To not put a Christmas tree up?

[Retpark101]

DD is 11 months old so her first Christmas (2nd Jan baby so just missed it) before we had her, me and DH would put a bit of tinsel and maybe fairy lights up, one year MIL gave us a shabby smallish spare Christmas tree she had in her loft and I didn’t put it up as I didn’t see the point.

I always saw buying decorations and spending time decorating the house for the month a waste of my time as I’d only have to take it all down again and neither of us were really that fussed.

We aren’t Scrooges at all, we go to all the events on around Christmas and I love the music etc.

I just really don’t see the point/cannot be arsed with putting a tree and agreed we would do it once we had DC, now we do but she obviously wasn’t interested in decorating a tree this year as she’s still too little to understand and would rather chew the baubles.

We decided just to buy a pack of glittery baubles and decorate our large house plant! It actually looks great and we don’t have to take it down after Christmas is over.

Anyway over the last few days, my parents, DHs parents, my cousin etc have been over and always comment on the fact I don’t have a proper tree or decorations ever, I don’t seem bothered and it’s sad etc etc

Next year we will make the effort but only for DDs sake, so she can decorate it and have fun. But the point is if it wasn’t for DD, we wouldn’t ever put a tree up or really any decorations. If you do it yourself and you enjoy it then good for you, I just find it kind numbingly boring and a waste of money/time (personally) AIBU? Are there any other people out there who can’t be arsed with Christmas decorations? I’m starting to feel like maybe I’m just a lazy fucker!

Its really up to you. I love seeing my kids reaction to the tree though, it is special.

Yanbu. We haven't decorated for a few years as we have toddlers and cats and I got fed up of them pulling stuff down etc. Youngest is 5 now so thinking about putting our small 5ft tree up with some fairy lights on it a couple of days before Christmas.

Your home, your choice!

Why not get one of those pop up fully decorated trees. Minimal effort maximum impact!

Yanbu.

My husband and I don’t put anything up and we have two children (an almost 5 yo with ASD and a 2 yo). Neither know what is going on and they see Christmas trees and such everywhere else and at their grandparents and other relatives’ homes. I spend most of my time trying to stop them from examining and taking/touching the ornaments, tinsels, and Christmas figurines at the in-laws so why would I want to do the same at home. Once they’re old enough and able to leave items alone without me constantly moving them away, yes, but currently not worth the hassle or annoyance.

If you are going to the bother of decorating a house plant then I’d get a tree .

www.christmastreesandlights.co.uk/christmas-trees/pop-up-trees.html

It’s obviously your home your choice but it does sound quite miserable.

Well it’s your home so do s you please! Sounds a bit miserable to me but I’m not sure anyone else should care what you do/ don’t do in your own house. We love putting decorations up and the children enjoy them, it’s all part of the fun!

We didn’t bother at all last year. I’d had a really shitty year so really couldn’t be bothered and was really bah humbug. Was great in January not having to take anything down.
We’ve now got parrots and haven’t really got room for a tree. Might put a small one up in the conservatory this year.
Entirely up to you OP. Not unreasonable at all.

YANBU

I did exactly the same. Wrapped some tinsel around a houseplant and that was enough for me while my daughter was too young to care. We bought a tree for my daughter's second Christmas. If I didn't have children I wouldn't bother

At 11 months they will love the tree. It's not like they're 5 months. Ok they won't remember it, but they're memories for you really. But if you're genuinely not fussed, don't force yourself

To those saying about kids- yes next year when DD is almost 2 we will get one for her sake so she can get excited and decorate it, I wouldn’t make her go without just because I didnt particularly want one.

But before DD we never put one up and noticed all my friends got super excited about its being almost Christmas so they could decorate, I just never got the point haha. We aren’t boring or miserable though I promise

Also my mum and dad always put a tree up for me and my brother to decorate and I remember even then from the age of about 4/5 I couldn’t be bothered with it

We never put one up as we live in a small flat and there just isnt room.

We have just decided not to get one this year. We have an 18 month old who is a nightmare. Our other dcs don’t mind. We are getting a table top mini tree and decorating other bits but not a big tree

I'm not having a tree this year as DD is 12 months and running around, opening doors, grabbing/biting everything she can get hold of. There is no where I can put a tree that she can't reach. I can't face the stress of constantly telling her to stay away from it as she is to little to understand.
We will have a few decorations around the fire place (behind the baby gate/fire guard) but that's about it.

Yabu and miserable. At 11 months old she will be mesmerised by an christmas tree. Buy a pop up one or a small pre lit? Doesn’t have to be a huge chore!

We're away for the duration so won't be decorating. Well not a tree anyway. I feel quite odd about it. We're getting kittens in the new year/spring so next year might be a miss as well...

Yabu and miserable. At 11 months old she will be mesmerised by an christmas tree. Buy a pop up one or a small pre lit? Doesn’t have to be a huge chore!

Why does not having a tree up make someone miserable? What a weird notion. People can enjoy Christmas without having a tree. The memories are more about the parents at that age anyway. I highly doubt OP’s child is not going to see a Christmas tree if OP doesn’t put one up. They’re going to be blinking everywhere anyway before Christmas is here.

Before children I used to put a bit of tinsel on a yukka plant. Then when the DC came along I did the whole twinkly light tree thing. I loathe decorations but it did look nice. DC now in late teens, last year I repeatedly asked for help from them and DH to get decorations down from the lift. They couldn't be bothered to help, so we didn't have a tree up. Bloody fine by me!

We found putting beads across the living room and hanging baubles from that worked well to avoid toddlers destroying everything. There is no law to say you must have a tree! I have a small potted one I bring in from the garden and decorate.

I don't do the whole tree thing either, might get one of those pre lit twig types this year, I've not had a tree for 10 years and I've got 2 young dc.

Nope, not unreasonable at all! I have the contentious opinion that decorations shouldn't even be up before middle of December at the earliest, but don't actually bother putting any up myself. No kids, so don't really see the point.