Babyproofing Stand-mounted speakers

Rives - If the lead were truly "sealed" inside of the stands, I would agree. Duct tape, on the other hand, is hardly a reasonable option. I'd rather risk a broken speaker or a physical injury than brain damage from a known toxic substance. I have 14 month old twins and a 4 year old and have used monitors almost exclusively since my first child was an infant. If you have heavy solid stands that can be filled (sand is nice and safe...cheap, too!) and have your speakers mounted (blu tack, screws, bolts, epoxy resin, whatever) they will be incredibly stable. I would recommend a pair of the Osiris stands that are being blown out by a couple of vendors here on AudiogoN. These are 42lbs each unfilled. Put some sand in them and you're up to about 65lbs. If you want more weight, you can buy some "Micro-Bearing" which is very fine steel pellets from Star Sound (http://www.audiopoints.com) and make them even heavier. Also, these stands have enormous brass cone feet which aren't the greatest for piercing carpet, but would be absolutely perfect on hardwood floors. Finally, I agree with what others have said about setting boundaries for your children and using the art of distraction to minimize temptations.

My two cents: Blu Tac is not epoxy! Although it makes a good sonic bond with the stand, it is very easy to break that bond just by pushing. No way would I bet on Blu Tack vs. a toddler in a wager to keep a monitor on its stand.

Fishing line or some sort of loose 'emergency' ceiling suspension system -you could hide it within some ceiling suspended fake plants or ??. Might be a way to make it look ok.

Ask the Wife! Do you really think your going to get aesthetically pleasing advice from a bunch of GUYS who think it 'would be nice' to put 400 lb wilson maxx's in the middle of their living rooms ?

When my son was this age he could easily knock down 67lbs. floor standers. These children are only going to get bigger and stronger and more daring and rambunctious. I would avoid any and all possible toxic substances. My son either broke or thought through any and every childproof device and gate we tried. I suggest raising all electrical devices high and STABLE, hide all wiring behind heavy furniture and tether any thing that could be hazardous to corner/walls. With any luck it will only be a couple of years before they can be reliably taught to respect adult toys. The only other responsible option is to have a locked dedicated room to escape to while your child is under appropriate supervision elsewhere. One of the biggest dangers is large monitor TV's on typical TV stands ( especially ones with "turntable platforms". These stands are notorious for tipping onto little cruisers! These are special times, enjoy them as much as possible. Your recordings will be there latter.

I don't mean to bring into question anybody's parenting skills, but Unsound seems to have the perspective that kids are incapable of being taught restraint, respect and just plain good behavior.

As I said, I have a four-year-old who grew up with my system and now have twins who are going through toddler-hood and there's never been an issue. Granted, I would not want my system to be a hazard to them - so the tube cage stays on, the speakers are bolted to their dedicated stands which are filled with sand, etc. To think that you'd have to "tether" everything to the walls as Unsound suggests would indicate that you've got some bigger issues to contend with than top-heavy speakers.

Furthermore, I'd really hate to think that it'll take "luck...and...a couple of years before they can be reliably taught to respect adult toys." Parenting should be more than protecting children from themselves and accomodating them to the point of allowing them to run our lives. There's a hierarchy in a family and children need to be lovingly taught where they fit in the family structure. And here's a hint...It's not at the top of the pyramid.

As I said, I don't mean to offend anyone, nor bring into question their parenting skills. I'm just trying to offer a bit of perspective based on my real-life experience(s).

You can have your system and responsibly raise your children, too. Now...whether or not you'll have the time to listen to it is another matter altogether ;>)