I lost my CD player remote. All equipment survived.
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Put the remotes out of reach. |
Aside from the obvious (grills, unplug components, batteries out of remotes, etc), the best defense is a good offense. Have something else for them to do and occupy their attention. And if you do seem them messing about, just tell them it's broken and doesn't work. They'll quickly lose interest and look for something else to destroy (works wonders with my 8yo nephew and 5yo niece). |
@mahler123 That is, funny. Maybe I didn’t give the peanut butter in the loading tray enough of a chance... Seriously, I think there's a lot to be said for removing the "mystery" from forbidden items. I know it worked for my kids.
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@geof3 nailed it. Constant surveillance. There is no substitute. |
I never really thought about it and raised 3 kids on my own. They never screwed with my stereo. Funny thing though in later years I waited until everyone was out of the house before I would listen to music. THEN, one day my first grandkid visited. Went right for the stereo. Became a sort of game which I hated. |
Portable electric fencing will take care of this. Will keep small children and parents away from your equipment. Says it works on small and mid-sized animals. So, that should get you up to early teens - in human size. Legal disclaimer: this is meant as humor. Well sort of. Kind of wonder if the electric fence would affect sound quality. :)
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Again, you are all so concerned about your precious gear, you should be more concerned about the kids… My daughter knocked a stand mount speaker over when she was learning to walk. Thankfully, it didn’t land directly on her foot or toes as she would have lost a couple. It did make a perfect triangular hole in the floor however. Same daughter who at three years of age picked up my watch (which I had taken off so as not to scratch her with it - playtime) looked at it, looked at the wall, looked at me and whipped it across the room into the wall. 700 dollar repair… Same daughter who at 9 decided to play DJ with a friend using my TT. So long cantilever. My son thought the tubes in my amp were pretty, and he tried to pull one out when a toddler. Blisters on thumb and three fingers. Never tried that again. Kids break stuff, get over it. Anything lost, broken or stolen is just an opportunity to get something better. Lost, broken or stolen kids, not so easily replaced…. |
@geof3 Spot on! "Constant surveillance", "firm NO".
Worked for me, with two boys, up to a point: during a house move (we'd been there 16 years) we packed up my B&W 801M2s. As one of the speakers was wrapped up by the movers, a Titleist DT golf ball rolled out of the port. It had neither improved nor worsened the bass response. Its presence was inaudible which says something about the Matrix structure. Nobody knows how long it had been in there, I reckon at least 10 years... 😄 |
@jerrybj wow! So instead of teaching the munchkin some lessons of discipline, or taking a few very simple steps to possibly protect your system, you just binned it? That seems excessive to give up something you love to that degree rather than come up with a compromised solution. Wow. |
Agreed wholeheartedly on the 'good/bad', taught vs. left to devices, deviant or not so much....*g* Personally, the only 'gram' I got to meet lived 1.2K mi. away and only spoke bohemian....but by tenor and body language a sweet no-nonsense kinda gal.... ;) Admitted, a larger over-the-fringe 'absurdvation' in previous post, I'm pulling leg, but have an observation POV that is unique. I build 'fun things' for children, and enough said. But it's been an education in the way one can challenge a child on a physical and mental level that can't be accomplished in the average home without the destruction of most of your furniture. If I was to 'spoof' your audio collection, I would weld Everything. ;) Happy Friday....and is your neighbor basically 'tame' normally....(whatever 'normal' state applies, of course.... ;)...) ? |
It's simple you don't have to teach kids to be bad, you have to teach kids to be good. I was taught that by my grandmother. She was born is 1889 and went to heaven in 1988. She was SMART. The better choices you give kids the better choices they make. If you ask kids quality questions, you'll get quality answers. All of my Aunts, Mother and cousins played instruments. Look out.. No crazy stuff, no drinkin' they were Baptist folks. GOOD food, kids everywhere.. Usually the men were playin' horseshoes and chewin' tobacco. Regards |
Having, with spouses' total 'buy-in', to Not 'do kids' (or grand versions), only the pets of our choice to cope with. Since one doesn't have answer "Why?" incessantly, simply train said pet to leave 'This' Alone. I will agree with @oldhvymec ....They Are Demons. Even as an 'outlier' from the main path, nay, airstrip-length Width of Super Slab Asphalt to the Breeding Zone. *clenched teeth delivery* "If you don't stop wanting to play neurosurgeon with the dog with that steak knife Immediately.....I'm going to take your Playstation and run over it with the car...." ....can let the extremist side of childhood run rampant. Wanton Small Buzz Saws...a.k.a., Demons. I'm not complaining, no. |
Depends on the kids. If they are open to listen and understand, then explain to them this is your "toy" and it's very easy to break and cost lots of $ to fix so please don't touch. Or, you can have them "safely" touch buttons and stuff "under your close supervision" until the mystique/curiosity wears off and they are no longer interested. Maybe tell them not to touch unless you are around and they ask permission with close supervision. |
Glad mine are grown…. Payback is a bitch though …. When I was 5 I drew on my Dad’s beloved KLH Model 12 with Crayon. Fast forward 30 years …. One of my kids tried playing a record and snapped the cantilever off, then when they were a little older my daughter walked by my gear and cranked the volume and blew out a pair of midrange…. I still love ‘em, they turned out to be awesome young adults |
When my then 3 year old granddaughter, who is now 22, saw my turntable for the first time, she dragged the tonearm across an album. I never did find the stylus 😶. I can only fault myself for being careless. When my now 3 year old and 7 year old granddaughters come to visit, I never leave them alone in my music room (they both love old school R&B music). I play music for them and they both love to sing and dance around. They also know they can never touch my gear nor bring food or drinks into that room. |
I think we've all had a driver dustcap pushed in at one point or another by little fingers. lesson learned. I'd like to share this. We moved into a house and had to furnish the whole thing. Part of that was getting a brand new 50" plasma. Beautiful TV. So we had a party. Some kid opened her can of soda on the TV stand and sprayed the TV. No one said a thing. I noticed it weeks after it happened. I was never able to completely get rid of some of the smudges. Again, lesson learned. |
I put my speakers close to and facing the wall. Found a child hiding behind it - hide and seek. No damage. The parents were another thing. Spilled hot tea on a wood surface and left to "potato chip" peel. Flushed an upstairs toilet, clogged, filled to the brim, flushed again. Ignored the mess until it started dripping on the ceiling below. Then "Not my fault" first words when we got home. You’re doomed. : ) |
My dog and rabbit guard the stereo. If they can get past the dog they have to face the rabbit. Tough nut that Junior, he takes no crap from kids. ALL my kids learned OWIE!. That is an owie! When the kids don't learn I swat the parents. Teach your kids, PARENTS! Like I tell the little DEMONS, I could have adopted, and still CAN!! :-) Now go ring that neighbor's doorbell and hide in the bushes. Let me get my Sony A99 this is a Sony moment coming up. CLICK!!! Henry (the neighbor) answers the door in garters and a red corset. Sometimes he has his feathers on. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. He'll do a runway to the mail box if he's been drinkin'. |
Little ones, like puppies, need constant surveillance. It’s just the way it is. Then this cool little two letter word, universally known, works wonders. It’s NO. Firm but not harsh said with authority that conveys the seriousness of the moment. Boundaries seem to have been forgotten in todays world. Works with my grandkids, 2-6-8. Never an issue. |
Speaker grill, hide remote..teach them to stay away and tell them why. When you explain to them reasons they might appreciate that more. Let them know the materials are delicate and made of slik and are very easily destroyed. Tell them it has to be thin and light to work and do it's design. Also giving them a $20 bill to stay away will work best |
