Keeping toddlers away from the tree

[TwinsandTrifle]

We have 20mth old DTwins. The age that they have zero understanding of being careful around a Christmas Tree, combined with being fabulously dexterous and mobile.

What do we do about the tree? A cage isn't an option. To me, it removes all the prettiness and presence of the tree.

DTwins will have all the baubles off every time my back is turned. Even if I ensure everything is hardy and non-smash plastic, they'll still yank them off and probably twiddle with the lights. Maybe even tug the whole thing over/along. (Prelit BH I think about 7ft if that makes any difference?)

What do you do to stop small children wrecking the tree? We have other DC, so we kind of need a tree, and with twins, it's not as simple as just keeping an eye, boy twin is like Houdini. There will be times when I'm in the vicinity but not watching like a hawk...and this is when they'll strike . Our house is pretty open plan too (bar the kitchen), and we usually have several trees, and I'm already limiting it to one.

Any suggestions very gratefully received.

My four weren't too bad, they all pulled or knocked a few decorations off and got prickled by the needles but didn't bother after the initial 'wow' wore off.

DC3 was more of an 'into everything' toddler and I had baby DC4 so it was harder to keep an eye on him. He crawled under it and stood behind it which knocked it over but the shock of that put him off going near for a while. Though he did end up knocking it over again.

It's just one year of a Christmas tree though as long as you're not decorating it with Fabergé Eggs or family heirlooms I don't really see why people make such a fuss about what their toddlers might do to it. Saying that I'm not someone who puts the tree up really early though. We put other decorations out on the first of December but often don't get the tree until a week or ten days before Christmas. Maybe if you put it up in November it might be more annoying.

they all pulled or knocked a few decorations off

This level of collateral I'm fine with. This will be girl twin. Part curiousity, part "I know I shouldn't touch it, and so it's the only thing I will deliberately touch, then wail when I get caught".

Boy twin will have everything off it. Play football with the decorations, they try and climb it.

Which is fine when I'm right there. But I have to wee, and answer the door, and put the dinner on...

@TwinsandTrifle

they all pulled or knocked a few decorations off

This level of collateral I'm fine with. This will be girl twin. Part curiousity, part "I know I shouldn't touch it, and so it's the only thing I will deliberately touch, then wail when I get caught".

Boy twin will have everything off it. Play football with the decorations, they try and climb it.

Which is fine when I'm right there. But I have to wee, and answer the door, and put the dinner on...

Well yes that was DC3! It was pretty bare of needles and decorations as high as he could reach by Christmas Day but as I said it's just one year

My tactic will be

Prickly real tree
No heirloom decorations
Older child is being put on twin watch 😂

What did you do last Christmas OP? I'm guessing just do the same? I'll have a just turned 3yo and a 11 month old this Christmas and hadn't even thought about the tree. The baby is a nightmare he pulls to standing against any/every surface so I need to think about this 🤔 I'm now wondering about a small tree on a table out of reach

Last year they went in their play pen. Every time I left the room. As said, by 18mths they could lift it between them and walk to where they want.

As said, by 18mths they could lift it between them and walk to where they want.
^

Get the gin out op, it's kriss massss!

Fwiw when my two were little there were a couple of Christmases where we didn't bother with a tree as it was too much hassle. I think actually that was the Christmas DD was sick all over me after the Christmas Dinner

We put away everything remotely fragile for a few years and made child friendly decorations for the tree, including ribbon hangers that slid on and off the branches easily.

Someone I know got a hanging xmas tree and gave her toddler various non-breakable decorations to hang off it. I think they were made of felt or card covered in fabric.

It was something like this

www.lights4fun.co.uk/products/birch-christmas-tree-hanger?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrKfps8jX8wIVCtmyCh3SAwZ2EAQYByABEgJ3pPD_BwE

I have twin puppies so have bought this:

We also have DTs, ours will be 2yr 4m this Christmas and, like others, last year we put the tree in the playpen. We will probably do the same this year - especially as the majority of our decorations are glass. We also put the presents under the tree in the playpen which kept them out of reach of mobile toddlers.

For the boys this year we have got a felt Christmas tree that we’re going to put up and let them decorate as often as they like in the hope it deters them from trying to attack the ‘real’ tree!!

@immersivereader it worked for me. And my partner is a CM so we have lots of tiny kids and babies in our house.

We just tell them no and if they get too close, we move them away and say no again. We've not had a single breakage in over 20 years.

I just don't get how people can't say no to their kids. If they were heading towards a hot pan or packet of paracetamol would you put that in a playpen too ? They need to learn from an early age that if you say no, they stop in their tracks.

I know it's harder with 2 but even so ....!

You could try what my mother benefitted from and have vintage lights. I never touched anything on the tree more than once.

Those fuckers got hot.

More realistically, when DD1 was little, we made cardboard decorations and used red ribbon, cheap shit wooden decorations and stuff like that, so the worst she could get hold of was a handpainted wattoo-wattoo bird made out of a cornflake packet.

These days I just tie the entire thing to the bannister and apply tinsel for 20 seconds until the Wee Furry Shite launches himself up it.

Strangely, DP is not that enthusiastic about having a Christmas tree. Which annoys me greatly, as I love the way they look before the Cat gets his paws on it.

I think I'm going to do my best to anchor the tree, and just decorate with ribbons and bows. They can't break anything, they can't hurt themselves. And just accept I'll be "CAREFUL with it!" like a dalek for the whole of December.