How is there not a christmas tree thread yet?

[bcblondie]

Am I the only one with a 2 yr old that pulls the decorations off the tree? Lol.

We just set it up today, so maybe with time I'd win. But last year DS would just touch gently, the same way we taught him to touch the cats. But this year he's really fighting the urge to rip everything off. Sometimes  he just says "balls" and touches them, and I praise him for it. "Yes, balls, Mommy likes it when you touch them gently" But sometimes he just rips them right off. Which is such a pain to get the prongs back in!

Do you think I should just continue with what I'm doing or is there a better/different way?

[odenata]

We just put ornaments the kids can take off the tree and play with on the bottom part of the tree.  With two year old DS, I'll probably not use any of our breakable decorations this year, so I don't have to worry about it.  I don't want to constantly police the tree, and I don't think two year olds have enough self control to resist wanting to play with shiny, fun looking ornaments.

[bcblondie]

I can understand that. Have reasonable expectations, right? You can't put a bunch of balls in front a boy and expect him not to want to play with them.

Sigh. I asked on facebook and everyone's just tellign me "time outs" "smack his hand"

Right. I'll spend the whole christmas season with a miserable child. Surely there's gotta be a better way!

Do you think it's impossible to keep him from pulling them off? Has anyone succeded?

ETA. Also. I'm annoyed how my facebook friends seem offended that I don't spank my child.

[NellieKatz]

I have a funny memory of our Christmas tree when our DS was a toddler. We had a string of small gold beads that acted as sort of a garland, wrapping around the tree. Well DS grabbed them and walked off down the hall with them clutched in his little fingers. Yup. The tree went right over, smashed a bunch of ornaments. I don't know why exactly I think it's so funny, but it kind of was. Anyway, live & learn. From that point on we only used our non-breakable ornaments until he could handle the temptation.  :-)

[bcblondie]

Lol. Did you think it was funny at the time? I'd be mad but when I'm old and grey I'd probably think it was the best of times.

What age was that, when he could resist?

[kawa kamuri]

We put our tiny little tree up tonight. Tonight I caught my 13mo with a tiny little ornament in her mouth 

Gonna be a long month! 

[pianojazzgirl]

Last year my ds was 2 at Christmas time when we had our tree up.  I was surprised how good he was about it.  I did a lot of repetition and redirection, that's for sure.  And nothing breakable!  We didn't have too much on the bottom branches either, come to think of it.

[bcblondie]

By the end of dec theres nothing on our bottom branches either, due to very persistent little kitties. Lol. I was just hoping there was a way to keep the decorations through out the tree all month long, without breaking my child's spirit. lol. Doesn't seem to be much of a happy medium, does there? Unless they're naturally uninterested in the tree...

[2lilsweetfoxes]

We have a 2-pronged approach.  Absolutely nothing breakable--so mostly lights, bows, craft projects, and small toys which the kids are allowed to handle.  And, under the tree, the presents do not make their appearance until we are about to open them.  Instead, we have some toys they already own and can play with.  Makes picking up the living room easy...just toss the toys back under the tree.

[bcblondie]

Ohhh crap that's another thign I forgot to mention. DS saw us changing out some dead bulbs... So now he's pulling bulbs out of the sockets. What do I do about THAT?!

[Minxie]

I put non-breakable ornaments on the lower branches and taught DS how to take them off and put them on himself. We designated a cutoff line and put up a border ornament that started the "No Touch Zone" about halfway up the tree.

[bcblondie]

Strange update. Today DS touched all the balls, And I didn't make a big deal of it. He lost interest in the tree pretty quick, and barely pulled anything off today. :)

[NellieKatz]

Originally Posted by bcblondie 

Lol. Did you think it was funny at the time? I'd be mad but when I'm old and grey I'd probably think it was the best of times.

What age was that, when he could resist?

I'm sorry, I don't remember dates and ages. It's all a blur. But yes, on the one hand I was saddened by the loss of some of the ornaments, but walking off down the hall with the tree in tow.....that's comedy.

[bcblondie]

Yeah that's Americas Funniest Home Videos material. :)

[belltree]

My 13 month old picks the lowest branches clean. And honestly I don't really mind. He is fascinated with having a tree with lights in the house (and signs tree lights every time he passes it), but the little ornaments I put up are all ok to be handled by a one year old. Time will come when the pretty glass ornaments can come out again, but I just don't want to have my favorite ornaments broken, when he doesn't really understand what he is doing. And who could resist touching and grabbing something as pretty as a sparkling red christmas ball?

[bcblondie]

Belltree. I totally agree. I've changed my expectations entirely. He's freaking 2 years old. He loves the tree. It's too much of a temptation for him to resist, and I don't want to ruin the season and his experiences with it by punishing him or trying to keep him from touching it. We're both much happier this way. My tree is missing the bottom 2 feet of ornaments but that's ok! Really! lol.

