Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Christmas trees and toddlers?!?

54 replies

MoonandMeMe · 12/10/2021 11:43

Just looking ahead to Christmas. Our DS will be 18months in Dec. Does one have a Christmas tree with a toddler in the house? I'm struggling to work out if it's possible but will be sorry not to have one!

It's only just occurred to me as a clueless first time mum! What do others do?

OP posts:

00100001 · 12/10/2021 14:30

we used to just have small tree on top a book case

combination of toddler and 2 cats was not fun LOL

Pieceofpurplesky · 12/10/2021 14:34

Ours went in the play pen (because of dog not DS)

butterflyze · 12/10/2021 14:39

We bought a very small tree and stood it on the sideboard the first year we had to contend with a toddler. After that, we didn't bother and just had a normal tree.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Events & celebrations Families

Bluebubbletrouble · 12/10/2021 14:41

Last year my toddler was obsessed with the tree and pulled the baubles off constantly.
I bought a velcro one from Amazon that we hung on the door and he could stick them on and pull them off as much as he wanted.

DappyApple · 12/10/2021 14:42

Never had an issue with ds’s going near the tree, but dd wouldn’t leave it alone when she was in her Walker she’d have been about 9 months. That year I moved our coffee table in front of it so she couldn’t reach.

Once she was walking she never bothered.

I’ve heard of people using a play pen or puppy pen to protect their tree.

AliceMcK · 12/10/2021 14:47

Mine never pulled my main tree over. You just have to teach them to be gentle and no climbing or in my case “big tree is mummy’s, don’t touch, little tree is babies”. I never put my glass or expensive baubles on when they were young though, just in case.

All my DDs have their own small trees just for them that the can play with as much as they want. You can also get some great felt trees they can play and decorate themselves.

idontlikealdi · 12/10/2021 14:55

We had a smaller one on a sideboard, toddler dts and a puppy. Seemed a reasonable way to deal with it. The kids have never pulled it down:)

ineedaholidayandwine · 12/10/2021 14:57

I'd go with the playpen/fence idea to keep him away, what we did was buy a small cheap tree and cheap plastic baubles for our daughter to play with, she still has the tree now, she's 5, it goes in her room now

careerchangeperhaps · 12/10/2021 14:59

@TurnUpTurnip

I never get these post, sorry, not in a rude way but I’ve had 4 kids and none have ever pulled it over?

Same here (well not 4 kids - I've had 2 - and it never occurred to me that the tree could be an issue). Just say 'no' in a low / firm voice and distract should little hands show an interest. Don't get too shouty / animated as that is a reaction that they'll want to recreate.

Skyeheather · 12/10/2021 15:00

Here's an idea I came across on FB - put the tree in a travel cot, decorate the outside of the travel cot with Christmas paper and put the presents inside under the tree.

With mine we used to not decorate the bottom of the tree with anything breakable, instead we made homemade decorations out of paper and card that he could hang and un-hang on repeat! Don't put presents under the tree, hang chocolate decorations high up and don't hang any if your toddler is a climber (mine managed to push a dining chair up to the tree then put a toy on top in order to reach the chocolate).

Siriisatwat · 12/10/2021 15:05

Depends on the toddler.

My first was a horror and our living room was basically stripped bare because he would try to kill himself with everything. We didn’t bother with a tree until the christmas where he was just turned 3.

My next child was a golden baby/toddler who never touched a thing. First xmas she was 9 months and crawling, tree was no problem.

My youngest is now 14 months and I have another terror who could injure herself in a padded room, again, everything has been cleared out the room.

Not even contemplating a Christmas tree this year and probably next!

MiloAndEddie · 12/10/2021 16:19

We’ve had a tree every year with no problem except for baubles being moved around!

Mine were 18 months and 14 months their second Christmas and honestly were fine

Pinkywoo · 12/10/2021 16:36

Last year DS was 14 months (started walking at 10 months so very mobile!), I put the tree in the playpen and he still managed to pull it over every couple of days. I ended up tying the top of it to the curtain rail to stop it falling, I'm astounded by all these toddlers that left trees alone!

DinosApple · 12/10/2021 16:55

If you've got a chewer, climber or constantly on the go sort of child, life's too short to keep saying no.

We only decorated the top third when DC1 was 16 months. She never pulled it over, but would have sucked on or tried to eat a bauble given half a chance. I was heavily pregnant and didn't need the stress. She was also a climber, but never scaled the tree.

DC2 just wasn't bothered by mouthing things in the same way, nothing to do with my fabulous parenting, so we just had non breakables on for a few years.

Caspianberg · 12/10/2021 17:00

We tethered ours to a hook of the wall and radiator with rope last year! Mainly due to daredevil cat tbh who loves Christmas tree leaping. Ds was 7 months last year and standing so side table in front was enough.

No idea what he will do this year. Probably join the cat up the tree tbh.

thelegohooverer · 12/10/2021 17:01

I encouraged mine to handle the ornaments very carefully and gently. They’re probably going to, regardless of what you say, so I figured things were less likely to be broken if they weren’t afraid of being caught.

I used the word “quietly” rather than gently because it’s easy for them to hear the difference when you set something down on a table without making a clatter.

However we did have to tie the tree to the radiator to stop the cat knocking it down.

Clevs · 12/10/2021 17:06

@TurnUpTurnip

I never get these post, sorry, not in a rude way but I’ve had 4 kids and none have ever pulled it over?

Except the OP hasn't got four kids. She's got one. Which means she has no experience of what toddlers are like with Christmas trees and is asking for advice.

I had the same concerns the first Christmas my toddler was mobile. Yes, he did pull a few things off every now and then but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He's never tried to pull the whole thing over thankfully.

SBAM · 12/10/2021 17:17

I have a hooligan type as DC2 😂 I can guarantee he would need to investigate something the first time I took eyes off him and the whole thing would come crashing down.
I bought a 3ft tree last year and it goes on top of the sideboard. I also don’t use any glass ornaments and stick to the felt/wood/ plastic types, just in case.

SBAM · 12/10/2021 17:18

Should add, with more naturally calm DC1 the little tree was hers and she decorated it how she wanted, and then she didn’t touch the big tree with the glass ornaments because that was mummy’s

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 12/10/2021 17:29

We always had a real tree whatever their ages, so has dd with hers. But it’s always in a bucket of wet gravel, so too heavy for a child to pull over. I can see that a relatively light fake tree on a flimsy stand would be a different matter.
We’d have them pulling the odd decoration off, but that was it.

Franca123 · 12/10/2021 17:37

My son was 18months last Christmas. I thought a real tree would be a disaster but did it anyway because we'd had a tough time etc..... He was ever so good with it. He treated it with reverence because it was so beautiful.

KitchenKrisis · 12/10/2021 18:16

Never not had one no issues.

Namechangedforspooky · 12/10/2021 18:19

Just use unbreakable decorations and you’ll be fine.
Definitely don’t make the mistake I made with dd1 when I put chocolate decorations on the tree. I found her at the top of the tree, having stripped it of all it’s decorations on the way up!

EcoCustard · 12/10/2021 18:26

4 Dc and never had my tree pulled over. Ds who was 1 rearranged a few baubles last year but that was it. Also have a cat and two dogs and tree ok. Never crossed my mind to not put one up.

TurnUpTurnip · 12/10/2021 19:28

Except the OP hasn't got four kids. She's got one. Which means she has no experience of what toddlers are like with Christmas trees and is asking for advice.

It never crossed my mind not to put one up that was the point.... most have said the same thing.

Flip

1 2 3