Last year my son was only 6 weeks old, so I didn't have this worry. Now he's going to be 1 and he's walking. I have also adopted a new cat and I'm told she likes to try to climb the tree.....
How can I protect my tree from falling to the ground and breaking all my precious ornaments?
Please! Advice is needed!
Over the summer we bought a superyard gate from Babies R Us. It is a long gate that bends into a few different shapes. We are going to put that around our tree this year.
Also, when I hang the bulbs, I pinch the hook around the branch so our cats can't just knock them down.
If you have a real tree (or even a fake one), I think your biggest concern should be that the tree could fall on your child. Watch him very closely. Very Closely. He will grab even if you are standing right there. We lost a lot of orniments when my son was one. The shiney ones in particular. I would put glass ones at the top, one-year olds still put stuff in their mouths... you know? You do not want him knawing on glass. I also told my son the tree was "hot" and that kept him away *most* of the time.
As for your cat, even if the tree is fake any cat will want to play around with anything shiney on the tree. If a baby gate won't keep your cat out of that room, you should think about putting your cat in the basement for a few weeks? I know that sounds mean, but your child comes first, right?
I am in the same boat this year. My son is 15 months. I actually considered putting the tree up inside the pack and play, but I think that will make him more curious. So I am putting all wood or plastic child safe ornaments on the tree this year (try Cost Plus World Market for some really cute wooden ones). I am also putting the tree up in front of the window and anchoring it to the window frame. Just some strong twine around the top and hook should do it, I hope. Good Luck!!
I am having the same issue this year. My daughter will be 16 months at Christmas and I my second daughter will be four months. We also have a cat and a second, younger cat that just wandered into our lives. I don't need any of them in the tree! I love Christmas but for my own sanity, I was not even going to put up a tree until my husband suggested we get a 3 or 4 foot artificial tree and put it on top of our entertainment center; it is about 4.5 feet tall. The girls will still get to see all the twinkling lights but it and the cords (which will go behind the center) will be well out of their reach. My neighbor suggested I put other types of decorations around the house that would be okay for them to play with like Santa bears so that they learn that there are things they can touch and things that are only for mom and dad.
Oh man I went through this with two cats at our last house. We would buy a tree and they would knock it over as soon as we put it back up. I cried and cried it was horrible. But the way we fixed that was to get a fake tree. Cats are drawn to the smell of a real tree, try a fake one and hopefully all they do is go underneath it to sleep.
In regards to your now walking child. Not much you can do. Put the ornaments on the top half of the tree and pray, lol. You can put a gate around it, have seen it in magazines, but I guess then you don't teach your child anything that way. Believe me one year my son took ornaments and lobed them into the kitchen and I lost a lot of glass bulbs, ugh!
Good Luck!
J. in Macomb, MI
