Arcade Cabinet Damages by the Kids

[RetroJames]

Thinking about Peale's recent post about his nipper busting a digital camera, and having a daughter on the way in April (our first child), got me to thinking what kind of damages I might want to be prepared for in regards to the arcade cabinet(s), pins (someday) and related items.

So, scare the pants off me here, what am I in for?

[SirPeale]

Thinking about Peal's...

Who?

[Santoro]

I have three kids, 6,10, & 12.  

It is 80% how you raise them and 20% luck. My wife and I have made a huge point of drilling into our kids respect for property, and they are relatively easy on my cab.  Most kids in our school district, however, would trash a cab if they had one in the house.

IMHO, kids in general are allowed way too much rowdy behavior these days.  

Yes I sound like an old fart, but I am, in fact, only 38

[HeadRusch]

Rolled Up Newspapers.

Good for dogs, good for kids.

[daz]

I have a 4 year old who to say the least, has a lot of energy. Although I am still in the constant process of finishing my cab he has had plenty of opportunities to test it. So far he has caused no damage and he can get *very* engufed in even the simplest of games. Only thing I can really see as a problem is scuffs on cab or possibly some damage to the joysticks (I have seen him hang from them) but those are easily replaced/fixable. I don't currently have any working pins but that may be a different situation; I dont know if I could allow him to bang on those. Just my 2 cents....

Jesse

[greven grevs]

I have 2 kids , 7 and 9, and have had no problem with our cab. Other than some scuffs from where their feet hit when they are sitting on the stools.

I also found that by letting my kids help me build the cab [painting , screwing screws, plugging in the connectors and limited power tool use] they have taken alot of pride on keeping it looking nice. This works well for just about any project.

I agree with Santoro though , its how you raise them. I still believe in spankings, worked for me and my sisters. It has worked with my kids also  . Its been about 2 years since I spanked either if my children but they remember. Now as for their friends that come over to play , I would love to beat some of those brats with a shovel.

 

[Santoro]

Only thing I can really see as a problem is scuffs on cab or possibly some damage to the joysticks

These are the two things I was worried about as well.  I chose to use Laminate on the front of my cabinet so that I could wash off scuffs.  Joysticks are relatively inexpensive so I am not sweating that one too much.  I actually have a spare just in case.


greven grevs : I'm with you on the shovel thing.  Sometimes I think it would help the parents too.....

[RetroJames]

Thinking about Peale's...

Who?

You, Peale, like I said

[SirPeale]

Thinking about Peale's...

Who?

You, Peale, like I said

 

[paigeoliver]

The only problem I have ever really encountered with young kids and arcade games is the hanging on the joystick thing, That is really no problem if you just have normal Happ type joysticks (easy to replace).

A while back though (back when I still had Assault), I had to be mean and ban 4 year old Theresa (friend's daughter), from touching the Assault (no replacement sticks available). Her favorite game was always Turbo anyway. She was real good about Turbo though. There was a box that had books in it that she would drag over and place on the gas pedal, and then drag a chair over so she could stand on it and play.

Theresa is also the main reason that I bought another Turbo after selling that one.

She isn't quite tall enough to look in the Battlezone viewer yet (even with the step). She hasn't played my Out Run yet, I will likely have to disconnect the shaker motor before letting her near it (I am envisioning it running almost CONSTANTLY while she is playing).

[Chris]

The day after I brought my cabinet into the house, fresh from painting (black, with a white starfield applied and a light dusting of purple clouds, to match the marquee and CP art), one of my daughter's friends decided to spin in a nearby chair and a corner caught the cabinet, leaving a five inch scratch deep in the wood.  I had to fill and re-paint, and the side never looked as good again.  From many angles, you can still see the depression where the scratch is.

The only other trouble I have with kids is that they like to pick at the T-molding, and they are always leaving finger and handprints on the glass.   I need to buy stock in Windex....

[Santoro]

need to buy stock in Windex....

Cripes, me too. Between my PCs and my Mame cab, I could vomit at how filthy the screens get.  

My wife is fastidious about keeping the kids clean too.  I guess kids are just plain grubby no matter what you do.

[microwrx]

I just sold my first cab to my sister in-law (only way the wife would let me build a second one was to get rid of the first).  She gave it to her husband and son for Christmas.  I was showing them how the FE and everything worked and halfway through their first game of Double Dragon my nephew started getting annoyed that he couldn't make the dude on the screen do what he wanted so started yanking on the joystick and mashing all the buttons at once with his fist.

Needless to say his old man pulled him up pretty quick.  Don't know how long those sticks and buttons are gonna last.

