child-free environment?

My kids are fully grown (27, 25) and moved out when they went away to college (never came back - except to visit). When they were growing up I had music in most every room. Formal family dinners in the dining room included music playing on the dining room system (still do). My primary music system set up in a formal living room, and the other systems were budget or old stuff. I never had a problem with the kids pushing in dust covers or tweeter domes, nor did they try to handle my vinyl/turntable. I don't recall having to give them any admonition either. When they were teens I bought them each their own bedroom system which they still have today. Their systems are cheap Best Buy setups, so they didn't inherit my passion for hifi. They're happy with their ipods . . . .

The worst damage to any of my equipment was the result of my wife using one of my speakers as a plant stand and leaving a water stain on the veneer (ever seen an Infinity Monitor speaker - they make great plant stands!).

It's great to hear how everyone relates the way they approach kids to their own childhood exposures to music and hi-fi. I grew up with one of those record players with built-in speakers, about the size of a coffin. I can remember putting the Chuck Mangione and Gordon Lightfoot records on from the time I was tall enough to lift open the lid. Getting the needle in just the right place for my favorite song. Making sure not to scratch the record. Those are some great memories. Time to go out and buy a turntable! My parents still have all the vinyl I grew up with. Any turntable recommendations to match my system (see system link).

My 2 children are now grown and 27 yo and 24 yo. My 24 year old daughter called me yesterday from Washington DC where she works and lives in a 400 sq foot apartment. Last year I gave her my old PSB Stratus Bronzes with a new Marantz integrated and a Marantz CD player. She called just to thank me again for the system and for teaching her about the beauty of listening to classical music. She was at the time listening to Bach's Goldberg Variations and Von Williams Lark Ascending and Mosaic, a Stereophile recording of a Mozart clarinet qunitet. She also uses an Ipod with rock but loves to listen to the music with real speakers. My son could care less about the music but is a movie enthusiast. One out of two allowing the music to penetrate their souls is not bad. My advice is to forget the gear and encourage the kids to listen. My children always had access to the gear. A plus for buget systems.
John

yes and no. My 7 year old son has no interest in listening to my system and he has been good about not touching it since he knows he's not allowed.

Yes and Yes. My kid is 18 month old and has been listening since the day he got back from the hospital.

Today he is obsesed with vinyl. We recently moved into a new home and I now have a dedicated listening room in the basement. When we are upstairs he often signal by waving his hand that I should bring him down stairs. Once in the room he runs to the TT but does not touch it (it is an SL-1200). As I lift the dust cover he presses the start stop button to get it going. I can ask him start/stop it and he gladly does. When I clean the dust from the regard he will pass me the brush.

We listen, we dance and many times he falls a sleep in his dads arm, sitting peacefully in the sweet-spot.

My biggest problem is not the gear but the vinyl. He loves to take records off the rack and pull them out of thier sleeves. He has his own records (old scratched ones) for that purpose but he still tries take others. The goods stuff is on the top shelf.

My obsession with music listening come from my father. We always had music playing in the house as I was growing up. Today I have my dad's vinyl collection (after my Mom bought a Bose Wave system Arrgh!)The vinyl is mostly in very bad shape but a few great records survived.

When I was in elementary school my Dad and I had a running gag. I would come home for lunch everyday, with my Dad and he would always be playing classical piano records; Bach, Chopin etc... We would joke that we had a private pianist that would play just for us.

The other day the pianist gag came-up, I told my Dad the pianist is still playing for us. My son and I that is and he is welcome to come by at anytime. Today pianist sounds better than he ever did. I hope he will continue to play for many generations to come.