Christmas trees and toddler..arrgghhh..!!

[shhhh]

Right...what do we do..! Last year dd aged then 7 months didn't cause any damage to our christmas tree or the decorations BUT this year now aged 17 months I know already what trouble I am going to have with a tree in the lounge.. HELP..! Any ideas..?

We usually have a real tree but I suggested to dh to get a fibre optic type one as it will be in place for the next 3-4 years as we have another baby on the way..thus being cost effective iykwim.
Also with this tress no decorations need to be put on it, or at least not close for dd's reach.
Christ I have visions already...

TIA

we got a small one last year when ds was about 14 months that we could stick on top of telly so he couldn't reach it. NOt the same though.

We've got smallish fibre optic one we're going to put on a table well out of DS reach. Plus the changing twinkly effect will interest him more than a decorated tree

See thats the thing..dh & I looovveeee christmas and so want to make the home special for dd as she's now at an age she will notice it more iykwim. BUT we don't really want to compromise in a way that the home isn't chrismassy..Can you still have a festive home with a toddler.?! I know all my photos etc are out of sight and boxed away but......

I'm a big kid really ! .
We thought of a tree in the hall BUT I also wanted the lounge the look the part as most of our time is spent there..Maybe we will have to settle for Big ornaments that she can't move etc..!e

get a really SPIKY one

he won't go near it twice

We have always had real trees with our 5 and 2 yos. We have tended to put it in a corner so that is somewhat protected. But that is all we have ever done. Have you read the tip about putting a tree in a play pen?

I do think decorating a tree with kids is part of the magic of Christmas.

We have a tree (not a real one, do not want needles everywhere) and it is in the corner of the playroom/dining room

Last year dd1 was 3, dd2 was 16 months and I resigned myself to bellowing every 5 mins throughout the Christmas period

Actually it wasn't too bad (even though they kept pinching chocolates off it on the sly)

This year they are 4 and 2 and I think if they knock it over it will only be the once as the shock will scare them into good behaviour .

Oh yes I don't put breakable ornaments low down. Since having the kids I have built up quite a nice collection of wooden ones. And I take them to choose one each every year - nice ones in Accessorize and Debenhams. But I also have a couple of packs of wooden ones too.

LOL mp..! Doubt that will put dd off..! I can see her now squinting trying to climb up the tree..!!

Bozza I agree. We did the tree with dd last year but obviously she wasn't like she will be this year! I haven't seen the play pen tip but you know what I did think of one of those baby dan fireguards/gates to put around the tree..Geesss it's like the trees at shopping centres..!

If only they knew NO meant NO..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

being, ahem, slightly anal about everything being in its place, I twitch when my two 'decorate' the tree

"no dd1 more baubles need to be on the other side,

I have to stop myself rearranging when they go to bed!

Yeah its the breakable ones that worry me as I also buy new ones each year..also the choc although it never lasts 5 mins with dh.!

So guess I should go for a tree (real or fake) and keep my fingers crossed....She's just discovered how to climb onto the couch, well not only that but she insists on running up and down it while "mum" who is 7 months pregnant has heart failure trying to dive each time she nearly falls..She finds it amusing.! I will see how things may go...

thats me oliveoil..! Also imagine me hoovering needles up every 5 mins.!

Try tying the tip of the tree to the picture rail? At least it stops the whole thing going over...

No picture rail .

glad you started this one shhh. ds1 will be 17m too at xmas.
when i tell him not to take something he is eyeing up or going for he just looks round at me, smiles then takes it anyway, whilst maintaining eye contact with me throughout, then if i move, he throws the offending object whilst running away!!
last year, without thinking, dh and i forked out big stylee on a 7ft artificial alpine fir that touches the ceiling and weighs a ton.
we are planning to put it behind the sofa in the corner, then barricade it in with dining chairs or something!!

thing is, when he throws it and runs off, i cant help but laugh sometimes. he just looks so naughty as he does it and has such a dirty little laugh!

lotf..omg your ds is the doible of our dd. Mum can;'t believe how she is BUT she doesn't listen to me at all...I sit there saying "yup, I DO have control over my dd".!

I agree it is cute but sometimes so annoying when she runs off as she knows that at 7 months pregnant I can't keep up with her (SAD i KNOW..) and I look like some elephant trying to keep up.!
Sometimes she passes the "said" object back to me..others she launches it to the other side of the room ................THEN LAUGHS.

I can;'t wait to put the tree up BUT I know in a few weeks time I won't be able to wait for it to come down..!

DS was 15 mo last Xmas. We had a real tree. Kept the decorations away from the bottom 1/4 of it. He didn't even attempt to touch it. But I am old school when it comes to xmas trees - we only put it up on xmas eve so its there for less than 2 weeks. And we never have chocolates on it - that's just asking for trouble.

ds was also fifteen months last Christmas and we had a small one on top of TV [yes,not the same at all] this year i long for a proper tree but suspect it will be more trouble than it's worth, so back to last year's plan, probably.

last year our DD was nearly 15m old and i put up a artifical tree on the table, as just incase, as my Dd is into everything and she was so good..knocked off one or two balls but i was relaxed about it as i had visions that the tree will be knocked over and dd would be underneath it but no nothing really happened. This year im gonna use the artifical tree again and if she is good with it then ill start buying the real trees again from next year. My dd is now 25m old.

I find that toddlers generally manage to pull the whole thing down on top of themselves once and then don't do it again!