What do you do when the kids come along?

I have 3 boys, ages 11, 14 and 17. I find the best audio 'tweak' is duct tape. Inexpensive, and worth every penny.
Seriously, you will need your wife to understand how important this hobby is to you. If she stays home with the children, like mine did, she can teach them from the time they're in diapers, what is 'not to be touched'. I've never had any problems (knock wood). My wife knew that my gear was expensive, she didn't want me to spend more money, so she had a vested interest in helping to protect my equipment.

John

I too agree with Hdm's advice. Although my sons bedroom is next to my audio system, I continued to play music as though he never came along.

Now that he is 16 (as of 5 days ago) we often listen together. I had to eject a new CD from my computer that he bought today, he wanted to share it with me before I logged onto Audiogon.

My point? Share your music with your child. You love them both and later the child will not only respect you for your passion, they will share it with you.

I used to have my own tube radiola(record player combined with tuner amp and speakers) at the age of 4 along with collection of records including 78rpm.
Well, I don't have any dedicated listening room and my rig is in my living room. My son now is a-bit above 1 and he already broke a toggle(power) switch on my phono preamp. I wasn't dissapointed at all since my son is much more dear to me than my rig -- I've just ordered one and soldered back. He loves to tap the speaker drivers, but now he already understands my command to leave it. He knows already that tube amps I have is hot so he never even looks onto them. I believe that in half more year or less I will have no problem leaving my rig without risk.
My wife very often have to turn on music for him to listen while he eats.