to not let dc help put up the tree and do it tonight while they're in bed

[InNeedOfBrandy]

If I'm honest they annoy me, mess up my tree and don't let me get on with it so I had a bright idea to do it tonight and pretend our christmas fairy (whos coming and bringing their advant calenders tomorrow) could put the decs up tonight ready for the 1st tomorrow.

Awwww.... it's fab when they're older & they do it nearly all themselves. I leave them to it.

I do ours. It's mine! All mine! MuaHahahahahaha...
I just can't cope with other people doing the tree. I don't care about much else but the tree is MINE I tell you.

I've done my own tree ever since I was old enough to find my Mum's mis-matched, wobbly "what is that?" tree offensive slightly odd.

I think I must have been about ten when I cracked and spent all my hoarded pocket money on a real tree, some red and green tartan ribbon a shedload of wooden decorations and some clear non-flashing lights.

It is my only weakness, and I'm very, very sorry.

My two boys always do the tree and I dont rearrange anything

Now they are teenagers and less interested I put the tree in the right place, leave the decs in the boxes and the children I childmind do it one afternoon after school!

I'm really not fussed about Christmas & wouldn't put tree up until Christmas Eve if I had my way... BUT I've always let mine do the tree - it's tradition!

YABU, we are putting up our tree a week later than we mormally would as ds1 has a sleepover party next weekend, and we are out after that. I love doing it as a family, and would hate doing it without everyone- but then, I do rearrange after dark!!

YabVVVVVu!!!!! Mine do everything bar the lights as they're not tall enough, and it all stays where they've put it. I don't get the anal tree decorators!!
Christmas is all for the kids here, they love choosing a couple of new decs every year, those garish accessorize and paperchase ones. Nothing matches. And every time I walk into the lounge I smile.
Though ours doesn't go up for at the very least another 2 weeks!

YANBU - do the tree the way you like it, and have a cheapo second tree for them to decorate. Perfect solution.

YANBU - I always used to let them smother it with their trashy tat, and then re-do it myself later while they were in bed. They never noticed! All part of the magic of Christmas!
Or the idea of a children's tree sounds good - I never got round to getting one of those though.

How old are your DCs? If they are young enough to believe your Candlemass fairy waffle then go for it!

I'm so glad my DCs are old enough to not care about decorating the tree now (two of them) and the other one is even more anal than I am !! She takes off half the stuff I put on it myself (she's 14 and OCD about soft furnishings)

sorry I meant to say Christmas fairy not Candlemass! what is Candlemass? sounds dangerous for under 5's

My tree looks like Christmas vomited all over it thanks to the kids and their total lack of colour coordination awareness

While they're little and decorating the tree with me is fun, I'm forcing myself to relax and appreciate the err... unique aesthetic styling that they prefer. The time for neatly arranged baubles and carefully balanced colour schemes will come when the Smalls are all grown up.

YABU and quite mean-spirited! Christmas is about exciting, special little family rituals, not making your living room look like a shopping centre display FGS.

I just let the kids do it. No need to rearrange as it looks fine when they have finished. I think it helps that the only preconcieved idea I have of how it should look is colourful and chaotic, which they achieve easily.

I don't do tasteful or colour co-ordinated trees.

I can't let mine help with the tree in the living room and would rather just be left alone to do it (with a tin of chocs and maybe a glass of wine) but like another poster they do get a tree of their own to decorate in their rooms and a big one in the kitchen for them to do too. They are 8, 6 and 2. I think its because it was always my mums job to do the tree when I was young so I think it should be my job now!

I don't think YABU.....ours is going up now. Kids are in bed. They got to put up their own ones in their bedrooms which they loved. They have never put up the main tree and don't care either! They will be delighted when they wake up in the morning and see it! Also the elf will be there with advent calanders and that will outshine any tree!

To all the naysayers saying the op is unreasonable....if its never been a tradition to do the tree together, then she is hardly being mean!!

The family christmas tree trimming tradition in our house went thusly:

• DF spent hours trying to get the tree into the stand and roughly vertical with many sweary words
• DM would take one look at it, see a bare bit/squint bit and suggest it was turned by 20 degrees or so for optimum effect.
• Tree would fall over. Repeat steps one and two for a bit.
• DF would test lights. Lights wouldn't work. Spend next hour testing each bulb.
• DF would put the lights on the tree
• DM would spend the next hour rearranging lights so that the ultimate festive crime of two same coloured lights next to each other, and gaps didn't occur.
• Annual discussion re: tinsel/no tinsel (post 1990)
• DF put on tinse.
• DM took off half the tinsel.
• DM put back on half the tinsel taken off
• DM put on glass baubles
• DM put on 75% other tree decorations but graciously let other members of the family put on the final 25%
• DM re-positioned final 25% due to similar decs being too close to each other or gaps.

Joy to the world this christmastide

Unfortunately, fast forwards 20 or so years and I've inherited quite a bit of my mum's tree obsession. I have white lights though which cuts down on a certain amount of angst.

How's this for a plan. You put up the tree, put the lights on, any precious ornaments and let the kids loose on it after that while you nibble mince pies and drink mulled wine - anytime after 7am is acceptable for mulled wine . The key is to relax and enjoy

Let them do it and then tmrw night when they're in bed you can rearrange a few baubles to your liking - everyone's happy :)

Why put up the tree on Dec 1st???? This drives me mad. Too too early!

( i know it's your choice btw but personally I feel xmas just starts too early. Tradition says tree up xmas Eve and down 12th night, not up 1st Dec and down 26th!) :)

I used to let my daughter decorate the tree. Then when she went to bed I took it all off and did it again. She never noticed.

YABVU - it's way to early to put the tree up!

We always put the tree up the first weekend of December. I couldn't care less when it goes up really, but I do like the way it makes my mil twitch and do the catsbummouth when she sees it before xmas eve [bgrin]

I will be decorating the tree, with DSis's assistance this year, thank God. It will be while the DC are at school and out of the way

No more teary texts to her that a) the tree isn't straight, b) the stand won't tighten, c) the tree is leaning again, d) the lights work until I've spent an hour winding them through the branches and then e) the farking lights won't work.

Spent an hour last year searching the loft for the outdoor lights that were on the tree that got cut down. Brought them down triumphantly to see the tree now leaning so badly it looked pissed.

I would not inflict this on my dear little children. At least my sister is used to me and can make lots of tea.

And the DC have their own little tree to decorate! I won't interfere with theirs. They don't have the "tradition" of doing the living room tree. Not yet, anyway.

YANBU.

My tradition is the first weekend in December, I don't care about other tradition am not a traditionalist. [bsmile]

Have done it, it looks beautiful all pink and silver and purple [bgrin] and all my china snowmen and father christmas's are out now to yippeee

I was just thinking earlier today of the Christmas when I was about 9. My sister and I went down to the local shops to buy a load of absolutely shit presents. When we came back, M&D had decorated the tree and I was gutted .

Obviously no judgement from me, Brandy .

The tree is mine, in our house decorating it is traditionally my job and they know it. I do it while they are at school.
It is colour co ordinated to perfection and I spend months planning each years theme.