Lights, decorations, and plenty of good food! Are you ready for enjoying Christmas with your toddler? Christmas with a small child is hugely exciting with all the celebrations and winter activities.
Yet the dream of a white Christmas can sometimes become a nightmare when we aren’t prepared. However, with a little forward-thinking, you won’t have to save a beautiful tree from a little child’s path of destruction!
Follow my 5 tips for a toddler-friendly Christmas.
#1 Get a synthetic tree
As soon as a natural Christmas tree starts drying, it becomes a mess of needles all over the living room. Now add to this a child that grabs onto anything in its path… and you get an even bigger mess!
In addition, the synthetic option can be more ecological and a good long-term investment. Choose a non-toxic Christmas tree as some can contain lead.
#2 Decorating the tree safely
Glass ornaments, garlands, electric lights, metal hooks, and tinsel are all potential hazards. Keep anything fragile or easy to grab onto out of reach of these little hands.
A good idea for garlands is to hang them vertically, so should they be grabbed, they come off on their own, rather than bringing the tree crashing with them.
Most ornaments come with metal hooks that can be swallowed or prick fingers. To make sure there’s no drama because of them, simply use small pieces of ribbon to attach decorations to your tree.
Finally, tinsel represents a choking hazard. Don’t let your child grab or play with them so you can focus on enjoying Christmas with your toddler rather than worrying they might swallow tinsel bits.
#3 Get your toddler their own tree
Kids love having their own mini version of anything! With their own mini tree, they get to decorate it and play with it, while leaving the real tree intact. There are several options possible, like getting a toy or plush Christmas tree, another mini synthetic tree, or even making one with a craft project.
For that, a great idea is a flat Christmas tree made of felt. Simply cut out the desired shape from a green piece of felt, then add colorful pieces for the ornaments. To keep it simple, just glue them on. For something more elaborate, use pieces of velcro, so your toddler can play decorating the tree over and over again.
#4 Adapt their nap routine
With all the social occasions and family gatherings, it’s easy to skip a nap in order to save time. Yet, that’s probably the biggest mistake you can make when trying to enjoy Christmas with your toddler.
Rather, make nap time a priority even if it means changing the schedule a little. A cranky child is a lot less fun and a lot more trouble. If he’s well rested, he can have more fun and create less mischief.
#5 Warn your relatives
Family gatherings in homes that don’t have toddlers around can present plenty of opportunities for incidents. So you may enjoy the party without worrying, ask your host to make a few adjustments ahead of the event. For example by removing anything fragile from the ground or within your child’s reach, and that the Christmas tree is placed in a corner or out of the way.
Worried about fussy eating at Christmas dinner? Check out my previous article, Fussy eaters? 4 ways to reduce food waste with kids.
May you have wonderful holidays and spend your time enjoying Christmas with your toddler!
Until next time, Tania xx