Best purchase this Christmas

I've been looking for a nice reusable Advent calendar for some time now. I didn't know exactly what I was looking for, but I knew that I would know it when I saw it. Target had lots of cute wooden ones. I particularly liked the train and the pile of gifts, but the drawers/boxes were just so tiny! I *think* you could get a Hershey Kiss in most of them, but I'm not sure you could get your finger in there to get them out (seriously). And then I saw this:



I know it's hard to tell from the picture, but each of those circles is actually a box. Most of the boxes are 2-3 inches in diameter (5-7 cm), and the top box for Dec 24 is 4 inches (10 cm). Right now, each of the small boxes has candy in it (one piece per day). I'm still trying to come up with the right thing for the top box. I'm thinking a couple of Star Wars figures, maybe. There's still time to decide.



But why is this the best purchase? Because it helps Luke behave! I know many parents use the "you'd better be good or Santa won't come" line. I'll be honest, we don't really talk much about Santa in this house. It's not that I object to Santa. I certainly grew up with Santa, and I'm still fond of the old guy (see previous post). I'm just really conflicted over it. If he brings it up, fine, and he does get Santa gifts, though we've never made much of a big deal about who any of the gifts were from (Santa or otherwise). But I dislike the "no gifts from Santa" threat specifically for two reasons. #1: It is not an immediate, or even the same day, impact. It is a far-off "maybe" punishment. I prefer something with more immediate (though not necessarily instantaneous) consequences. #2: How many parents would actually follow through with such a threat? Which just makes it meaningless. I'm not saying it doesn't work, I'm just saying that it doesn't "feel right" to me personally.

But tell Luke that if he doesn't behave, he won't get to "do a box"? That is a threat we would absolutely follow through on, and it produces an immediate attitude adjustment. After the first night, he asked me the very next morning "I get to do a box tonight?" Ah-ha! Gotcha now. He even gets changed into pajamas much more quickly, because we "do a box" after changing. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Currently feeling: grateful for wreath boxes