Tree Barricade!

I finally got our Christmas tree up last weekend.  I like to do it right after Thanksgiving so I can enjoy it longer.  But, when I had family over the weekend before Thanksgiving to celebrate our baby girl’s birthday and then we had Thanksgiving the following weekend and then the weekend after that we had family over again to celebrate Luke’s birthday, I decided I better wait.  So it is finally up!  I think my husband could easily go the whole Christmas season without the tree up, but for me it just doesn’t’ seem like Christmas unless there is a Christmas tree!

I wanted to share the technique I have perfected in the last three years, in order to protect my “precious tree”.  I debated with myself whether to even try to put it up this year since our baby girls is climbing and into everything.  She is also stubborn; if she sees something she wants she doesn’t stop till she gets it!  You can see where a beautiful lit up Christmas tree might be a problem.

Well I decided I would try what I have done the last two years that worked with Luke, and so far….8 days and counting…the tree still stands and the kids have left it alone!

What do I do?  First I have never put the tree up with my kids around.  I figure when they are old enough to understand what is going on and are to a point where they actually do what I tell them, I will let them help me decorate the tree.  For now, I put it up and decorate it when the kids are down for naps.  Then when they get up it is just another part of the living room.  Nothing too special. 

But, the second thing I do to ensure the tree stays safe is to put up a “tree barricade”.  First I put the tree in a corner of our living room…that way two sides of the tree have a wall to protect it.  Then I have the couch on another side…which only leaves one side that needs “protection”.  So that side of the tree gets my “barricade”…barricade of toys that is.  I find the biggest toys we have and line them up in front of the tree….so when the kids go towards the tree they’ll see the toys and get distracted and forget about the tree.  So far it has worked. 

It has worked well with Luke for two years, but I wasn’t so sure about our sneaky baby girl.  But so far, so good.  Let’s hope it stays that way!