To be a control freak about the Christmas tree?

[malificent7]

The kids decorated it which is lovely but i got twitchy about correct spacing of baubles. Aibu?

Nope not all in my opinion but then dh says I’m a freak about the Christmas tree!!!

Just tweak it when they are in bed :)

I'm the same.

We now have two trees in different rooms - one decorated by the children and one by me. That way they can be as creative as they want and I can have a tree that looks right!

You let them TOUCH the tree?!!!

I always used to rearrange when the kids went to bed. Still do now they are 19 and 21.

Half the people I know are like this, some of them won't allow their DC to decorate the tree, which I think is sad. So give yourself credit for allowing them to help.

I'm the other way, i let the kids throw decorations at the tree in a haphazard fashion and feel grateful I don't have to do it myself anymore

I do it properly adjust the baubles when DS is in bed. It makes me twitchy if it's not right

YABU my perfect tree is a tree decorated by my children. Who cares about spacing of baubles?

Well done for sucking all the joy out of a joyful occasion

Our boys 'help' decorate the tree. They get some input into which shape/style baubles etc. get used (but I 'point them in the right direction')
There is also a lot of 'pointing in the right direction' when 'we' put the tinsel on, put the baubles on, put other decorations around the window etc. Even decorating the 3' tree in their bedroom gets a lot of direction from me, but I am not as anal with that one, it can be more to their liking. But when a bauble gets knocked off and I replace it I reserve the right to neaten the decorations up around it rearrange the whole tree
I am surprised they still claim to enjoy putting the decorations up with all my meddling.
Who will be first to mention Monica's tree in Friends when it has the friend's decs on one side and she spins it around to reveal her perfect side? (I couldn't do that, knowing the other side was still there!)

Oh god! My mother was ridiculously obsessive about the tree. She really tried to sap (no pun intended as we had a fake tree growing up ) any fun out of it. Bauble spacing and we weren’t allowed to touch the tinsel. However I didn’t mind too much as I was always so excited about putting the tree up and I guess it’s one of our family traditions that was can look back with fondness.

Yep. Just do when they are asleep.

You're not BU because lots of people feel the same way that you do.

Personally your way isn't my way. I think it's all about the kids at Christmas, so DD has always been the pointer outer of where to hang things on the tree and it looks the way she wants it to look.

But then most of you would hate the clutter and mess in my house that's there all day every day.

Just got our first real tree, and I feel weird talking about how happy it made me for my fiance to be as picky and careful with decorating as I was. Usually he sits back and lets it happen. This year I left the room, I come back and he's telling me he swapped a couple to improve the balance. Brings a tear to my eye.

My dc have a tree each which they do what they want too and they help with the downstairs tree. I never thought I would be precious over the main tree. But I am, a little bit

Depends how your children feel about it. If they are having fun and don’t notice or care about your improvements, fine.
I do remember one Christmas, I was yelled at for making a mess unwrapping presents. So the next Christmas, I unwrapped each present silently and carefully, folded the paper, put the gift on top with the label and said ‘ What a nice present’
Hold a grudge? Me?

Yep another who lets the kids enjoy decorating the tree then does it better when they are in bed. Noones ever noticed.

NO ONE controls the decoration of our Christmas tree except me. Tree decoration control freakery completely normal!!!

And as for sucking the joy out; Some of us get joy from an attractive tree!

Yabu. I love that my dd7 decorates the tree, I fondly joke that it looks like an elf has vomited over it.

My mum would always redo it after we'd gone to bed and I was disappointed that it wasn't good enough. So I will not touch it, can't wait to see what my 2 year old does this year!

YABU, your kids happiness is more important than spacing of some baubles on a tree!

I didn’t find out til I was an adult that my mum used to reaarange the baubles when we were in bed. She never moved any special ones or favourite ones though

I wouldn't let small children choose what colour I paint my walls or let them loose with a roller - same rules apply to christmas decorating.

The whole point of having child(ren) is letting them do stuff so you don't have to?

My DD will be throwing decs on the tree however she likes, and that will be that.

The only bit I do is dealing with plugging in the bastard lights and getting them to work

You let them TOUCH the tree?!!!

My thoughts exactly.