Updated: september 2023
Are you gearing up for your first twin toddler Christmas season and wondering how you’re going to make it through in one piece?
Don’t worry, mama. I got you.
Twin toddlers are tiny little balls of endless energy, curiosity, and reckless abandon. Christmastime consists of breakable baubles, twinkling trees, delicately wrapped gifts, and ongoing festivities. Individually these two things can become overwhelming but combine them, and things can get out of control quickly.
Now, you can spend the Christmas season pulling your hair out, trying to keep tiny hands from destroying your perfectly decked halls, OR you can pivot.
So there you go, adjust your expectations — end of post. Happy Holidays.
Hey! Mama’s got jokes!
Seriously though, that is the ultimate takeaway but don’t worry. I fumbled through a couple toddler Christmases (with twin 20-month-olds and 2.5-year-olds) but I learned a lot.
I stockpiled the following tips and tricks to share, so hopefully your Christmas season goes more smoothly.
maybe deck just one hall
The most significant adjustment of expectations happens during the decorating process. Just remember the sacrifice is temporary and it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Start by focusing on the area(s) of the house you spend the most time in and where you’ll get the most bang for your buck.
Is it really so horrible you don’t put out the holiday-themed hand towels in the bathroom or trim every doorway and window in a lighted garland this year? Will you really miss the perfectly curated centerpieces or Christmas bed linens?
Go for the easy wins like stockings on the mantle or a wreath on the door. You can make sure all your favorites make it out of the boxes but don’t let them turn into another item to check off your To-Do List.
After all, you want to enjoy the holiday season too.
When you have a limited space to work with, the decor ends up piling onto itself rather than being a beautiful display. Never underestimate the power of “less is more.”
By dialing back, I was able to see and enjoy what decorations I did put up instead of trying to figure out how to get it all out and out of reach.
give them yes opportunities
Toddlers are naturally curious and all of this Christmas stuff is new and shiny in need of investigating.
It’s been my experience that toddlers are less likely to grab untouchables when they have dedicated items they’re encouraged to play with.
Let them hang the non-breakable ornaments on the tree. Incorporate Christmas books on the coffee table. Make little swaps like a ceramic nativity for the Fisher Price Nativity that the kids can play with.
The interactive decor was the biggest hit at my house last year.
My boys loved the singing Santa I put out and would ask me to push the button repeatedly so they could dance to his rendition of Jingle Bell Rock. By the end of the season, they were pressing the button themselves.
They also spent a lot of time with the nativity rearranging it and taking the animals and people to be used with other toys.
We added the felt Christmas tree the second year which was also a huge hit, 10/10 recommend.
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
There are so many seasonal activities during the holidays. Pageants, cookie baking, looking at lights, crafts, parties… the list goes on and you can overwhelm yourself trying to pack it all in.
Traditions are important. However, toddlers won’t know the difference if you start them on their first Christmas or fourth.
Minimize the pressure by deciding on a few things you HAVE to do and focus on those.
An easy way to quickly rule things out is by nixing things that aren’t toddler friendly. For example, I love going to the ballet and would see The Nutcracker every Christmas if I could. Expecting toddlers to sit through an entire performance is unrealistic.
host if you can
I know this sounds counterintuitive to a lower-stress Christmas but hear me out.
Think about everything that goes into traveling with toddlers. You need to make sure you’ve got all the things you need daily, but you’ve also got the added bonus of hauling gifts and other holiday paraphernalia back and forth.
On top of that, you have overstimulated, and more than likely overtired, toddlers because keeping a nap schedule away from home is rough at best.
There is also a chance you’re headed somewhere that isn’t toddler-proofed like your own home. Spending my time chasing littles going opposite directions toward breakables doesn’t make for ideal family time.
Just because you’re the host doesn’t mean you need to cook a five-course Christmas feast all by yourself. Unless you love that sort of thing, of course.
My vote? Make the meal a potluck. Pop the main dish in the oven, supply the delicious bevys, and have everyone else brings the fixins/dessert.
Quick Tip: if you have a large family, have the adults exchange gifts during nap time. If your tots are anything like mine, the first gift is exciting, but interest is waning by the third, and that’s their own presents!
tiny hands vs the christmas tree
I’m not going to go into this one too much because I have an in-depth post about protecting your tree from tiny hands you can read here.
Real talk though, this was probably my biggest pain point at 20 months because they just needed to play with the tree. By 2.5 we were able to control the situation better and allow them more freedom with interacting with it so the novelty wore off.
So there you have it.
Tips and tricks for a low-stress toddler Christmas from a twin mama who used them.
Which ones are you going to try this year?
