Storing a cut Christmas tree

[Upsycrazy]

My Christmas tree arrives Friday. I don't have a choice over this because it's bought through school and that's when collection is.
I have a 2 and a half year old and a 4 week old and I am nowhere near ready for the daily battle to avoid the Christmas tree being pulled over/ destroyed/ redecorated.
So to my question...
Has anyone bought a tree then stored it in their garage for a week or so? What do you think is the longest this would be ok? I am hoping this could be OK because shops selling trees must do similar.

My mum regularly buys hers at the beginning of December when she spots a nice one, she then just leaves it outside in the garden until the week before Christmas. Her view is that most of the trees we buy will already have been cut by now so a couple of extra weeks sitting round isn't going to harm them.

Pop it in a bucket of water, it will be fine

Yes, supposedly all the trees are cut now, even the ones you can buy nearer the time. What you need to do is cut off a slice of the trunk when you first get the tree (like snipping off the stems of cut flowers) and place the tree in a bucket of water. It should then survive until you are ready to bring it in.

Yes my mum has done this for years.

Just leave it outside. In a bucket of water is good but she doesn't always bother and it's always fine.

It'll be fine outside. If you can, cut a couple of inches off and place in a bucket of water. I did read that all trees are cut by the end of November.

Water!

Cut a slice off the trunk, and store it in a large bucket of water and keep it topped up.

Great. Thank you everyone. My sanity is saved for a week or 2 more.