I suffer from an affliction this time of year. I know I am not the only one: Christmas Tree OCD.
Before the kids, the tree was always themed. Silver and blue one year. Red and gold another. I spent a great deal of time ensuring that the baubles were spaced evenly. That the gaps were filled. If the Christmas tree lights had a section that didn’t work, I would painstaking test each bulb. Tinsel of different lengths and density belonged in different sections. There was a specific order in which the decorations were to be hung.
My husband would want to help and he was quickly he waved away. When he was given a box of old decorations by his mum (after they down-sized their tree), he looked through them with fond nostalgia. Oh, I remember this wooden horse, he said with a smile and started to put it on the tree. It’s not silver or blue, I pointed out. Why does our tree have to look like a department store prop? he asked, Why can’t it be fun and colourful? Why can’t it be full of memories? How could I argue with that? So the little horse went on the tree. Around the back. Where no-one could see him. Oh dear. My poor husband did marry a bit of a bitch didn’t he?
Since the kids I have had to relax my Christmas Tree OCD. But grudgingly.
Here are seven things that Christmas Tree OCD sufferers with children will understand:
- Finding it unbearable that there is a completely cluttered branch at exactly your child’s eye level. And bare space for miles above it.
- Waiting until everyone else is in bed to rearrange the tree.
- Battling with wanting to place certain decorations within toddler grasp for balance reasons but knowing it will spell disaster.
- Compulsively pinning pretty trees on Pinterest as a form of replacement therapy.
- Helping your child with their handmade ornament and suggesting certain themed colours in a vain attempt to preserve Christmas tree consistency.
- Looking at Facebook memes involving trees wrapped in cling-film and protected by play pens and thinking that looks like an awesome idea rather than appreciating the joke.
- Encouraging your child to have their own tree in their own room so that you can have the pretty one to yourself.
Ha ha I have a small tree I let the kids go nuts on but I have let them decorate the big ones this year.. I just made a few minor adjustments once they were bored of it!
I am queen of the surreptitious adjustment 🙂
Oh my! It’s scary how much I can relate to this post!!! Once my kids hit high school they became very disinterested in decorating the tree and I now have full reign again – bliss!
Even though we have downsized this year (as the kids will be travelling for much of December and January), I still have a colour theme and everything must be ‘just so’.
It’s so nice to know that I’m not the only one!
There are many of us, I know it 😉
Thanks for linking lovelies!
It’s always a pleasure to be amongst such nice company!
OMG yes!!!! but then I am pretty much OCD about EVERYTHING 🙂 xx
Nothing wrong with a little OCD I say!
You just need to get a second tree!! You own OCD tree in all it’s glory front and centre…. and the kids “joy-filled” tree over in the corner of the toy room 😉
I think I finally gave in this year – the tree is not balanced, has every decoration known to man and it just looks kind of cosy.
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