christmas tree- my kid can't be the only one...

meg_2006 · December 2013

...to pull down the tree trying to get an ornament off. We've had the ornaments on less than 24 hours and have already had 4 time-outs and one broken tree stand over it. Last year we just put them all at the top because he was still in the eating everything stage. But this year, I'd like to think we can leave them on and teach him they are not to be removed. We kept only the safe ornaments (no hooks, non-fragile) at the bottom. What do you guys do? Cover the whole tree or just avoid it?

CopperT0p · December 2013

Last year when he was 2 at Christmas, he didn't look twice at the tree and it was fully decorated. We haven't put one up this year yet, but I expect he may be slightly more interested.

We will put the tree up where it isn't right in his playing area in our living room to help create some separation. We also typically anchor the top of the tree to the wall or ceiling so that it cannot fall over. We have two big dogs, and between them and DS, having the tree unable to crash down is necessary.

ThatWasAHoot · December 2013

It seems that our kids are a year apart. My son couldn't keep his hands off last year, either. And now we have a 14 month old. We just use a babygate on the playroom tree. Sometimes it's just too tempting for those tiny little hands. This year it's better, if it's any consolation. He can go near the big tree and either just look or touches nicely. He even actually helped put ornaments on. Close up shop if you can for looking and no touching.

chardonnay24 · December 2013

Last year when my son was that age, we didn't have a tree at all. He was still putting things in his mouth, wasn't listening well, wasn't responding to time out or any other discipline or redirection, and I didn't want to risk it.

A year later, we have a tree up, but it's tethered to the wall and I made all the ornaments so they are kid proof just in case. He still messes with the tree but he's not as bad as he was last year.

sschwege · December 2013

We have our tree in the corner with the love seat and couch boxing it in. You will drive yourself and LO crazy trying to teach them something like that. My suggestion is find a way to gate it off.

meg1974 · December 2013

I put the non-breakable ornaments on the bottom of my tree this year, but yesterday I decided to move them up., so now all ornaments are on the top half of the tree. DD kept taking them off and leaving them in various places throughout the house. To me, it's easier to just remove the temptation than to be constantly staying on top of her about it. There are plenty of other things I have to stay on top of her about.

funchicken · December 2013

Last year we told DD she could touch the ornaments with one finger, but if she wanted to take one off she had to ask. She was 22 months. We did the same thing with DD1 around that age, and of course we put the breakable ones out of reach. It worked really well.

Eskimokisses13 · December 2013

We have to tell the kids to stay away a couple of times every year right after it is put up. We just started putting the nice ornaments up high and left the candy canes and the kids ornaments on the bottom. That has worked for us.

I have seen friends give their kids their own little tree to decorate and redecorate as they please (to keep them away from the actual tree). I want to do this for my kids too, but we just don't have the space for another tree right now and the ornaments for the tiny trees are way too small for DS yet. I have seen a felt tree and ornaments made out of a traffic cone on Pinterest which would be cute for real small kids.

PetuniaFeatherbottom · December 2013

That's why we have a small tree, three footer, on a sturdy table in the corner of the living room. With a newly two year old and another due next week, I'm not feeling the full blown decor. We used to have three throughout the house.

teshy1 · December 2013

I put the fragile ornaments at the top of the tree, and starting last Christmas, when DD was just shy of 2 years, we taught her not to take ornaments off the tree. She's been pretty good about following the rules. Also, we keep a couple of safe ornaments on the tree skirt she's allowed to touch/play with.

beautiflaw · December 2013

mrszee2b said:

Last year we told DD she could touch the ornaments with one finger, but if she wanted to take one off she had to ask. She was 22 months. We did the same thing with DD1 around that age, and of course we put the breakable ones out of reach. It worked really well.

this is exactly what we did last year when DD was 15 months, but we had our tree on the patio so she wasn't able to get to it without us anyway. She's just over 2 now and has learned the "one finger" rule pretty well. Can you put it in a baby gated or similarly secure area?

p.s. i don't think touching pretty christmas things is worthy of a time out. not listening to mom and dad or having a bad attitude deserves a time out, but you can't set out a bunch of sparkly new things and expect a toddler not to want to touch it. they don't have much self control at this age. you aren't going to teach your kids self control by punishing them for doing what comes natural, exploring their world. touching things is how little ones learn.

jknigh8 · December 2013

I found with DD when she was at that age, reducing her curiosity helped enormously. I refuse to put everything away, or not have something because I have kids. They have to learn that mommy and daddy deserve to have some things that are hands off.

