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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to not have a "perfect" tree

75 replies

Lewwat · 04/12/2016 13:56

So... Christmas trees is up. I let the DC. (7&5) go to town and then that's the way it stays until it comes down. They are so proud of their handy work!

I've had a few people comment with saying how they have "tree ocd" and they can't possibly leave it as the kids do it. They either change it after or just do it themselves.

Am I the only one with a crap kiddified tree?!

OP posts:

SerialReJoiner · 04/12/2016 15:24

By the time we manage to get the decs out, dust everything off, out the tree together, etc etc. I'm knackered. They can do what they like!

I have insisted on being responsible for decorating the front door though. That's my job.

Spadequeen · 04/12/2016 15:32

I love my perfect tree. Dh always tok the piss out of me when the kids were younger as I would always do it when they were in bed. They do it now and do a really good job, because they know what a tree should look like!!! 😄

1wokeuplikethis · 04/12/2016 16:30

Why does someone always have to come along and be terribly offended? There probably is such a thing as tree OCD and people probably do suffer from it. You shouldn't dismiss this real illness. They physically can't let their children decorate their tree and hope for the funds to go to tree OCD rehab but people put too much money towards children and animal charities and the Samaritans and Salvation Army.
I'm offended by your offence at tree OCD.

WetNovemberDay · 04/12/2016 16:34

My tree is so tacky.
All my kids are mud to late teens yet they all insist our white fake tree is still decorated with their childhood favourite baubles and Dec's they grew up with and made!!
We're talking pooh bear, Disney Princess, Thomas the Tank Engine, Barbie and Bratz stuff!!
It's shocking. It's do bad I love seeing visitors look at it for the first time😂😂😂!!

But it's nostalgic. I haven't got it up yet but am for the first time considering a new tree and theme but doubt the kids will let me.

TheMasterMurderedMargarita · 04/12/2016 16:40

I posted a pic of my tree on another thread.
You can't actually see the tree for all the tinsel and baubles...it's quite impressive .
I love a tacky gaudy tree.
I also love precise colour coordinated trees but I couldn't do it in our house as we have lots of sentimental random baubles.

OhSoggyBiscuit · 04/12/2016 17:18

My tree is a bit of a mess- but it's my mess! In all its pink, multi coloured lights glory.

oldlaundbooth · 04/12/2016 17:20

Our tree is pretty random too as DS helped decorate, I don't give two hoots, it's twinkly and looks Christmassy

marsybum · 04/12/2016 17:20

Ours looks like Christmas has vomited on it - and I love it! DC did everything except the lights

IAmNotACat · 04/12/2016 17:22

It's a shame to deny the kids the enjoyment of putting up the tree. Just let them do it and reorganize the tree to make it how you like it after they've gone to bed. They won't notice.

Or have two trees, do yours the way you want it and have a little extra tree just for the kids in another room.

JingleBellCock · 04/12/2016 17:25

YANBU.

Ours is always a mish mash of decorations old and new, stuff the kids have made etc.

When they grow up and leave home I'll have a beautiful, symmetrically decorated tree. And I'll probably miss our old scruffy one .

Shitonyoursofa · 04/12/2016 17:26

I don't have children but my tree is far from perfect....it's full of all sorts of multi coloured baubles that I like that don't go together and there is absolutely no 'theme' at all. Christmas should be tacky as hell IMO

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 04/12/2016 17:33

I can't bear trees that look like they've been copied from the display in John Lewis. I like as many colours as possible, loads of sparkle and tinsel, and the kids home made decorations in pride of place (you know, at the bottom where they can reach to hang them ).

Plus, I am not precious about wrapping paper - the cheaper the better, any old Christmas pattern - although I admit I coordinate my ribbons.

crazycatzz · 04/12/2016 17:43

My DC are not interested in decorating the tree. They are more than happy to watch me struggle whilst I untangle the lights and check the bulbs.
Tbf I never decorated my mums tree and didn't want to either. I did enjoy eating the chocs off it when she wasn't looking though

Aderyn2016 · 04/12/2016 17:48

MsMims, some phrases are just adopted into everyday language - no one is taking the piss or saying that OCD isn't debilitating. If you look for offence, you will find it.

Aderyn2016 · 04/12/2016 17:50

My tree is a mix of carefully placed, tasteful baubles and stuff the kids made at school. I love my tree. I also like that my kids get bored of decorating it after a few minutes and leave me to it

MrsPeel1 · 04/12/2016 18:00

YANBU my tree is bordering on tasteful. Not happy. Will get the kids to throw on some more tat.

My only line is blue tinsel. For some reason I'm not keen. Don't even know why!

Roussette · 04/12/2016 18:01

Mine has gone up early as have a load of people coming here next weekend, and it's exactly the same as when my lot (now adults) were little!

Funnily enough my DH just said... bloody hell, that's a lot of decorations on that there tree.... I told him they would notice if even one from their childhood was missing and it's true!

So all you people who think you're going to have an elegant themed tree when your DCs are grown up, you're wrong

Joinourclub · 04/12/2016 18:06

I think perfect trees are for hotel lobbies. I find it odd when people have over stylised trees in their homes.

PebbleInTheMoonlight · 04/12/2016 18:16

No picture perfect tree here. It's teamwork. I put on the base layer - lights and tinsel (kids insist on it) then let the girls (4 & 9) do the rest.

Their only instruction is big at the bottom, little at the top and try not to leave big gaps.

My tree is not picture perfect but my girls love it and that's all that matters.

BurnTheBlackSuit · 04/12/2016 18:19

I love our tree decorated with all our memories- from the decorations they have made when they were little, to decorations I have made, to decorations friends have made or given to us, to decorations we have bought on holidays. I also have the non-tree decorations my children have made stuck on my walls. It all means something and I love it.

I do like the look of perfectly decorated houses and trees, but I would feel sad without the paper plate reindeer that my son made when he was in reception, the hand drawn snowglobe from pre-school and the hand print Christmas wreath I made when they were babies (and all the rest of the decorations along the lines...)

Doobigetta · 04/12/2016 18:23

Judging by this and the other Christmas tree thread, tree inverse snobbery is quite the thing at the moment, and having a tree with anything other than fifty eight different colours and lopsided tinsel makes you an empty soulless ghoul and worse than ten thousand hitlers.

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 04/12/2016 18:27

I grew up with a ceiling height real tree every year that we were allowed to cover in all the homemade crap we could produce. I have many happy memories relating to it so totally on board with my kids doing the same. I had a tasteful tree for many years before I had kids, and I expect I'll have one again at some point in the future when they've grown out of the home made decorations stage. For now I'll enjoy my messy toddler creation covered monstrosity in all it's glory.

roseteapot101 · 04/12/2016 18:38

we work as a family to get tree done so not perfect but not bad either

talksensetome · 04/12/2016 18:42

My tree is shit but I actually wish I could have a beautiful tasteful tree. One day when they grow up eh.

Original poster

Lewwat · 04/12/2016 18:42

Im glad I'm not alone. I love my messy tree really! There's an angry bird perched decoration right in the middle!

Our tree's not even green it's purple!

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