Talk about the nightmare before Christmas. There’s still two weeks to go and with a toddler in the house I don’t think my nerves can take it.

We’ve had so many tantrums as a direct result of the fact it’s almost Christmas I’ve lost count.

Christmas meltdowns only people with toddlers understand

I don’t remember it being like this with BB, but then she didn’t have chocolate advent calendars at aged two and we didn’t have school fayres to contend with, both of which are unavoidable now she’s five.

She was also a summer baby so hadn’t just turned two at Christmas, whereas Little B has just had his second birthday and is therefore in full terrible-twos mode.

Christmas meltdowns only people with toddlers understand

1. Advent calendars. Or more specifically, chocolate advent calendars. How do you explain to a two-year-old that they can only open one door a day? They simply don’t understand there’ll be another chocolate tomorrow. Instead you’re faced with a meltdown to the cries of ‘more chocolate’ Every. Single. Day.

2. Shop windows. I made the grave error of pointing out a mechanical Christmas tree spewing out artificial snow in the window of our local Clintons in a fit of ‘ooo isn’t that festive’. Now we have to stop and look at it every time we pass, and every other shop with a Christmas window display – which is all of them – or risk the consequences. Every. Single. Day.

3. Christmas trees. Trying to explain that you put the decorations on but you don’t take them off is almost as brain-numbingly repetitive as trying to explain the one-chocolate-a-day advent calendar rule. You might as well be talking to a brick wall. Or banging your head against it. I’m seriously considering dangling ours from the ceiling.

4. Christmas presents. Ditto gifts under the tree. I realise piling colourfully wrapped presents with shiny paper and big bows on under a Christmas tree is asking for trouble, but give me strength. ‘Look but don’t touch’ is not a toddler-friendly concept.

5. Christmas fayres. Take the pushchair and you’re hampered by the crowds, unwittingly ramming into the shins of unsuspecting shoppers while the toddler is craning to swipe at table tops and screaming to get out, or ditch the pushchair and risk going on foot, when you still have a toddler craning to swipe at table tops and screaming to get out of your arms instead of the pushchair straps. It’s a no-win situation.

Are meltdowns getting you down this Christmas? If you have any top tips for toddler taming I’d love to hear them!

Linking up with…

Run Jump Scrap!
Mummuddlingthrough
Diary of an imperfect mum
Mr and Mrs T Plus Three
Keep Calm and Carry On Linking Sunday