I think we're at a standstill. Here's the issue:
We go big, decorate early and leave the tree up until New Years. This year, however, I'm not looking forward to decorating. All I can imagine is a month and a half of telling Sadie not to touch the tree/worrying about her eating a glass ornament.
The easy solution would be to put the tree in a blocked off area of the house but since our home is open concept, that won't work. Also, we'd love to have the tree in front of our bay window.
IMHO I think we should buy a smaller tree that fits *in* the window. D thinks we should put our 7.5 foot tree (yes, artificial) in front of the window and only decorate the top half!!
My mom suggested we put it in Sadie's Pac N Play.
Sheesh!! So GHETTO.
What are you doing this Xmas or what have you done in the past?
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Ha! Ghetto indeed!!! We want our tree in front of the bay window too. We go all out, and being this is our frist Christmas in our new home, this will be no different. We can't wait to decorate!! We're planning on letting Ryan know that he can't touch the tree and put all the breakable/fragile ornaments near the top of the tree. Ryan is a good listener, so is Sadie. I say put up the big tree and let her know she can't touch the tree. I think it will work, just be firm with her. =)
ReplyDeleteOur kids usually lose interest after awhile. Also we put breakables/expensive ornaments up top and kid friendly one at the very bottom.
ReplyDeleteWe put harmless ornaments on the bottom half--stuff we didn't care if the kids ripped off.
ReplyDeleteWe bought the kids a mini tree that they can decorate over and over again with their own ornaments--stuff like Dora.
One idea I've seen is a stand up baby gate around the tree area to block it off. I don't know if that's "ghetto" but it is a good idea.
I'd put the tree in the window. That's what we're doing, but only because our apt. is too small to fit a tree anywhere else. Sadie is too young to understand that she can't touch the tree / ornaments, so you'd probably go crazy trying to watch her around the tree. And the idea of putting a tree in the pack and play...that's crazy, since you wouldn't really be able to see and enjoy it. Putting it in the window allows it to be seen, but eliminates the stress of watching Sadie near it every waking moment, worrying that she'll try to pull herself up on it / eat pine needles, etc. Go for the big tree next year when she can understand what you mean when you tell her not to touch.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering the same thing. We also have an artificial tree, and it's not the ornaments I'm worried about (we have one or two that are near and dear - and so probably won't go up - but for the most part, I'm okay with breakage, and even so will put the more breakable ones up high. I'm worried about her eating the tree. Or pulling up on it. I'd love to put it behind one of those baby yard gate things, but we don't have one, and don't have the money for one.
ReplyDeleteFor pulling on the tree, we rigged ours so that it was tied to something and couldn't be knocked over.
ReplyDeleteAnother option is to block it off with furniture a bit like chairs/coffee tables. Make it not easily accessible.
We've had a tree every year, even when the kids were really small. You wouldn't not have a tree if she was older and you had another small one at home. I think you can figure something out and make everyone happy.
Kids may want to touch the tree but that's why you make it so they can't get anything but safe stuff from the tree or block it off. Having a small tree really helped take the desire away from always touching the big tree.
Erik was almost 1 his first Christmas. We just put harmless ornaments on the bottom half of the tree and I can't remember if we tied the top branch to something. Our tree stand is super sturdy though so he would have a hard time pulling it over anyway. In the end he really didn't bother with it much at all.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how Ian does with the tree this year! Now I'm scared. I hadn't thought about it yet. :)
oh no...now i have something new to worry about! i hadnt thought about the holidays yet! :)
ReplyDeletebaby gate around the tree.
ReplyDelete