Christmas is such an exciting time when you have a toddler in the house. There's nothing more magical than seeing your child literally light up at the mere mention of Santa Claus and watching the excitement and awe in their eyes as the decorations are set out. It can also be a bit of a nerve wracking time because while children love to look at all the decorations and knickknacks, they also like to touch everything too. That can be especially scary when it comes to the family Christmas tree. Children can be curious around the holidays, but there are ways you can child proof your tree to ensure your holiday is happy and safe.

Many people choose to forego the Christmas tree altogether when their children are small just to eliminate all temptation, but if that's not something you want to do, you can opt for a smaller tree that you can place higher up on an elevated surface. You have to ensure your tree is placed high enough that your toddler can't grab a string of lights or a low hanging ornament and pull the tree down. Check all decorations and lights and make sure everything is out of reach. You may also want to enlist the help of a baby gate or baby enclosure to section off the area of the tree.

You should also replace all those beautiful glass ornaments with more child friendly, shatterproof ones, DisneyBaby suggests. It doesn't mean you have to put those ornaments away forever, just until your little one gets old enough that they aren't constantly reaching for the pretty, shiny ornaments anymore. Glass ornaments can shatter in to a million pieces if dropped so it's safer to put them away for the time being.

You'll also want to ensure your tree is secure in the tree stand. Whether you have a real tree or an artificial tree, you don't want it tumbling over if little hands decide to pull on it. You can use a hook or a nail and some fishing line or twine to secure it to the wall as well so even if little hands give it a tug it will stay where it's supposed to be. You may also want to take the mystery away and let your child touch a few of the ornaments.

Essential Baby suggests taking an ornament or two off the tree and allowing your child to gently touch them before placing it back on the tree. Children are naturally drawn to things they can't touch, so by allowing them to look and touch while supervised may eliminate some of that curiosity.

Another tip is to place some loud decorations, such as a string of jingle bells near the bottom of the tree. You may not be able to avoid your little one touching the tree but the bells will let you know if they're close by so you can ensure to get to them before they can get hurt or pull all the lights off your tree!

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and it's important to keep it that way by making it as safe as possible for everyone. Even if you decide to lose the tree for a few years, children will still enjoy the holidays and all the other decorations. It's only a few short years before you can bring your tree back and it may make the holidays less stressful for everyone if you're worried about it.

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