[MovnMama]

Originally Posted by bcblondie 

Strange update. Today DS touched all the balls, And I didn't make a big deal of it. He lost interest in the tree pretty quick, and barely pulled anything off today. :)

This actually make a lot of sense to me. Last year, it was all touchable stuff on the lower branches, like people have said. But also, sometimes praise doesn't go as far as you think for certain behavior issues, IMO. Just not making a big deal has worked for us pretty well. We aren't touching the tree all the time, so why should he? It becomes a modeling issue, seems to me.

Also, FYI, we love the bell ornaments, instead of the glass balls. This year DS could put them on himself, and we purposefully left the lower branches open for him.

And, funny story, there were two Nutcracker ornaments that are made of wood and safe for DS. Well, he decorated the tree and he put the two "mans" together, so they would be together on the tree, right? Like friends? Makes sense to me. But, of course there's this unwritten tree-ornament-rule that says no like ornaments together. So DH comes home that night after work and sets about fixing DS's job - I stopped him from moving anything but the "mans" whom he separated. And what do you think happened?

DS noticed right away the next day and was all, "why are the mans not together?" and moved them back together. DH didn't believe he would care, but I had told him!
 

[mamaofthree]

here are some things i have done in the past when my kids were really little...1.) only put up stuff you don't mind them messing with (nothing glass too much of a mess to clean up) we would do popcorn strings, and make things to hang on the tree ie snowflakes, cookies, hand prints etc. 2.) i wouldn't put up a tree at all, we made a HUGE tree from paper and put it on the wall and the kids all made stuff to tape on the wall/paper tree, and then any of the things we loved to look at (i have a santa thing i love santas) those went on the mantle/bookshelf so we could still see them but they would be safe. plus we put up lights and garland and all that jazz all around the house so even though there was no tree we still got that holiday feel and the kids had a great time. now that everyone is getting big (16,12,9,6,3) we just put up the tree and everyone hangs stuff up. no biggy. but it was so worth doing the other things when the kids were smaller because then everyone had a great time and i wasn't stressing about the tree. 

h

[bcblondie]

Originally Posted by MovnMama 

Originally Posted by bcblondie 

Strange update. Today DS touched all the balls, And I didn't make a big deal of it. He lost interest in the tree pretty quick, and barely pulled anything off today. :)

This actually make a lot of sense to me. Last year, it was all touchable stuff on the lower branches, like people have said. But also, sometimes praise doesn't go as far as you think for certain behavior issues, IMO. Just not making a big deal has worked for us pretty well. We aren't touching the tree all the time, so why should he? It becomes a modeling issue, seems to me.

Also, FYI, we love the bell ornaments, instead of the glass balls. This year DS could put them on himself, and we purposefully left the lower branches open for him.

And, funny story, there were two Nutcracker ornaments that are made of wood and safe for DS. Well, he decorated the tree and he put the two "mans" together, so they would be together on the tree, right? Like friends? Makes sense to me. But, of course there's this unwritten tree-ornament-rule that says no like ornaments together. So DH comes home that night after work and sets about fixing DS's job - I stopped him from moving anything but the "mans" whom he separated. And what do you think happened?

DS noticed right away the next day and was all, "why are the mans not together?" and moved them back together. DH didn't believe he would care, but I had told him!
 

LOL that's hilarious about teh 2 mans. And so true that it's an unwritten rule. I realized several times while setting up the tree that 2 of the same where  next to eachother and you just have to change it. Have to.

Originally Posted by mamaofthree 

here are some things i have done in the past when my kids were really little...1.) only put up stuff you don't mind them messing with (nothing glass too much of a mess to clean up) we would do popcorn strings, and make things to hang on the tree ie snowflakes, cookies, hand prints etc. 2.) i wouldn't put up a tree at all, we made a HUGE tree from paper and put it on the wall and the kids all made stuff to tape on the wall/paper tree, and then any of the things we loved to look at (i have a santa thing i love santas) those went on the mantle/bookshelf so we could still see them but they would be safe. plus we put up lights and garland and all that jazz all around the house so even though there was no tree we still got that holiday feel and the kids had a great time. now that everyone is getting big (16,12,9,6,3) we just put up the tree and everyone hangs stuff up. no biggy. but it was so worth doing the other things when the kids were smaller because then everyone had a great time and i wasn't stressing about the tree. 

h

Good tips :)

[Xenopus]

Originally Posted by 2lilsweetfoxes 

We have a 2-pronged approach.  Absolutely nothing breakable--so mostly lights, bows, craft projects, and small toys which the kids are allowed to handle.  And, under the tree, the presents do not make their appearance until we are about to open them.  Instead, we have some toys they already own and can play with.  Makes picking up the living room easy...just toss the toys back under the tree.

Yes, that exactly. 

We have craft projects all over the tree that the kids made (DS = 2.5 and DD = 4.5) and of course they want to touch them.  Paper, salt dough, pine cones, and so on.  And a cloth ribbon for a garland.  We just encourage them to "touch with one finger" and not to pull.  After 7-10 days the newness of having the tree up, they are sort of used to it and the tree-molestation has tapered off a bit.

Now, if I could just keep DS out from behind the tree, trying to play with the power strip!  "I turn the christmas lights on!" "Thanks honey..." lol