Babies, toddlers & Christmas trees: A guide for safely putting one up without the tree coming down

November 29, 8:13 PMEarly Childhood Parenting ExaminerAngele Sionna

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  It's hard to resist all the shiny objects on the tree.

"Put the ornament back right now!"

I've said that phrase about two dozen (or more) times tonight, after we put up our Christmas tree this afternoon. It's hard to resist the shiny objects dangling there within the reach of babies and toddlers. But this is my third Christmas  in this situation and I've smartened up. Here's a how-to guide to putting up a Christmas tree without adding holiday stress.

First and foremost, no matter the age of your children, put only non-breakable ornaments that are one solid piece (ie, not choking hazards) within their reach. You can find lots of pretty plastic balls that fit the bill (like the one in the photo, right). Large jingle bells (like in the photo, left) also work at low tree levels, just make sure the little ball of metal that makes it jingle can't come out.

If you have a crawling baby or a baby who's just learned to walk, it might be best to put the tree behind a baby fence (like the last one in THIS story). This will help ease your mind that baby won't try to climb the tree.

Another option, use a smaller tree this year on top of a coffee table in the corner of the room. That makes it harder for little hands to reach.

As great as natural trees are, skip them with a baby or toddler in the house. For starters, they're heavier, so if they fall over there's more potential for kids to get hurt. Also, little ones will try to eat the pine needles that fall off, which is a no-no. Get a simple artificial tree, the lighter the better.

If you have grabby little ones, you can use thin, clear fishing wire to anchor the tree to at least two points on the wall. Just wrap the line around the trunk on the top half of the tree and tie each end to a screw at the same height in the wall.