[RandomReality]

Okay my more experienced mommy friends. Here is a question. How the heck do I put up a Christmas tree with a Grabby Toddler in the house? His idea of fun is touching things that shouldn't be touched, banging things and pulling things. I really want to get a tree this year because he will love the lights. But how do I keep him away? I live in an apartment so we are tight for space.

And trust me, saying, "No no. Don't touch that" will NOT work. The tempation will be too great. But I don't want to rush him to the ER after he ate a Christmas ornament either.

[DianeS]

There's a few things that would help.

One is to put up a barrier between the child and the tree. Some people use those playyards - buy enough panels to completely surround the tree (and the presents).

Some people use a smaller tree and special ornaments the first couple years. One that's short and lightweight, and all the ornaments are child-safe and tied on firmly. So if the child pulls it over, it's no big deal, just set it back up.

My choice is to have a regular sized tree, but tie a cord from the trunk to the ceiling. That way the tree can't tip over. And I use only child-friendly (and animal-friendly) ornaments. Big gauzy or ribbon bows, natural pinecones, candy canes still in the wrapper, large jingle bells, stuff like that. And I wrap the lights deeper in the tree than normal - you can still see them, but the child can't pull any long lengths loose that might be dangerous.

There haven't been any glass ornaments or sharp-pointed stars in my house for years. I do kind of miss them, but I'll get them again someday. In the meantime tying the tree keeps it upright, wrapping the lights deeper keeps the child from wrapping them around himself, using only safe ornaments means its no disaster if he plucks one off and carries it around or drops it, and including the jingle bells means I can hear he's in the tree no matter where I am in the house. It works pretty well for us.

Hopefully you'll hear lots of ideas and find one that works really well for you.

[gigisam]

Smaller tree on top of a table or regular tree w/no breakable ornaments.

[Luke+Dawn]

We bought one of those 4 foot (I think it's 4 foot) fiber optic trees last year. We have a small house so that seemed to work just fine.

I bought a lot of Disney plastic ornaments a couple of years ago. We add those, bows and ribbons. No candy canes...it's too tempting to grab them. My special ornaments remain in their boxes until the kids are a little older. They each have their own special ornament.

I got rid of some clutter this year so we may consider putting a bigger tree up this year. But, I am doing the same thing with the ornaments. My two kids are touchy and love to get into everything.

[madfostermomma]

We've always had a tree and a real one at that but we've tied them and put on the unbreakable ornaments - of I have any I absoultely want on tree that are special they go very high up. I did make the mistake of using candy canes with my first fd - she had some sticky fun but survived.

[bajj]

With my first child, I put the tree on top of a small table. We have a bigger tree now, so that doesn't work. When my youngest was smaller I was afraid of the same thing and he did touch and pull off some ornaments, but nothing major and he didn't pull the tree down! I tried making a barrier, but he's a climber so that didn't work.