Finding Joy: Christmas trees and kids

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Christmas trees and kids

We get a Christmas tree every year. It just wouldn't be the same without one! The first year Dan and I were married we had a fake tree, but since then it's always been real. I just love the smell and the feel of a real live tree. This year I was actually dreading getting a Christmas tree because my girls are at the age where they are interested in ornaments, they are sneaky, they are fairly independent which means I don't watch them every second of everyday and they aren't old enough to be responsible with breakable baubles. So, I decided to get them a tree of their own! It's fake, it has fiber optic lights and is generally pretty ugly, but it only cost $12, they can't take the lights off and the girls adore it! We set it up in the same room as our big Christmas tree and I gave the girls plastic and wooden ornaments that I didn't care whether they broke or not and let them decorate their own tree. We explained to them that the big tree was Mama and Daddy's tree and the little one was theirs and that they were not to touch our tree. We also explained that short of throwing their tree on the ground, they could do whatever they wanted to with it. Other than one incident where Charlotte had to sit in time out, and numerous reminders not to touch the big tree, the girls have been fantastic! They don't even go near our tree anymore. Their little tree is another story.......decorations on, decorations off, on, off, on, off......you get the picture! They have broken approximately 5 of their wooden ornaments and eaten all of the candy canes off their tree, but that's okay....it's their tree! I really didn't know how this was going to work out, and maybe it wouldn't work for other families, but it certainly is working for us and I highly recommend it! One day my kids will be old enough to appreciate the big Christmas tree and all the treasures that decorate it, but until then they'll have a fakey charlie brown tree.