whatever and open one each day?</p> <p>well now she thinks she's entitled to a "christmas present" every day :meh: it's only day 2!! It seemed like such a good idea, but now I'm not so sure I should continue it... but I already wrapped half of them. what a waste of paper and time if I don't do them..</p> <p>did you do this? how did your kids react to it? </p> <p>and as a bonus..should I quit with it? lol. </p>