Safeproofing the house for xmas for a busy 1 year old

galwaydude

what do people do with a small child for the holidays. Our little one is 13 months and close to walking. She is into everything right now. When the tree goes up should we just get a guard or something to put around the tree or just watch her like a hawk incase the whole thing comes crashing done on her. Her lastest craze is climbing, be it the fridge, very funny to watch.

beaushalloe

an idea for the tree if possible is to situate it close to a window where you can tie the top of the tree descreetly to the curtain rail. (works for cats!) and be prepared for baubles everywhere!

metrovelvet

Put a baby gate around it or stick it in the playpen. Dont forget to block outlets.

dools

I love doing the tree and the decorations but we've decided not to put the tree up this year. LO is 16 months and into everything too. Just decided it's not worth the stress of having to constantly keep an eye that she's not pulling at it or trying to climb up it. She would also just be whingeing non stop and getting upset trying to get her little hands on it and play with all the baubles and lights which is'nt fair on her (not fair on my ears either :-) )

Plus, we are going to be off work for the best part of a week and a half so she has to have full freedom of the house and not be constantly kept out of the sitting room.

Will put up balloons (how chav-tastic) as she loves them and she can play to her heart's content with them. Will also get her a Christmas helium balloon as she is mad for them

One year won't kill us.

Ludo

We are also debating whether it is worth the hassle of a christmas tree this year. With 2 14 month olds who are climbing and pulling at EVERYTHING, it will be a right pain in the ass to have to watch them over the christmas holidays. But they would probably get a kick out out of it so we may yet do it although I hadn't thought about how upset they may get at not being able to reach it as you mentioned because we would probably have to put it in a playpen to keep them away from it.

Decisions...decisions!

noby

As was mentioned earlier, tie it off at the top, and have a very solid base so there's no danger of it tipping over. After that hang some baubles down low intentionally, and decorate the rest as normal. Your child will play with/pull off the low down ones. I would say it's very hard to attempt to climb a Christmas tree.
Our third child will be one by the time Christmas comes round, and we've managed so far.
The thought of not putting up a tree because of a child just seems alien to me.

shrapnel222

we got a really nice fake one this year as our one yeal old would eat all the fallen needles if it were a real one. with the base it has, there is no way he's toppling it and we've only put plastic or non glass baubles at the bottom so he can't break anything.

Ludo

shrapnel222 wrote: »

with the base it has, there is no way he's toppling it

Sounds like famous last words to me

lostinnappies

Have two hyperactive boyz and never really had a problem with christmas tree climbing .... but then again i never really left them alone in the room that had the tree, was worried about drul and electric lights lol.

Nevyn

We had a year wtih out a tree when out our youngest was 18months, she just wan't old enough to undersand not to go near it.

Oryx

We have a huge tree (inherited from mammy in law) and we let the kids decorate the lower half, and then little one takes off all the baubles she can reach anyway. Once theyre gone, we just dont put them on again, and the novelty of playing with the tree wears off if you dont pay much notice and just let em get it out of their system. Avoid any baubles/decor with glitter, it gets everywhere. Babies put them in their mouths and probably eat most of the glitter too.

Be careful where you put wrapped gifts too. Ours think anything wrapped belongs to them. Let them undo one, and its a free for all.:D

shrapnel222

Ludo wrote: »

Sounds like famous last words to me

you're probably right lol. to be fair i just can't see it happening. he can grab the bottom row of branches but won't get any leverage to tip it over, and we have wooden floors so it would slide before it tipped. The trees already up actually, and he's really not been at all interested yet. long may it continue:D

deisemum

I cannot image christmas without a tree

In my 13 years as a mum and 8 + years childminding I've always had a christmas tree, some years I've had a 2nd tree in the playroom and I've never had a child attempt to climb up on the tree.

The most they've ever done is touch the lower decorations and only very rarely have they even bothered to take a decoration off the tree and I normally have chocolate decorations and sometimes candy cane on the tree as well.

Instead they loved sitting watching the flashing lights.

I've had more trouble from my girlie cat who loves sparkly things

What would ye do if ye have more children, would ye deprive the older children of a christmas tree until the youngest is a few years old?

Ah put your trees up and let them enjoy them. It's a limited period before the magic of christmas is gone so let them be excited about it.

lolly22

I agree, I couldnt imagine house without a christmas tree at christmas, my little girl's just learned how to crawl this month and unfortunetly has an obsession with going for wires and plugs anywhere, but its not stopping me from putting a tree up just wont have any lights on it.if there was any other decorations id just put them out of her reach.

Thats it really, i want pic's with her beside tree on her first christmas

gerrycollins

put up the tree and block off as much access as you can we are lucky enough to be able to block ours with the sofa in a bay window but like that let them have some access and they will bore of it quickly.

galwaydude

Some great idea's. Will be putting up the tree next week. Thanks again for the advice.

the glass woman

We'll be putting a big real tree in the sitting room, but also a smaller artificial one in the kitchen area that my 15 month will help decorate with all of the soft santas and bells etc i bought and made especially for him which he is free to put on and pull off as often as he wishes. I think thats a fair compromise!

galwaydude

We looked everywhere for a safety rail but only available online. In the end we put the tree in our bedroom, we have a small 2 bedroom apartment so didnt look out of place. She was actually very good, only removed the decorations she liked and played with them so happy days. Next year will be fun. Thanks to everyone that replyed and hope ye had a great christmas and a happy new years.