You know you have a toddler when…The Christmas Edition

It is nearly Christmas! A week today Leo will be putting a mince pie out for Santa and a carrot for Rudolf and going straight to sleep while Oli and I relax on the sofa with some kind of festive beverage – well that’s the plan anyway. In reality, there will probably be the usual tears at bedtime and Oli and I will spend the evening trying to build complicated train tracks and doing our usual last minute wrapping.

I love Christmas but I can’t help but notice the festive season is very different now that I am a mum. Having a little one brings all the magic back in to Christmas but being a parent also brings lots of other, not always quite as wonderful, things too. You know you have a toddler when was my second ever post on this blog, I have decided to write a Christmas edition. Parents of toddlers, let me know if you agree!
You know you have a toddler at Christmas time when…
1. There are more baubles on the floor than on the tree – I seriously don’t know why we even bothered decorating the tree, I really don’t.
2. You have done most of your shopping online – Have you ever tried maneuvering a pram around a jam packed shop before? It is not fun. I would much rather sit on the sofa while Leo plays with his toys. No boring shopping for him and no stress for me, everyone wins.
3. You are too scared to look at your bank account – This is a direct result of point number 2. This probably applies for most people but there are so many toys out there, sometimes it is hard to resist spoiling our little ones at Christmas.
4. You don’t get to watch Christmas films – Gone are the days of lazing around on December afternoons watching all the Christmas classics, Elf and Santa Clause: The Movie are the favourites in our house. Instead, the only festive TV I get to see are the Christmas special episodes of Thomas the Tank and Peppa Pig, on repeat. Maybe next year Leo will sit through a film that isn’t animated…
5. There’s no good time to wrap – Yes I could wrap Leo’s presents in the couple of hours in the evening between his bedtime and mine but I am way too knackered at that point to be trying to find the end of the selotape. It’s not even as though I can wrap other peoples presents in the day when he’s awake either because he would just end up unwrapping them or running off with the scissors. 
6. Your kitchen table is covered in Christmas crafts – During December, you are bombarded with ideas for crafts on Pinterest and it is hard to resist giving them a go with your own child. I would not be surprised if Leo’s feet are going to be permanently paint stained after all the feet Snowmen/reindeer faces we have been making. Card, pipe cleaners and goggly eyes have been littered across our kitchen since December 1st and most of my little man’s ‘masterpieces’ are only really good enough to remain on the table where they were made. 
7. You are excited for Santa again – You may know the big secret about the big guy but your little one doesn’t. Watching your toddler get excited about going to visit Santa and staring in awe at all the pretty lights, elves and reindeer is really amazing (until you finally get your turn to see Santa and your child is massively unimpressed/runs off crying). Leo loves to talk and sing about Santa all the time, I can’t wait to see his face on Christmas day when he see’s all his presents from Old Saint Nick.
8. Christmas day drinking isn’t the same – Unless you have family over who can watch your toddler while you pass out in a baileys induced coma by 5pm, drinking as soon as you wake up on Christmas morning maybe isn’t such a good idea any more.
So, Mums and Dads, do you agree? Would you add anything else to this list? I would love to know what has changed at Christmas now that you have a child.
A Cornish Mum
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15 Comments

  1. December 18, 2015 / 8:54 am

    The funny thing is when you don't have a toodler any more, you miss it, fortunately I have our holiday guests all arriving from today and an looking forward to having crafts all over the table with them then sending them back with their parents, perfect! Happy Christmas #PoCoLo

  2. Admissions of a Working Mother
    December 18, 2015 / 10:17 am

    I'm loving Christmas this year with our two year old! Yeah he's pulls things off the tree and Christmas shopping has been difficult and patchy and vastly online! BUT he's bringing back the magic of Christmas for me and I'm loving it! #PicknMix

  3. December 18, 2015 / 11:07 am

    My little girl isn't a toddler yet but some of these points are still relevant to me! I attempted Christmas shopping at our local shopping centre this year – something I won't be doing again! #Pocolo

  4. Baby Isabella
    December 18, 2015 / 12:33 pm

    Totally agree there isn't good time to wrap!!! Especially when a toddler try's to help! #PoCoLo x

  5. December 18, 2015 / 4:02 pm

    Oh yes, I can relate to most of these. Our tree is up on a table (gaffer-taped down so it can't be pulled off) so that minimises the amount of baubles that are removed but agree with you that wrapping is so difficult. Hubby's presents are the worst – I can just about muster the energy to wrap the kids' ones whilst they're in bed but hubby's home by then and so I can't do his! But it is lovely seeing the magic again through their eyes and visits to see Father Christmas are so much fun 🙂

  6. December 18, 2015 / 8:26 pm

    hehehe! This made me chuckle! I miss my girls being so little x

  7. December 18, 2015 / 9:48 pm

    Yes our tree is looking a bit bare this year, with baubles distributed around the house! Before children we'd spend Christmas Eve drinking in the pub so I'd spend Christmas Day with a massive hangover, no Christmas day hangovers since children!! #picknmix

  8. December 19, 2015 / 3:49 pm

    Aw yes I can put a tick next to all these especially the lack of decorations on the actual tree!! Merry Christmas #TheList xx

  9. Natalie Brown
    December 20, 2015 / 10:42 am

    I've already booked Little B into nursery on Christmas Eve morning so I can get wrapping done! #KCACOLS

  10. charlotte ratcliffe
    December 20, 2015 / 3:31 pm

    So True! I'm even more scared to look at the bank account since little monsters birthday is the beginning of January too! No baubles left on the tree here! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again in the New Year xx

  11. Rebecca Roversi
    December 20, 2015 / 8:30 pm

    My tree is between my two sofas so there isn't much to get at however overall i've been impressed at how much my son has left it alone! I used to LOVE taking my time wrapping and making them look pretty, this year they've been quick wrapped with a bow or bit of ribbon stuck on during nap time. We haven't dared the crafts yet! Next year when he's a little older! lol #KCACOLS

  12. Becky Pink
    December 20, 2015 / 10:13 pm

    My toddler found the perfect hiding place… behind the tree. It's looking a little bald around the bottom now, as she wriggles in every day. She has such fun though, I can kind of deal with it! Becky x #KCACOLS

  13. A Cornish Mum Blog
    December 24, 2015 / 10:50 am

    My boys are almost 10 and 11 and I so miss the bauble stealing days…it goes so quickly and I've had some amazing Chrismas' with them, but they are growing up way too quickly for my liking!

    Thanks for linking up to #PicknMix have a brilliant Christmas
    Stevie x

  14. eilidh gallagher
    December 29, 2015 / 9:36 pm

    Yes to every one of these! My poor tree this year has been destroyed every day. I tried wrapping when she was awake, once! haha Thanks for linking to #PickNMix hope you had a lovely Christmas x

  15. Franca Desjardins
    January 4, 2016 / 10:35 am

    Oh yes I can relate to most of them!! lol There is no time for wrapping at all!! This year I found that so difficult!! We were so excited about Santa this year! I guess having 2 kids now makes Xmas even more magical! Thanks so much for sharing this at #KCACOLS. As you know I have taken a little break from blogging but #KCACOLS will be back next Saturday 9th January so I would love to see you again!! I hope you had a great Xmas! Happy New Year lovely!! 🙂 xx
    PS: I couldn't find my badge. 🙁