HiFi and my almost terrible two kid - how can it survive =O

Gossy

Gossy

Active Member
Found this blog while looking for tips on how to help my music equipment survive his attentions ^^
http://www.tnt-audio.com/edcorner/october04.html

Anyone with good ideas, feel free =D


The 104/2 Kef's come with magnet mounted dustcovers which I plan to add some thin multiply to the back of the cloth so that the tweeter and mids are protected while not in use - maybe add a nylon strap with a clasp in the back to be sure he doesnt take them off..

We're looking for a nice sideboard that will accommodate the tv on top, and the rest of the equipment inside, securing the doors with those magnetically switched locks you can get for kitchen cabinets and alike.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40239721/ would not look half bad - perhaps a bit too high for a 40" tv though.
 
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I explained to my five how the stereo worked and how it wasn't a toy. We would have listening/dancing sessions where they would pick out albums and I would play them while they danced around the living room. They loved Devo.

In those days I didn't have a very nice set up, so I wasn't too worried. The main point I made was that they could listen to music only if I was with them. Everything survived and they all saved up and bought their own stereos when they were older, each one with a turntable.
 
I bought one of those Ikea cabinets with sliding glass doors that lock on craigslist. I really can't stand how it looks, but it has been effective.

My parents had Baby Advents and a Pioneer receiver. The speakers were mounted like 6' off the floor in the dining room. They never moved them.
 
"Baby Gates"

Use one of those "superyard" things and stretch it out to surround and protect. :D

541446
 
I don't have kids but all my speaker cables is going to be put in ducting, with audio wall plates here and here. At least it reduces the possibility of someone tripping on the cables and yanking the speakers in the process.
 
When mine began crawling (he's a C-130 Air Force pilot now!), I converted the living room coat closet into the stereo rack. Close the door - no problem. Speakers were elevated in the corners behind chairs to keep them away.

Now, talk to me about my large computer (this was the early 80s) in the kitchen. There, the little guy watched me inserting floppy disks during boot up. I once found part of his peanut butter sandwich stuffed into the slot as he mimicked what I did. Can't help to love 'em but I had to pretty much trash the old Shugart disk drive.

Cheers,

David
 
Kids are smart. They can be trained.

That said, there are plenty of noise-and-music making switch-and-button-rich toys suitable for them to explore and vent curiosity upon. This is known from painful personal experience with two generations of toddlers. :D
 
Kids are going to do, what they are going to do. Be patient and good luck.

I remember when my kids had friends over the house, guessing the boys all about 10-14 years old, and their friends saw my guitars..... I was upstairs listening

My son = "No! Forget about touching his guitars, don't even look at them."
 
Barricade. I basically barricaded an area with most of my audio gear when my daughter started walking. By the time she figured out how to cross it, she was also big enough to understand what she should not play with (read: daddy's radios). I did not have any problems with her later on. Terrible two mainly involved screaming in the bath.

She's 4.5 now and I've just taught her how to play a record.
 
Well when I was a toddler stereos were in cabinets.

As I got older we were given our own record players self contained units. This teaches one to learn how to handle the gear. We were also tought that our parents things are theirs and to respect that.

As a teen and kids lose some of the teachings, we blasted the damn sysytem when our parents were out of the house.

All part of why I like HiFi by the way.

I remember summers when we would be cranking the stereo at who evers house we were at. My best friend that lived 4 housed down the street, his Dad had a bad ass Sansui Quad system, that thing was ripping all summer long.

Long story short enjoy your kids and gear......let the chips fall were they may. If something happens to the gear you can replace it, however you can't replace the roll of parenting and kids life experiences.
 
When my kids were young the stereo was in a closet so no problem, however if you keep it in the open you might want to get into the habit of checking the volume before you hit the power button. Tube amps will give a warning as they warm up that the volume is set to full, solid state on the other hand...don't ask how I know this. 100 wpc will wake you up quick.
 
Never, ever had an issue with my kids messing with TV volume, stereo etc.
You just need to tell them No, do not touch. And mean it.
Giving explanations, reasoning, etc. just opens up a can of worms to future issues. You said no, do not touch, and that is the final word.
 
rlisin said:
Barricade. I basically barricaded an area with most of my audio gear when my daughter started walking. By the time she figured out how to cross it, she was also big enough to understand what she should not play with (read: daddy's radios). I did not have any problems with her later on. Terrible two mainly involved screaming in the bath.

She's 4.5 now and I've just taught her how to play a record.
Click to expand...

awww =]

Lots of decent ideas and thoughts on the matter. Complications is what makes life interesting though eh =D

We got one of those playpens but he already outgrew it lol - he was piling up toys to escape, finding ways to loosen hexbolts with lego =P
Hmm I could I suppose use the playpen to secure what is dearest - the hifi itself XD
 
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