Ok you guys, what am I going to do about the Christmas Tree, how do I keep him safe and away from the tree? What did you do?

Today I walked into the dining room and found Matthew sitting in the middle of table and although he was not yet swinging from the chandelier, the chandelier was swinging.

Heidi and Deanna, you two are only a few months behind us, see what you have to look forward to!

By Debbie on Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - 04:21 pm:

I put up a tree when both my dks were toddlers. I just made sure that there were no breakable ornaments down low where they could reach. My youngest was into everything and very busy when he was a toddler. But, for some reason, he never really messed with the tree. I would put up a tree, just make sure there are no breakable ornaments that he can reach.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - 05:27 pm:

I did what Debbie did, although neither one of my kids really bothered the tree.

By Kaye on Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - 05:40 pm:

Another thing I did, I bought some fake boxes (not wrapped with paper, but decorated) and put them under the tree, it kept them a little bit away from the tree. I also hung very few ornaments down low and kept my lights off the lower couple of branches. Really my kids did pretty good. It is my cat that always causes issues here, she loves to sit as far up in the tree that she can (I thought declawed would slow her down!)

By Vicki on Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - 09:27 pm:

I never had any problems with dd leaving the tree alone. But I have seem some people put them in play pens. LOL Looks funny as heck, but it keeps the kiddos away from them!!

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 02:51 pm:

Heaventree...you're so right! We're putting up our tree as usual, putting breakable ornaments up a little higher, and I'm not really too worried about it. Natalie really listens well and I don't think we'll have too many problems. I think it will be just a matter of getting used to it. Good luck!!

By Karefl on Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 06:39 pm:

I did what everyone else has suggested. No breakables at the bottom. Three kids & no real problems. Now the TRAIN under the tree THAT was a different story! LOL It had to be parked at the back of the tree when not in use & watched closely when big brothers were using it.

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 09:30 pm:

We're not putting the train under one of our trees this year either.

By Imamommyx4 on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 01:20 am:

Dd was never a problem with the trees. But the cat was another story. They thought it was their gift. Imagine they thought something like "those humans must really love us. Brought a tree indoors because it is so cold outside. And hung all those fun toys to play with."

The cats are gone to kitty heaven but we have a puppy that thinks the world is his playground. Not sure what will happen with this tree thing.

By Reds9298 on Saturday, November 26, 2005 - 07:33 am:

We put ours up yesterday,and have been to two families houses with trees us. She could care less! Really surprised me!! We even tried to involve her in putting ours up...very little interest in the whole thing. Go figure!

By Kay on Saturday, November 26, 2005 - 07:46 pm:

We usually had no problems with the tree....okay, there was that one Christmas when our middle child was 6 months old, and her older brother was 21 months old. Cathy was lying on the floor near the tree and I was kneeling beside her - Bobby somehow got something to climb onto, leaned into the tree and made it fall onto me! I liked to retell it to Cathy, telling her how I rolled her to safety, sparing her life! LOL Bobby was fine, Cathy was fine, and after I calmed down we all had a good laugh - okay, it's a LOT funnier now, almost 20 years later.

By Feonad on Sunday, November 27, 2005 - 08:36 am:

My son knocked over the tree twice. Three year old and four year old. So no breakables.

By Trina~moderator on Sunday, November 27, 2005 - 09:54 am:

DS never bothered with the tree but DD loved to take off the ornaments, play with them and then re-arrange them on the tree. Definitely kid-friendly ornaments! LOL!

By Mommybug77 on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 - 10:27 am:

We did not have a big tree until last year. My girls are 4 & 6 now. I used a table top tree before that. Have you tried a gate into the room the tree is in? That way he can be there if you are, but not get into the room on his own?

By Rayanne on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - 07:26 pm:

Rylee is a very curious little girl. I bought her ten Care Bear ornaments to hang on the tree, but she keeps taking them off and hiding them. My tree is only half way decorated. The lights are all the way down to the bottom, but all of my ornaments are on the top half of the tree out of reach of curious little hands.

By Tonya on Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - 12:32 pm:

Jade is only 1 month older than Matthew and she won't touch the tree. She sits and just stares at it and tells us all about the pretty lights and just awes over it. Not the table thing I have been through too. It too shall pass. Good luck and happy holidays!!!