We would take her to the tree and let her hold the ornaments, touch them ect with us there. She was not allowed to touch anything if we werent helping. she got time outs for touching on her own. She learned really quick to just ask if she wanted to touch

JMU_Bride09 · December 2013

We put the tree in the front room which is gated off. I'd prefer to have it in the living room, but it's not worth my sanity lol.

beautiflaw · December 2013

Eskimokisses13 said:

We have to tell the kids to stay away a couple of times every year right after it is put up. We just started putting the nice ornaments up high and left the candy canes and the kids ornaments on the bottom. That has worked for us. I have seen friends give their kids their own little tree to decorate and redecorate as they please (to keep them away from the actual tree). I want to do this for my kids too, but we just don't have the space for another tree right now and the ornaments for the tiny trees are way too small for DS yet. I have seen a felt tree and ornaments made out of a traffic cone on Pinterest which would be cute for real small kids.

i saw the ones on pinterest too and i think they are awesome. this year i bought a green foam board (like what you get for science fair projects and so forth) and tonight i'm going to cut it into a tree shape. tomorrow we'll do a little activity so DD can decorate "ornaments" out of construction paper and buttons and stuff and she can decorate her own tree.

FabulousMrs.P · December 2013

We kept the non-breakable ornaments at her height and lower on the christmas tree. Anything glass was on the top. The tree is right in our living room where she plays all the time. So far we have only had to correct her a few times...she mostly just looks but every now and then she decides to touch an ornament so I am glad that I put the non-breakable stuff at the bottom of the tree.

wychets · December 2013

Last year DD wanted to pull up on it, this year she said it was "pretty" but could care less about it. She is more into putting on my shoes and digging in my purse

:-??

kristennd · December 2013

PetuniaFeatherbottom said:

That's why we have a small tree, three footer, on a sturdy table in the corner of the living room. With a newly two year old and another due next week, I'm not feeling the full blown decor. We used to have three throughout the house.

This is what we've done for the last three years. And only unbreakable ornaments. I figure putting the fragile sentimental ones up top won't help if the whole thing falls over.

The cats knock down more ornaments than he does.

chenag · December 2013

Yep a week of fighting the Christmas tree battle and we have resorted to this....

kphipps002112 · December 2013

We let our two year old son "help" decorate the tree this year. Even if I didn't end up keeping the ornament in the exact spot he put it (like he put all the candy canes down low in one condensed area:) ) he seemed to really understand that this was something important to us. He does occasionally take one off now and then and I just ask him "oh where would you like to put that one?" And he usually puts it right back in the same area. As far as my sentimental ornaments, those always are slightly out of reach. We also tell him the tree is to look at and enjoy, not play with. And I let him help me turn the lights on every night. So far so good!

janinekrause · December 2013

She "helped" us decorate- carried around the non-breakable ornaments and let her 5 year old sister put them on the tree. Then we stood in front of it and said we don't touch it, it will break. We reminded her about twice that day, and it was done.

It is almost like the stove, etc with her- we just kept saying look, don't touch. We don't touch it, her sister doesn't touch it, she doesn't touch it.

Maybe just sit in front of it together and talk about it- that things can break, they could get hurt, etc. I don't think time outs are a bad idea but it isn't working here.

Could you by something special that is just his- nothing expensive but a little cloth tree, etc that he can touch?

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christmas tree- my kid can't be the only one...

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