Christmas Trees and Crawlers?!?

Question

I know its a bit early for Christmas, but I've just been wondering. Any thoughts about how to cope with an inquisitive 1 year old crawler/cruiser who grabs and pulls on anything that he can reach and a Christmas tree?

I know it will be a nightmare having a tree on the floor as my son will be grabbing and pulling it and might even pull it over (he's so strong!).

Would it be better to have a smaller tree that we could put up on a table out of his reach? How did others cope with a grabby baby and a Christmas tree?

Answer 1

When my kids were that little, we just had a little tree that we put up on the table or TV unit.
I knew someone that had a large tree but put inside a play pen. That way baby couldnt get to it. That's a nifty idea.

Christmas trees are just to exciting and enticing for little ones, with all that tinsel and baubles and exciting lights. Pretty hard to keep a little one away when its so super colourful and shiny.

My girls are nearly 7 and nearly 5, and still at least once a day will pull the whole tree over, its either them or the cats :-)
And so every night it has to be redecorated because
a) it fell over and b) they and the cats play with all the decorations and try to redecorate it themselves (that's how it falls)

So definately with a crawler I'd suggest a little tree that can be put up safely or if you have a play pen stick the tree in the play pen and that way little one is safe and so is the tree.

Good Luck

Answer 2

We had a smaller tree and sat it on the coffee table with only the top 2 thirds decorated. Made for a weird looking tree but at least our children couldn't pull all the decorations off and chew them!

The other suggestion I have heard is if you have a play-pen or something similar then put that around the tree to stop inquisitive fingers poking at the presents or pulling stuff off the tree.

Good luck and did you know its only 53 days to go!!! YIkes, I better go shopping!

Answer 3

My daughter's first Christmas she was 8 months, belly crawling, and pulling up on furniture.

We have an artificial tree so we put a hook in the wall behind it and use some twine to tie around the center pole (if a fresh cut tree, the trunk) about midway or 3 feet up the 6 foot tree and attached it to the hook on the wall.

For ornaments, we had baby safe stuff on the lower third of the tree... like plush snowmen and long thick pieces of ribbon and didn't use any lights or hooks on the lower third.

Answer 4

You need to secure the Christmas tree to the wall or ceiling, It is easy to do with eye hooks and rope,. Then to hide the rope simply wrap it in greenery. As for reaching the bottom branches. Wrap some empty boxes and place around the tree. This will prevent him from getting to close. Your question brought a smile to my face. My nephew and nieces along with my sister were spending the night at my house. My nephew was 4 at the time. The apartment that we lived in was old and the floors were not even so I put a deck of cards underneath the christmas tree stand. We were all in bed when my sister and I heard a loud boom. We rush to the living room and the tree is lying on the floor with my nephew underneath it. We got the tree up. And asked him what happened. He said he wanted to help clean up so he was picking up the cards. Thank God he wasn't hurt and he was laughing the whole time. The next morning I did what I recommended to you. No problems after that

Answer 5

i had to put my tree in the corner of the room and then baby gate it off the first year . last year i ended up putting it in the dinning room then baby gating the dinning room off from where my kids could get it. my kids were 1 and a new born and then last year 2 and 1 i know how hard it can be this year is going to be worse I'll have a 3, 2 and a newborn LOL. talk about being out numbered.

Answer 6

Put the tree in the hallway or dining room, somewhere where he want be crawling and somewhere that isn't used often as is seen as a 'good room'. Also you could put it behind the sofa, in a corner. DON'T use a real tree as the pines would be dangerous and be careful what decorations you put on it. Hope Santa comes to the baby!

Answer 7

there isn't really a way to do it....(that's half the fun of it,) in our house the three dogs and both kids used to all be at the tree from the moment we put it up. there used to be chocolate father Christmas wrappers every where. and then when our pet rook got wind of it he used to join in!! and he'd often sit up in that tree for days!! only coming down for food. all our friends used to have these perfect!! trees with lovely borbels and tinsel. we always ended up with a dog eared thing with a rook at the top of the tree instead of a fairy. we always thought that it was a bit unrealistic to place a big shiny colour filled tree with wondrous magical flashing lights RIGHT! in the living room, and not expect the kids to want to touch. just make sure you get child safe lights. after a couple of days itle die down a bit. (exept for the chocolate decs that is)

Answer 8

I had a fibre optic tree when my children were little I put it up on a table. The joy of it was there was nothing hanging on it for the little ones to pull at but it still looked lovely and I was safe in th knowledge that they wouldn't come to any harm with it.

Answer 9

My parents did different things. One year they put the Christmas tree in the play pen. That way we could still look, but not touch. Then another year, they bolted it down to the floor. This is not really an option for everyone, but it is what they did. Good luck.

Answer 10

Last year I put a fence around my tree. It was good, because they could stand there and watch, but not touch.
We used to watch them standing there trying to get to my tree, but they couldn't and after a week they got bored.
Just don't put the presents underneath until the night before. I come home one day to find my man re-wrapping half the presents!! :)