Let's talk Christmas Trees

slv0606

OK so I have ALWAYS had a real Christmas tree. I am debating if that is still a good idea with Kevin. My concerns really fall with the idea that he would try to eat the needles. I know this sounds crazy but on Halloween after hurricane Sandy we had so much debris on the floor from people trekking things in and with Kevin crawling all over the place and so much comotion he ate a little tiny leaf and threw up! I felt like a terrible parent. We generally get a fraser fir to eliminate the amount of needles falling and I do my best to keep up on vacuuming this just makes me nervous. What will you have a real or fake tree and why?

 

SrhA1984

We alternate between fake and real every year. this year we will have a fake tree.

tmjmeister

We have a fake tree but thats because I am not a fan of real ones. If I liked real trees I would have no problem getting one with the baby. If you are that concerned you can get one of those big play yards to go around it, that you use for babies. I have a friend that puts one around her tree to keep the kids and dogs away from it.

lancyjo

We have a fake, pre-lit tree because I'm not a fan of the mess/responsibility of a real tree, and I suck at Christmas lights.

Edit: While this answers your question, it in no way helps you out. Whoops. Here's my thought: Do you want to spend $100+ on a fake tree when you're (I'm assuming) only going to use it one year?

 

laura.noel

We always have a real tree, but we are getting a fake one this year. I have the same fear about him eating the needles. You'd have to have the dustbuster in your hand constantly to stay ahead of that. It's not worth the effort. We'll go back to real trees when he stops eating things.

sarahandtim

This is my dilemma too. LO eats everything he can find, so I'm worried about the needles. I also don't have the storage for a fake tree (or the money) so I'm not sure what to do.

poobear2015

We have fake cuz DH is allergic to real ones. Hayley has been attempting ( and who knows - possibly even succeeded!) in eating a fake needle (they are just green strips, but still).

runrinserepeat

We won't have a tree this year, just doing a felt one on the wall. We will be visiting my parents for the week or so surrounding Christmas, so we just don't see the point in going to all the extra effort, especially with the cat, dog, and now Laura. Elmer has always been a hassle, trying to eat the candy canes off the tree... 

megahof

We're getting a real tree, but this year it will be one of the smaller tabletop trees from Whole Foods. They're still over 3 feet high so it will feel like a real Christmas tree to me. But this way I don't have to worry as much about Sophie getting into it. Not that she's even crawling now, but just in case...

heymommy

We use fake trees. Its easier for me to get it out of the garage and set it up myself anytime I want to  then have to plan a whole day around getting a tree, making sure DH is available etc. It's cheaper too!

kristin172429

We'll have a real tree.  We always make sure to get a good, fresh cut on the bottom and water it frequently to cut down on the needles dropping.  Doing a cut-your-own tree would ensure it was fresh, too, as opposed to sitting on a lot after sitting in a truck, having been cut a week before.

We'll just vacuum a lot.  The needles aren't toxic, so that isn't a concern.  It would just hurt if he tried to eat a pokey needle.  I would think they would cry just trying to eat them - getting poked and all.  Only time will tell.  We will be gating off the tree.  

For those with fake trees - you will still want to keep the LO away from the tree.  Rumor has it that a lot of fake trees have lead in them, so you don't want them to be able to chew on them.  Heard the same thing about strings of lights.  I haven't done the research yet, so it could be total bunk, but just thought I would share in case it is true! 

frasey

we just got a new-to-us fake tree today - got it used for real cheap. I prefer fake ones, DH prefers real ones, but I can't be bothered with the mess and hassle. Ours is set up in the corner with a play yard gate around it so DD can't get to it. 

KatelynEA90

We are getting a real tree and I'll do my best to make sure DD doesn't eat it.

Don't feel bad that your LO ate a leaf. Things happen and we can't always be behind them. I fished a leaf out of DD's mouth a few times. I found a starburst wrapper in her poopy diaper after Halloween.