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baby proofing your stereo componenets

Doors and locks. I tried just doors and found a peanut butter jelly sandwich remnant in the tape player.
But as pointed out, by TerryO, store it away or interim system can work too, since they will grow up all too quickly.
 
tdat7192 said:
Doors and locks. I tried just doors and found a peanut butter jelly sandwich remnant in the tape player.
But as pointed out, by TerryO, store it away or interim system can work too, since they will grow up all too quickly.
Click to expand...

I see some logic to that-- a simple BPC hooked to a DVD, TV and 2 non-precious speakers. Preferably with big analog knobs and switches so he can learn. (I put huge orange pieces of shelf paper on the ones he was aloud to touch.) If a PB&J goes into the VCR, let him sit with you while you clean it out... saying "yuck" or whatever you guys use to communicate something bad. If you don't put the blame on him but let him be part of the solution *maybe* he will form a vested interest in "protecting" the equipment that he and Dad take care of. (that's what I did with out PB&J incident, I don't really know if it worked that way inside his little head, but he did move to vehemently protecting the stuff from other kids. Even Mom; if she didn't wash her hands first. Which gave me no end of joy, even if I did have to run out of the room in order to laugh.)

IMO, my kids are worth more than my gear. And my sofa (which we sold and replaced with one from good will. Why? So the kids could climb and jump and pull out the cushions and make forts...) I determined not to have anything precious in the house that would cause a rift between me and the kids. It (mostly) seems to have worked.

I did notice that when I was setting up the post-toddler system my kids were watching carefully-- the care, precision and general fussiness involved fascinated them, and from then on they tried to treat everything in the same manner. This was quite strictly policed by oldest to youngest, and I had to do very little. I was very eager to teach them about the different pieces, set them up in the sweet spot and do some comparative listening. None of that really made sense until we watched a movie (LOTR if I remember) and they declared the new system "awesome, even if it is more scary". High praise from a 3 yr old.

They have almost always treated all of my things with the utmost respect, especially guitars-- which oddly enough they a have always been encouraged to pull down off the wall, plug in and use. The more I encouraged the more careful they were.

This is all anecdotal of course, all kids are different, but I sure hope yours are as fun as mine are-- you are in for one heck of a blast. It's the best.

At this point, I have a 16 year old who only leaves his room so he can plug the macbook into the main LR system, even if he's just browsing YouTube, a daughter is griping because I haven't built a set of speakers for her and "why can't I have a tube amp in my room?" (the answer is "not until you foreswear Justin Bieber and other autotune atrocities") My youngest? "I don't really like music unless I make it myself or other people are there making it, that's when I like it" :zoom::beerchug: There is hope for this generation.

Are they audiophiles? No, the gear is just a means to an end, the end is the exploration of new music. I'm ok with that.

Having said that, it gets more and more and more fun. No matter what you do with the gear now, the road ahead is a blast. You have NO IDEA what a wealth of incredible tunes my oldest has hooked me up with, it is a blast

*please don't get the idea that I'm super-dad, or that I think I'm super dad, as the years go on I more and more clearly see the mistakes I made, they break my heart. Then occasionally, I remember something that I *may* have gotten right. Thank God kids are resilient, they need to be with a Dad like me. :sigh:

HTH
Mike
 
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Good post oneinchside.
I will say that I have let my daughter operate a DVD player that I'm not worried about. And she has my old Fisher Price record player with some beater Sesame Street records. Except for the odd time she "fast forwards" straight across the album, she is getting better at it. I just don't think I can trust her with my AR-XA with Jico SAS stylus yet.:D
I haven't come across the infamous PBJ sandwich jammed into the VCR yet, but she did find a dime and think the perfect spot for it was the memory slot on her mother's laptop. Not at all easy to get out.
 
I second the portable play yard XT mentioned above. That's what I used when my first grandson started walking. I purchased extra add-on sections to make it big enough. When he learned how to climb over it, I separated the sections and cable-tied them onto the front of my racks. It was not pretty and a pain each time I needed to use my systems, but it worked.

Eventually, I grew tired of that and purchased Salamander Synergy racks. I installed a door and lock on my 2-channel rack, and on the HT rack I installed pro perforated steel mesh security covers. I installed a security cover with drop down door and lock in front of the DVD player so that I could access the drawer. I got the covers from Parts Express.

Play yard: http://www.amazon.com/North-States-Superyard-Classic-Gate/dp/B00020L78M

Middle Atlantic security covers:
http://www.parts-express.com/wizard...CAT&srchCat=808&CFID=5065211&CFTOKEN=47031247

Salamander Synergy rack with optional door and keylock:
picture.php
 
Glen B said:
I second the portable play yard XT mentioned above. That's what I used when my first grandson started walking. I purchased extra add-on sections to make it big enough. When he learned how to climb over it, I separated the sections and cable-tied them onto the front of my racks. It was not pretty and a pain each time I needed to use my systems, but it worked.