[ErikRuud]

I have to agree with Santoro and Greven Grevs.  It is how the kids are raised.

Santoro actually sounds a lot like me. I'm 38 and my wife and I have really emphasized good behavior, manners, and respect for other people and their stuff.

A lot of the parents in our school district are amazed at how well behaved my six year old daughter is.  I see the way they ignore what their children are doing, and I am not surprised that they find good behavior so amazing.

I have had too come down hard on my some of my nieces and nephews in the past, but they seem to learning that they must behave while they are at my house.  I only had to raise my voice once at the family Christmas party last Saturday.

I do want the kids to have fun, and I enjoy playing right along with them, but I do expect them play nice. So far I have not had any issues with the kids playing on my MAME machine.

[RetroJames]

Luckily my wife and I are of the same mind when it comes to our coming daughter and any subsequent nippers.  Essentially we have 2 major criteria of equal importance that our children will have to abide by.  

Good attitude and consistent grades.

The good attitude involves behavior, demeanor, communication, manners, respect, empathy, and control.  

As far as grades go, long before our daughter sees a classroom she will be "studying" various subjects.  Presidents, math flashcards, geography, etc.  When she does begin school, we both expect her best effort in her studies.  To that end, every night after dinner will be homework time.  My wife or I at the table with our daughter every single night to ensure that all of her work is complete and checked.

I personally do not care if she decides as a teen to have a mohawk or dye her hair purple etc, as long as the grades and the attitude remain intact.  My feeling is that if she is doing well in her studies, she will build her self-confidence, self-worth, and gather the tools she will need for her to be independent.  Although her "attitude" will no doubt fluctuate during teen years etc, I would hope that she would return to the foundation we built in that regard and use it to her advantage in life.

Well, that was all pretty OT, but what the heck.

Oh yea, she will also be able to rival any boy in the arcade when it comes to video games!  We might even get her on a motocross bike!  If she is anything like my wife, she will not be timid...

[RetroJames]

Oh and on the dicipline front, I was goofing around with my wife the other day and gave her a swat on the butt.  She zipped away down the hall laughing.  I turned and said to her, and our impeding daughter, "Remember how that felt now, we give swats in this house!  No granola love-ins around here!"

I feel as though a spanking should come only as a last resort, but there is a time and a place.  I also like what a friend of mine did.  His son, about 3 was having a "hitting" problem.  He was repremanded twice in one day for hitting his dad, not when they were playing, but just out of the blue.  About an hour later, he hit his mom!

That child's life as he knew it literally came to a stop.  His dad gave him a spanking and made him sit in a corner in the kitchen to think about what he did.  When the boy was allowed to get back up, his dad took him to his room.  To the boy's surprise, EVERYTHING except the bed and the dresser was gone!  No toys, no crayons, curtains, nothing.

My friend told his son, "Everything you have was given to you by your Mother and I.  Thus, it is ours to take back.  We expect you to behave and listen to us when we speak to you etc.  When you show us you can behave and show self control, you can have your things back, one at a time."  He did give everything back over the course of the next two weeks.  His dad is not the kind to holler or yell or say no very often, hence when he does come down like this it really leaves an impression on his children.  I agree with his methods and tactics and will most likely use them as well.

Also, once when his boy had a tantrum in a store because he would not buy him some toy, my friend sat down on the floor in front of him and started "crying" and kicking and screaming just like the boy.  The boy instantly stopped and got very embarrased and told his dad to stop.  The boy now knows how silly it looks to have a fit in public and has been much better in that regard since the incident.

Too funny.

[Spaced Invader]

need to buy stock in Windex....

Cripes, me too. Between my PCs and my Mame cab, I could vomit at how filthy the screens get.  

My wife is fastidious about keeping the kids clean too.  I guess kids are just plain grubby no matter what you do.

My daughter (eight) just cleaned all the glass in the house for me...with LEMON PLEDGE! She was so proud. She told me we were out of the "blue stuff" so she just used the one that smelled the best. I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. Can't wait 'till she starts cooking! My mouth waters just thinking about the substitutions.

[Dak-ak]

out of all the expensive toys you can have, an arcade cab might just be the safest... they are designed to be in arcades being beat day in and day out...

[Harakiri]

It's all about some good education and also child attencion...

 

...or you can always drop them in the woods!  

[tiggertoo]

Bill Cosby says it best:

"I brought you into this world, I can take you out!"

Me, on the other hand:

Love, discipline, and respect. Then you don't need to worry about damage to your stuff. I have two teenagers and I have yet to have any problems with them damaging anything. Their friends, however...

