Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

for taking down the Christmas tree early?

20 replies

Mercapto · 09/12/2012 14:43

because it's a constant source of aggravation between me and my 2.3 year old DD.

I couldn't see any other way to prevent her from breaking baubles.

Telling her us just not getting through! She just laughs in my face every time I tell her not to.

So I figured this would solve the problem. I punted all the wrapped presents into a cupboard angrily because the ladder fell down and landed on my toe pinkie.

So if I am BU, I have been punished, OW!

OP posts:
Original poster
Mercapto · 09/12/2012 14:44

I mean the ladder in the attic fell down from above.....

OP posts:
MerryLindor · 09/12/2012 14:45

YABU to have even put it up yet.

When mine were that age, I used baubles that didn't break easily and didn't decorate the lower branches.

Jingleflobba · 09/12/2012 14:47

Try getting her to make some decs and put them on the lower branches? She might not mess around with it so much if she's made some stuff for it...

LaCiccolina · 09/12/2012 14:47

U are most certainly the grinch. Put up with it for a day or two, she will forget or not care soon.

Original poster
Mercapto · 09/12/2012 14:47

I had it up in November so I feel like I've had enough time with it this year.

She just won't stop climbing just now though. Baubles higher up the tree are not a problem for her.

OP posts:
peaceandlovebunny · 09/12/2012 14:49

peaceandlovebunny's recipe for a happy christmas with toddler -

put the tree up on christmas eve when toddler is in bed. allow it to remain in place one, possibly two days. then when toddler is asleep, take the tree down and move all the detritus of christmas.

i'm not a misery, i love christmas. but it makes such a mess!

SugaricePlumFairy · 09/12/2012 14:50

A tip for next year, don't put it up so early. Xmas Grin.

YABU putting it up in November!

Original poster
Mercapto · 09/12/2012 14:53

Yeh that was a bad move. I even let her help me decorate it and she was really excited at the time.
It is a lovely tree and I'm sad its gone but she is doing my head in!

OP posts:
bradyismyfavouritewiseman · 09/12/2012 14:54

We usually put ours up around the 20th. But we are going away on the 1st and taking it down before we go so put it up early this year.

My youngest is 21 months and we go with the no breakable or expensive baubles and nothing at the bottom.

Works a treat. Can wait to decorate it with all my no e baubles next year hopefully

MerryLindor · 09/12/2012 14:55

That is a good idea, Bunny.

I don't think it is the tree that is the problem but the stage of life that your DD is at. I found that age really hard going because they don't have much sense but do have a ton of curiosity.

An old woman on a bus told me that children who are 'into everything' are simply curious, and that is a sign of great intelligence.

I would take that little gem of information out from time to time, when my DC were being MOST annoying and savour it.

Original poster
Mercapto · 09/12/2012 14:58

merry thanks for this.

I'm sometimes a bit scared but excited thinking about the person she will become.

Every since she was born it has been utter utter chaos.

OP posts:
SantasLittleHo · 09/12/2012 14:59

Are you putting it back up? She is only two. All 3 of mine faffed with the tree. Its just one of those things. You put something pretty, sparkly and exciting right under her nose and are surprised when she wants to play with it? Our tree looked a right load of shite by christmas day last year what with all the decs pulled off the lower branches and repositioned further up. I even have a 'right place at the right time' shot of dd2 frantically crawling away from the tree that was falling over. Tree 1 dd 0. :o Put it back up you silly thing you.

BlatherskitedaboutChristmas · 09/12/2012 15:03

I was one of 4. When the youngest was born I was 6.5 - it was chaos most of the time.

For quite a few years, my Mum made a christmas tree shape out of green tinsel high up on the wall and decorated that with baubles.

It was the only way :)

SoggySummer · 09/12/2012 15:03

Mines not up yet and wont be for at least another week.

When my DDs were small we used to put unbreakable felt decs on the tree and tie the tree to some hooks on the wall so it couldnt be pulled over.

My friend has one of those room divider stairgate stylee things going around hers.

SellotapeInMyHairExtensions · 09/12/2012 15:07

Last year was the first year I could put the tree up without having a toddler to worry about (youngest was 3 and a bit) so what did I do? Went and took in 2 kittens that took great delight in climbing up the branches and playing at swatting the baubles. They also delighted in hiding half way up the tree and scaring the bejeezus out of me when I'd spot the glowing eyes staring out at me [sgrin]

Take heart from it only being a stage your DD is going through and I'm sure next year will be different.

This year DD3 has taken to rearranging the baubles/ornaments as she doesn't like where I've artfully placed them Angry

DontmindifIdo · 09/12/2012 15:10

I've got a nearly 3 year old, I'm going to put mine up next week - even then i think it's going to be hard work keeping him away from him for a couple of weeks.

Why not leave it until the weekend before Christmas, 22nd or so, then put it up again, it'll have it's magic again as you'll be decorating the house for Christmas at Christmas. In the meantime, try to pick up some wooden (therefore hard to break!) decorations and keep your pretty breakable ones for high up branches. That way you have your Christmas tree up for Christmas itself, but not have another 2 weeks of fighting /it being a cause of upset. This also means you'll only have a couple of days of the tree being the most exciting new toy, before your DD has a pile of new toys to play with.

For future reference, there's a reason a lot of parents of toddlers hold firm on not putting the tree up until just before Christmas, keeping the stress and temptation to attack it to a minimum...

StickEmWithThePointyEnd · 09/12/2012 15:11

May be obvious but buy plastic baubles that bounce instead of break.

ImperialSantaKnickers · 09/12/2012 15:13

We did MerryLindor's no. 1 suggestion when ddtwins were in the destructive phase.

And tree will not be up until next Sunday.

BlatherskitedaboutChristmas · 09/12/2012 15:22

DD will be 3 the week before Christmas this year. It won't go up until after her birthday and even then, I have a 4' one that goes on top of a cabinet.

YABU for putting a tree up in November no matter who's in the house!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page