Eventually, I grew tired of that and purchased Salamander Synergy racks. I installed a door and lock on my 2-channel rack, and on the HT rack I installed pro perforated steel mesh security covers. I installed a security cover with drop down door and lock in front of the DVD player so that I could access the drawer. I got the covers from Parts Express.

Play yard: http://www.amazon.com/North-States-Superyard-Classic-Gate/dp/B00020L78M

Middle Atlantic security covers:
http://www.parts-express.com/wizard...CAT&srchCat=808&CFID=5065211&CFTOKEN=47031247

Salamander Synergy rack with optional door and keylock:
picture.php
Click to expand...

Wow that looks very effective!

After my kids "outgrow" the superyard XT I am hoping to be able to teach them not to touch instead of locking everything down like that. I may be fooling myself though.
 
Two risky areas.
1. The electronics: Solutions have already been offered. Cabinets can be found on craigslist any day.
2. Speakers on stands - get floorstanders or, if they're small monitors, mount them on the wall until this age stage passes. They'll get it later.

I used to call it the tri factor. That was, we had a screaming circle in the house and tricycles were used in the winter in the house. The rear wheel of the trike couldn't snag the speaker stand because if it did and the speaker fell (implied on the child), it would be my fault. I got floorstanders for a period of time.
 
audiodon said:
Two risky areas.
1. The electronics: Solutions have already been offered. Cabinets can be found on craigslist any day.
2. Speakers on stands - get floorstanders or, if they're small monitors, mount them on the wall until this age stage passes. They'll get it later.

I used to call it the tri factor. That was, we had a screaming circle in the house and tricycles were used in the winter in the house. The rear wheel of the trike couldn't snag the speaker stand because if it did and the speaker fell (implied on the child), it would be my fault. I got floorstanders for a period of time.
Click to expand...

We had tricycles too, and those Fisher Price yellow ride-ons. But they are nothing, NOTHING compared to a daughter and 5 of her friends practicing cheerleading routines.

The only defense is to make the area clear.:yes:
 
oneinchside said:
but he did move to vehemently protecting the stuff from other kids. Even Mom; if she didn't wash her hands first. Which gave me no end of joy, even if I did have to run out of the room in order to laugh.)
HTH
Mike
Click to expand...

That's Great!

I did end up teaching them to use the system, post toddler age, and when they shared ownership it was fun. They also learned.
It does evolve as they age. Now both my sons are teens and they turn me on to new music regularly. Often times I like it!
When they were a bit younger, they helped me digitize albums. I paid them for their time. They learned how to use turntables, handle albums, the difference between direct/belt drive and were exposed to a wide variety of music. [Neither cared for Mitch Miller, however. :) ]
Now they each have a small system, with turntables at their request, in their rooms.
And life is good.
No super dad here either, just enjoying my kids while I can.
 
My young ones are taught very early how to handle records, tapes, Compact Discs, and our gear with respect. My 7 year old is very meticulous with his McIntosh and other high end gear and has his own Technics SL-1200 Mk II and many of his own records and open reel tapes. I trust him with my best records without any hesitation and they have never had a fingerprint or a scratch. We go vinyl hunting together.
 
I watch my grandkids - one is soon to be 4, but I have watched her since she was born and the other is now 15 months or so.
Lots of gear has always been in reach, but they learned from the moment their hands starting straying that you do not touch certain things........I have never had a problem. There is nothing wrong with telling the kids no.
 
Our 18 month old daughter has the nickname "The Meddler." Upon entering a room she immediately takes an inventory of things to get into. I had to push my speakers up against the wall in the living room to keep her from putting her arm in the port on the back of them (boston VR-3's). The port is smooth and her arm is little enough to not get stuck but I don't want her dropping toys inside the speaker.

Also the cabinet the receiver, BR player, laptop and Tivo are in has little or no ventilation meaning that either I have to leave the door open when playing the receiver for long periods of time or just listen to the internal TV speakers which my wife hates to do. My little daughter will crank up the volume and seems like like it which is good but not all the time. The other day we were watching something and all of the sudden I noticed that the sound had gotten very bass heavy. Yep thats right she had cranked up the input level on the sub.

I WANT my daughter to be into this stuff like I am but my wife thinks that since she's a girl she will hot have much interest in it.
As far as I'm concerned as soon as she gets an interest in music she's getting a stereo in her room. A real stereo; not some cheap plastic Aiwa heap.
 
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