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Little ones just cannot resist electronics! Bright lights, mechanical sounds, and several buttons make a home theater system a magnet for little ones attentions. However, their interest can lead to action and several systems have been destroyed by a curious child or one who just felt a DVD player was a great place to put a peanut butter sandwich. Just as it is important to childproof every other area of your home, it is also important to childproof your home theater, because the damage your little one can do to your home theater, and, more importantly the potential risk of danger your equipment poses to your child, is outstanding.
You should approach your home theater from your childs point of view. Seriously. Get down on the floor to take and have a look. See what you are able to access and what your little can reach and see. These are the areas that need to be childproofed first. You probably know your little one well enough to be able to tell what things he or she will find amussing. It is better not to just limit your childproofing job to only the things they can reach, because, as children grow and develop, their interests change. It is better to assume that anything is possible and will grab their attention.
However, the best way of childproofing is to put your child in a playpen. Unfortunately, by the age of one, some children are able to squirm out of an average-sized playpen, so you will have to find a way of protecting your equipment. Even if your little one feels comfortable sitting in the playpen while watching his or her favorite television program, eventually they will want to explore what makes Dora or Bob the Builder pop up on the t.v. screen.
To make sure your equipment is protected, you should purchase a large screen to place in front of your home theater. The only problem with this concept is that it may obstruct the view or interfere with your viewing. Or you could just purchase a large piece of plexiglass to fit closely over the whole unit. You could install high shelves for your VCR and DVD player, and mount your speakers on the wall. The only problem with this idea is that you will have to climb on ladders to give your equipment the right maintenance. Regardless, knowing that your equipment is far away from your little one it will be well worth it.
You can buy a home entertainment armoire which opens and closes. Although you might want to put a lock on the handle of the armoire to make sure your child cannot get to your equipment when you are not around. This is a secure way of storing your home theater, although you may not want to keep your equipment under lock and key all the time, and as soon as the cabinet is opened, your little ones interest will be aroused.
You can also purchase a clear plastic protector which prevents your little one from pressing buttons on your VCR or DVD player, but this will still let you access through remote control. You can also find covers for your remote control, as your little ones think that this is just a toy too. Another good idea is to place a protector on your disk drive to prevent your little one from sticking his or her fingers or different objects inside. These are also plastic, and they close the unit off completely to stop inappropriate access.
By all of the power that you need for your home theater, exposed outlets are, of course, a major problem for children. Make sure that there are no open outlets and that they are plugged up with plastic plugs. For those little ones who already know how to plug and unplug from circuits, purchase a snap-on and off plastic power strip protector. It is impossible for a little one to stick his or her fingers inside one of these covers, however, there is space to allow wires to feed through.
Regardless of what methods you choose, you definitely need to take steps to childproof your home theater system if you have a little one around. The danger to both your home theater and the little one is absolutely too great to ignore. |
