Ways You Can Childproof Your Home Theater

Childproof Your Home Theater How can you make your home theater a safe place to be in, particularly if you have little ones who are apt to become fascinated with the various things in it? Toddlers, in general, would put their hands on anything and everything. They are always inclined to play and are attracted to colorful, moving objects.

If you have small children, you know first hand that they are just unable to resist anything that has blinking lights or makes sounds. This is especially true if you have a home theater. The swooshing sound of tapes rewinding from the stereo, the automatic discharge of the CD / DVD disk or VCR tape from the players — these are all kinds of movements that could arrest any child's attention.

Many parents would attest to the damages done on electronic components because their children stuck foreign objects into fragile spots. Children can damage electronic components, but it is more important for parents to ensure that electronic components won't harm their children. Many a child has been injured while playing with power strips or accidentally drinking CD cleaning fluid. This is why it is important to childproof your home theater and the rest of your home.

Below are some tips on how to childproof your home theater so that it becomes a place where you can spend time with your child while you watch movies.

* Put yourself in the shoes of your toddler. If you were a two- or three-year old child, what things in your home theater would attract your attention? Where are these things situated? Do the locations of these things make it easy for your child to stick his fingers or an object in? When you have identified these things, this is where you should begin childproofing your home theater.

* The most effective way to childproof your home theater is to keep your toddler in a playpen. It's the safest place he can be. However, don't expect your child to stay put in his playpen. By the time he's a year old, a playpen of average size won't be able to keep your child penned for long. You can delay the inevitable by buying a playpen with taller walls.

* You can childproof your home theater television by buying a large screen and installing it about a foot in front of the television. However, this childproofing your home theater strategy may interfere with your viewing. Another childproofing your home theater alternative would be to mount the TV in the wall, out of reach of small children.

* Childproof your home theater DVD or VCR player by having high shelves installed. You can do the same for speakers.

* If childproofing your home theater by mounting components up high is not an option, an alternative is to buy a wooden home entertainment cabinet that you can lock. You can place the TV, DVD or VCR player and CDs and DVDs in this cabinet and lock it when you're not using your home theater system.

* Using plastic protectors for VCR or DVD players are another way you can childproof your home theater system. This way, your child won't be able to press the buttons. You can control these components with a remote control instead.

* While we're on the subject of plastic protectors, you can childproof your home theater DVD player by placing one on the disk drive. This will stop your child from sticking his fingers or placing objects inside.

* Open outlets are a serious danger to anyone, especially to small children. Childproof your home theater's power outlets by ensuring that they have plastic plugs whenever they are not being used to run equipment. If your child knows how to plug and unplug from outlets, invest in snap-on, snap-off plastic power strip protectors. These protectors will prevent your child from sticking his fingers inside these covers.

Don't delay in childproofing your home theater. Your child's safety is most important.

Eric Love is The Home Theater Guy and he writes daily about all aspects of home theater | home theater systems. Click here to find out more about Custom Home Theater .