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Parenting

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Original poster

Christmas tree and crawling baby.

26 replies

Summerdays2014 · 17/10/2016 15:33

Hi all,

Ok, I know I am thinking about this way too early but we how does a Christmas tree (I always have a real one) work when you have a baby who is on the move? At Christmas my son will be 11 months old. At the moment he is crawling everywhere, exploring everything, touching everything, trying to pull up etc.

I'm worried he will try and pull down or eat the tree and all its decprations and lights!

What did/do/will you all do? Or I am just imagining things that are not going to be a problem?

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FemaleDilbert · 17/10/2016 15:35

We just had a small tabletop tree that year. I was mainly concerned about the decorations being eaten.

DesignedForLife · 17/10/2016 15:36

Expect to not have many decorations left on the lower shelves!

We survived so far by puttin a mini tree up, up high out of reach! I know friends who have blocked it off using a playpen or similar. When we visited my parents DD pulled all the decorations off the lower branches. Thankfully my mum had predicted this and bought all plastic baubles.

chloesmumtoo · 17/10/2016 15:36

My memory could be wrong but I am sure I put the christmas tree in the playpen to keep it safe!!

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StrawberryQuik · 17/10/2016 15:54

I think we are just going to get a tiny tree and put it on the side table this year (DS will be 9 months at Christmas)

He's already threatening to crawl, am going to have to fix all the cabinets to the walls soon/buy childlock cupboard things.

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 17/10/2016 15:58

We did this.

NotAsYoungAsIWas · 17/10/2016 15:59

I have 4 DC and when they were crawling we 'built' a simple screen to put around the bottom part of the tree. Nothing too technical - think strong cardboard covered in nice paper! Had a real tree every year and none of them touched it

NotAsYoungAsIWas · 17/10/2016 16:01

Labradors, on the other hand, are another matter!!

mouldycheesefan · 17/10/2016 16:01

We got a small tree about 2-3 ft and put it on a cupboard that babies couldn't reach.
If they pull it on to themselves it could be a bad accident so one that they cannot reach is key.

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 17/10/2016 16:03

P.S: Should say we put some v heavy rocks at the bottom of the zinc bucket, I could barely shift it.

Sandsnake · 17/10/2016 16:06

Good thread - been meaning to ask this myself. DS is one next month and is a climbing, crawling, into everything menace! Think we will have to go for the table top tree idea, which is a shame as I usually insist on the biggest one we can fit!

Floggingmolly · 17/10/2016 16:06

That photo of your baby gave me the chills, Vanellope!! I could have coped with the face blanked out, but the creepy drawn on eyes and mouth??

onlyconnect · 17/10/2016 16:12

I took a very different approach to the other responders. We had our tree exactly as normal. Told DS not to touch it, which of course he did but just we went really hard line on it. For me that involved instantly removing him (picking him up plonking him down somewhere well away) with a very firm, "no!" Of he type I'd use if he were about to run into the road. He didn't touch it again.

dancemom · 17/10/2016 16:14

I'm with only

Had it up as normal, quickly learned not to touch as they do with the oven, radiator etc

Jackiebrambles · 17/10/2016 16:15

Small tree on a table that year!

Cakescakescakes · 17/10/2016 16:21

Normal tree. Never touched it. Ds2 on the other hand demolished it. Depends on your child :)

Artandco · 17/10/2016 16:23

Just had normal 6ft tree, they weren't really bothered

NerrSnerr · 17/10/2016 16:25

We had a small one on the table.

ToxicLadybird · 17/10/2016 16:27

DS never touched ours. It's the bloody cat that won't leave it alone.

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 17/10/2016 16:28

Flogging What do you mean? You see something odd with my DD's face?

PutDownThatLaptop · 17/10/2016 16:33

Little tree, high up on a shelf, with other decorations also high up.

maamalady · 17/10/2016 16:34

When DD1 was 6 months she wasn't yet mobile, so wasn't an issue. At 18 months she left it alone, though we only had felt baubles just in case.

DD2 will be almost 9 months at Christmas, and is crawling already - the felt baubles will be out again! Not sure if we'll have a little tree high up or not, that might be more of a liability with DD1 than having one on the ground and hoping for the best...

thenewaveragebear1983 · 17/10/2016 16:34

If your babies are anything like my little terror ds then all you will need to do is give him permission to touch the tree as often is he'd like- then he won't be in the slightest bit interested and continue with his project of putting shoes in the kitchen bin.
A tip- if you use opened up paper clips as hangers (open them up into an s shape) then pinch the top around the branches, they can't pull the baubles off so easily.

PutDownThatLaptop · 17/10/2016 16:35

You could also try a wall tree and hang it high up (google this, there are loads of types).

thenewaveragebear1983 · 17/10/2016 16:35

Oh, and we put a loop of ribbon around the trunk and fix it to the curtain tie back hook, then you can quickly unloop it if you need to move it but it's sturdy enough so it can't be pulled over.

BackforGood · 17/10/2016 16:37

We put ours in the prison play pen, and managed without it for the 3 weeks or so the tree was up

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