Toddler + Christmas tree = bare branches

Merry Christmas everyone!

This is William’s second Christmas and we are following the same rule with regard to our Christmas tree as last year – William can take up to three things off the tree at any one time, more than three and we start to put them back on the branches.  We decided last year it would be almost impossible to keep William away from the tree and we would spend the whole Christmas re-directing him / telling him ‘no’ if we were to try.  This solution seemed the best bet for us and more in keeping with the spirit of Christmas than constantly telling the boy off.

So far we have met with success for both years.  We decorated the tree in the evening after William had gone to bed and recorded his reaction as he came down the stairs in the morning.  Last year I think you could actually hear his jaw drop when he saw the tree, followed by an almost dangerously speedy bum shuffle down the stairs as quick as he could carry himself.   We stuck to the three decorations off / back on rule and it worked like a charm.

This year William clocked onto us putting the decorations back on the tree and, in his helpful way, decided to assist us.  So now our tree looks a lot different from that first morning after we had lovingly spent the evening placing baubles in just the right place – now our tree had all the toddler height baubles removed and thrown back into the tree, gathering in little piles near the trunk until there are too many and they fall to the floor beneath.  They have been joined so far by a plastic pig and dog, a wooded toy and a metal car!  I think next year William will be old enough to help us with the decorating – he certainly seems to be getting the hang of it this year!

Do you have any funny toddler / tree stories to share?