Decorating A Christmas Tree Ocd

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.