Having to bin our Christmas tree

[Duggeehugs82]

Having to bin the Christmas tree had it about 12 years, daughter is nearly 4 non verbal , and has autism , she has just spent week we have had it up eating the decorations or breaking them and we have had it im gutted we have had tree about 12 years , but we cant cope with the constant eating and breaking of decorations, she eats everything all the time anyways so contantingly trying to get things out her mout just so sad its like everything has changed since having her. Christmas is supose to be time of fun for children.and its just been nightmare 😔😔😔😔

Am in similar situation but my kids are older. I find the times when you just want normal stuff like sparkly Christmas, birthdays with balloons etc etc that my kids don't play ball. It just unsettles them. It upsets us adults more xx

As my ds has gotten older I've learnt to embrace the parts of celebrations he enjoys and run with them. I don't put up a proper tree or decorations anymore. He loves Christmas baking and crafts so we do that instead. We have a felt tree which can't be broken. You can still makes these things fun just different fun! Make your own traditions.

I had a fibre optic tree for a few years and now I have a rope light pop up tree. He is a teenager now and the pica is much reduced.

A fibre optic tree would be a nice sensory tree, my grandmother had one back in the day!

Personally I wouldn’t bin the tree as things are likely to get better in the coming years. There are plenty of recipes for biscuit tree ornaments that you could use in place of baubles for now. Might be an option.

I know it must be disappointing at the moment but as pp said, you can make some new traditions

I feel ya op. Our ds is the same. Breaks everything!! Ive gone very minimal for xmas this years with the decorations tho currently still have the tree up. Not getting one next year. To the poster who said about home baked tree decs that's brilliant. Could u do that then doesn't matter if she eats them? Hope things get easier for u op. I know its hard i find myself getting so upset about all the stuff we're missing out on or cant do because ds but then i think we just have to do things abit different doesn't mean xmas cant still be special. Xx

We keep ours in the dining room. Gates mean that DS who has additional needs cannot get in there (except mealtimes, when he goes in in his chair). He enjoys the lights, but cannot reach it.
If he manages to get in, he trashed it, eats the tree and the decorations etc. It's not up yet. I'm delaying it as long as possible

There are some great alternative trees that may be worth looking at - we have had to put one ours away due to DS being frightened of motor noise but hoping next year could try again. Felt decorations are pretty good for being taken off tree and played with.