[Pipercub]

Just remember that these games were designed to be put on location and treated like that by kids all day long for years with minimal maintenance. The occasional kid hanging from the joysticks or beating on the buttons is pretty insignifigant. You can bang those buttons as hard as you want and all you ever do is gently press the micro switch, and remember the whole assembly is $1.50.

[AlanS17]

Scuffs could be reduced by a plexi kickplate around the base. Corner protectors might also come in handy. That sort of stuff is good for all traffic, though - not just kids.

As for the joysticks, really little kids won't be able to reach them anyways. Just make sure the coin door stays locked. They could scrape themselves up or rip some wires (or both).

Also don't use any sideart that is prone to damage either through scuffing or liquids. I know some people have pasted high-quality paper to some of their machines. That's just asking to be hurt.

[shmokes]

Spanking your kids is about the most assinine thing on the planet.  You people need your heads examined.

[SirPeale]

Spanking your kids is about the most assinine thing on the planet.  You people need your heads examined.

Just curious...you have kids?

[JackTucky]

These are kids, not science projects.

As far as 1hooked's plans, remember that kid in the movie Parenthood who could speak different languages but wasn't having any fun?

Past the presidents and the flash cards, don't forget play doh and finger painting.

[RetroJames]

These are kids, not science projects.

As far as 1hooked's plans, remember that kid in the movie Parenthood who could speak different languages but wasn't having any fun?

Past the presidents and the flash cards, don't forget play doh and finger painting.

You are correct and I don't want to come across as some kind of taskmaster.  I am all about letting a kid be a kid.  Wife's an Art teacher so I think the nipper will get her share of finger painting etc!  I just think that a routine should be established early on with regards to homework in general so the habit is created.  In these times and certainly in the future, we seem to be expected to be able to retool our careers every few years or go into business for ourselves, both of which demand strong work ethic and a solid education as well as resigning ourselves to work 60 plus a week either on the job or through personal bettement.  The 5x40 workweek is dead and gone.  JMHO

[JackTucky]

You also say that you won't care what color their hair is, earrings, as long as they are good in school, etc.

I hope to be able to put up with it too.

BUT..................

In the supermarket last week, a boy, probably 17-18 years old, with jeans that dragged on the floor at least 3 inches, torn all the way up to his thighs, where you could see his fishnet stockings.

My 2 year old stared at him and his friend while we waited for my wife to come pick us up (in her minivan   ).  

My kid would have to be valedictorian, student body president, captain of football team, dating the prettiest cheerleader to get away with that.

[RetroJames]

You also say that you won't care what color their hair is, earrings, as long as they are good in school, etc.

I hope to be able to put up with it too.

BUT..................

In the supermarket last week, a boy, probably 17-18 years old, with jeans that dragged on the floor at least 3 inches, torn all the way up to his thighs, where you could see his fishnet stockings.

My 2 year old stared at him and his friend while we waited for my wife to come pick us up (in her minivan   ).  

My kid would have to be valedictorian, student body president, captain of football team, dating the prettiest cheerleader to get away with that.

Well, as an aging punk rocker myself, that probably won't be an issue, as long as grades and attitude are in check, and she is not harming herself or others or putting herelf in danger, I could care less what our kid wears or what she looks like.   Of course, if she wants to wear a 3 foot mohawk or pierce her eyelids, she will have to deal with the feedback that will bring and the fact that she may gain/lose oppourtunities based on how she presents herself to others.  What do I know, she is not even here yet, I am probably so way off...but that's my thinking right now

[SirPeale]

1hookedspacecadet, as a father of two (a three year and a one year old) I can only give you this advice:

After they're born, all expectations go right out the window.  Everything is so random your head will spin.  It gets to be old hat with the next, but everything is still random.

I don't know if you've done this yet, but BABYPROOF NOW.  This means anything and everything that can possibly be climbed on, torn apart, scaled, folded, spindled, mutilated must be dealt with.  And keep it so.  get in the habit of moving stuff NOW.  

Some stuff will be obvious, but other stuff not so.  Get on your hands and knees and look at the house from a baby's POV.  My youngest is locked into their room and the living room.  There is a gate blocking entrance to our bedroom and the kitchen/dining room.  The bathroom has a child device on the knob (which I'm pretty sure he's going to figure out any day now).  Our eldest can go to the other rooms either by climbing over the gate, or going via the bathroom (which has two doors).

[shmokes]

Just curious...you have kids?

