There are generally 2 ways to baby proof a Christmas tree, safeguarding the entire room, or baby proofing the tree itself. The first option is simply setting up your usual tree and gating off the entire room from the baby. That's fine if you have a lot of space in your house and can spare to have an entire room off limits for a month or more out of the year. Similarly, you can use tall portable gating to surround the tree and make a baby free buffer around the branches. The hard part of these solutions is that the tree is really bright and fun and interesting and no baby on earth is going to just ignore it because there's a little gate in the way. Even with the gates up, you'll likely spend much of your time removing baby from his homemade gate busting adventures, like climbing up on chairs and trying to batter the gate down with his plastic hammer.

The other alternative, and the one I usually choose, is to baby proof the tree in such a way as to make it ok for baby to touch the tree and the trimmings without getting hurt. First, plan to put the tree in a corner if possible and attach cup hooks or eyebolts in the walls about 1/4 the way down the wall from the top of the tree. Use cording or a bungee cord and attach the tree to the walls on both sides. With a heavy tree stand and these guy lines in place the tree will be much less likely to topple and even if baby does manage to knock it over, the wall hooks will make the tree tip sideways into the wall and not flat over on the baby. If you have a live tree and a stand filled with water, fill the basin with fish tank gravel first and then add the water. The water can get to the tree but baby can't get to the sap laden water.

Now that the tree is up, rethink lighting and garland. Depending on baby's age, you might want to skip the long strings of lights and lengths of garland. These things are easily pulled off and tangled not to mention a tentative taste of a light bulb could risk a mouthful of broken glass and electricity! If baby is older and will not pull the strings of, go ahead and put on your lights and garland but attach them every few inches to the branches with twist ties. That will keep them on the tree where you put them and keep them from accidentally getting knocked around or tangled. Newer artificial trees come with the lights wired into the branches, which I think is a fantastic idea!

For ornaments, put away the glass balls and opt for plastic ones. Hit the craft store for paper mache ornaments and let baby make a few of his own. Glue pictures of baby and other family members to the paper mache ornaments so baby can see all his favorite faces. Keep other fragile and favorite ornaments higher up on the tree where you can enjoy them and they will be safe.

NEVER use tinsel with pets or babies around. The long shimmering strands of silver are pretty but they have a very high tensile strength, meaning they are very hard to break and the edges are very sharp. They are long enough that Junior could get one all the way around his neck and if he did it would be difficult to get off. Also, if one makes its way into the digestive tract, it can cut through the soft tissue like a razor. They just aren't worth the risk!

Even with these little suggestions, you should never leave the baby alone with the tree. There are just too many wires and strings and dangerous things to get tangled in or trip over. Your tree will be safer and more fun to share with baby but never assume it's really baby PROOF.