No, not for a couple more years.  But that's just a red herring.  You could use that same argument (pretending for a second that it's a valid argument) if I said that I was never going to cut my kids hands off or send them to a KKK camp.  There ARE things one knows about oneself.


Plus, it's not like this idea of not spanking your kids is some new and radical idea that can't possibly be followed through with.  Over a quarter of the American population (and the vast majority of child development experts) believe that spanking is harmful and do not EVER spank their kids.  I've known dozens of people who have never been spanked.  My wife has never been spanked (at least not by her parents ).  

If you believe spanking is a valid and useful tool for teaching your children how they should behave, why do you believe that school teachers, who are charged with raising and educating your kids, should not be allowed to spank them?  Why is it that, if you believe that it's okay to hit someone for not behaving the way you want them to, you teach your children that they are not allowed to hit others.  When, exactly, will you stop spanking them?  When they become adults and it's illegal, or just when they're old enough to kick your ass if you try to lay a hand on them.  Why do you suppose that people believe that men shouldn't hit women?  Do you think that maybe it's because women, generally speaking, cannot physically defend themselves from men?  I'll tell you what, an adult woman is a lot better match for an adult man than a child is for an adult.

Anyway...I digress, I suppose.  At least this is arcade related.  Afterall, if you use ineffective methods of parenting your kids will have less respect for you and your arcade cabinet  

[RetroJames]

Anyway...I digress, I suppose.  At least this is arcade related.  Afterall, if you use ineffective methods of parenting your kids will have less respect for you and your arcade cabinet  

Points taken, nice segway back to topic!

[paigeoliver]

As far as the spanking thing goes. The six happiest most well adjusted kids I know (ages 11-19) all come from the same VERY STRICT family, and ALL of them got spanked when they were bad (still do apparently).

[shmokes]

As far as the spanking thing goes. The six happiest most well adjusted kids I know (ages 11-19) all come from the same VERY STRICT family, and ALL of them got spanked when they were bad (still do apparently).

Wow...that's some powerful stuff.  I take back everything I said.  

[paigeoliver]

As far as the spanking thing goes. The six happiest most well adjusted kids I know (ages 11-19) all come from the same VERY STRICT family, and ALL of them got spanked when they were bad (still do apparently).

Wow...that's some powerful stuff.  I take back everything I said.  

Eh, I could have wrote like 4 pages about it, but it wouldn't have done any good unless you actually know the people.  

[tmasman]

I've got to get in on this "no spanking" thing for a minute...
My sister has a 1 year old & refuses to physically punish him (spanking/slapping the hands/etc...)...  I don't think I can handle her saying "No Winter" one more freeking time!!!  (Yes the poor boy's name is Winter)

The child thinks it's a game EVERY time she says "No". He doesn't understand. The child is a hellion (or at least soon will be) because you can't exactly put a 1 year old in "Time Out"... he wouldn't understand that either. But he would understand that if I touch the Christmas tree & my hand gets slapped, maybe I shouldn't be touching the Christmas tree.

It doesn't teach you to hit others... I was beat sensless as a child (not literally... just spanked for everything I did something wrong) & I turned out pretty good... I never picked fights, or tried to hit people "because I learned to hit from my parents"...

It's all a matter of teaching...  "I'm the parent & you are the child". Not "I'm the adult & you're the helpless little kid".  If you spank them & never really tell them why, then you are wrong & the child will never learn, however, if you spank them & sit down with them & TEACH them why they were spanked, & that there are consiquences for actions, they learn & soon enough behave.

I'm sorry for rambling on, but give me a break...  My nephew won't be allowed near my projects because the child will have no respect for adults or other people's things.  

I personally don't have children, but I've worked with them enough to be able to pick out the children who are disciplined well (read spanked), from the children with liberal parents who "refuse to hit their children".

[eightbit]

I've got to get in on this "no spanking" thing for a minute...
My sister has a 1 year old & refuses to physically punish him (spanking/slapping the hands/etc...)...  I don't think I can handle her saying "No Winter" one more freeking time!!!  (Yes the poor boy's name is Winter)

Hopefully you never have children. You cannot spank a 1yr old. They won't get it. They are to young to understand why they are being hit and won't make the connection. There are also to young for timeout and you can not use logic or negotiate with a child that young. You need to refocus their attention and remove whatever it is that they are getting into from their reach. Try giving the one year old some positive attention. At that age they need constant stimulus and supervision you can't just set them down and expect them to entertain themselves like many parents do.

[bluGill]

I know good kids who were spanked, and who were not.   Spanking is just one disapline tool, and it works when used correctly.   However there are plenty of tools, use whichever works.  

My mom always said she could beat my brother to he was next thing to dead (not that she did), and as soon as her back was turned he'd be back at the same thing.   And the next kids one little whack and that was it, the bad behavior stoped and wasn't repeated.  

You have to figgure out how to raise your kids (and each is different) so that they are productive members of socity, not sitting behind bars.  It is hard, and being well meaning doesn't mean you will succede.   I know of no foolproof way to raise kids.  And I don't have them yet.  You can be both too strict and not strict enough.  

Good luck to those who are parents.  

[tmasman]

...You cannot spank a 1yr old. They won't get it. They are to young to understand why they are being hit and won't make the connection...

I know you can't spank a 1 year old... But they do understand the word No... And they do understand "Cause & Effect" to some extent...
Hence why I mentioned "I touch the tree & my hand gets smacked"... Not smacked hard by any means!!! You should NEVER EVER leave a mark on a child!!! Please don't think I'm that mean.  Just enough to be an unpleasant reminder.

Children do understand cause & effect at the age of 1 (At least the few 1 year olds I've known). I was just playing with my nephew & he knows, I cry, I get attention... I push this button, it makes a noise...

It just bugs me that the child has NO discipline what-so-ever. I know children need tons of stimuli, but I'm sorry... No means No & by 1 they understand what you're saying (at least the most common things in their environment & that you talk about to them most often...)  If they are about to do something dangerous & you say NO!... Should he stop, or keep going because he thinks it's a game?  It's called teaching your children to listen when they should. & Not letting them walk all over you.

Bah... I give up...
My projects are gathering dust...
Please just don't think I'm a child beating fool. I really am only refering to spanking & "smacking" as just enough to get their attention, not hurt them or leave a mark.  There is a huge difference there & that's not a line I'm willing to cross.

[shmokes]

 You should NEVER EVER leave a mark on a child!!!

Why not.  Wouldn't they be less likely to engage in future bad behavior the more unpleasant their punishment?

Spanking is no more effective than non-violent methods of disciplining children as far as stopping bad behaviors.  There is, however, a whole slew of negative side effects to spanking such as retarding social development, bed wetting, prolonged thumb-sucking, inferiority complexes......not to mention that if you teach your kids not act against your wishes out of fear of you, you will only be able to influence them as long as they are afraid of you (read: become teenagers).  Try mattering to your kids.  Take more than a passing interest in them.  Make them not WANT to disappoint you or make you angry because they like you.  That stuff is strong.  As your kids get older it takes harsher and harsher physical punishment to have the same effect.  By the time a kid is ten years old any spanking that doesn't leave a mark is a total joke.  

There is a considerable amount of evidence to suggest that some kids do not seem to suffer the negative effects of physical punishment to the same degree as others, but when there are other equally or more effective methods readily available why take the chance?  Would you advocate drinking or smoking during pregnancy simply because there is a reasonable chance that the kid will turn out "fine"?

I think it's hillarious and absurd to hear statements like, "the six most well adjusted kids I know..."  We're talking about periodic observations of a few people.  Try some science for a change.  There are dozens of studies with samples in the thousands from all kinds of demographics.  Many of these studies go on for decades.

[nipsmg]

shmokes,

First of all, it's dangerous to make a blanket statement by any means about that subject.  Spanking will work for SOME kids, for SOME it won't.  Yelling will work for SOME kids, SOME it won't.  Taking things away will work for SOME kids, SOME it won't.

I grew up to be a pretty well adjusted individual.  I did very well in school, had many friends, currently have a great job.  I love and respect my father, he's taught me most of what i know.  I love my mother to death too. We're very close.  BOTH of my parents spanked me, when I deserved it, and always told me why I was being spanked.  And it worked for me.

I was too creative as a child.  I used to tune out screaming.  I had an extremely overactive imagination, so if you took things away, I'd make a fort out of my pillows or play with a crayon and have a ball anyways, so that didn't help.  However, my mother would only have to threaten a spanking or say "Wait till your father gets home" and I would drop whatever I was doing.

Now there's a BIG difference between "beating" and "spanking" your children.  I will tell you however, that almost no matter how young, spanking CAN and DOES work.  and it IS the cause and effect thing.  If a child touches something hot and burns his hand, he doesn't do it again because he gets hurt.  If a child does something he shouldn't and gets spanked, he tends to make the same association.

I do agree that some parents take it too far, but there are some kids that need a swift kick in the ass before they'll behave.  The parents who REFUSE to physically punish their kids usually are the ones who end up with a complete brat on their hands.

I think balance is probably key.

--NipsMG