Ok this is kinda mean but I need some ideas

I have a 17 yr old, who LOVES to play music on his system. (Boston Acoustics Surround Sound)
Thats all fine and dandy.
HOWEVER he loves to play the bass (RAP) so loud that my system will actually vibrate when he does and even though my system could drown his out, I want to be able to think when I am playing music..
We have asked him SEVERAL times to keep it down to no avail.
I know I could disable his soundcard, switch his cables etc but he can figure that out.
Any suggestions short of melting the speakers?
:bnghd:

[Edited on 4-2-2004 by NetStorm]

Though question...Please use the computer related forum for further question like this...

Does he knows his way around windows? You could turn off all the volume functions, or even install a wrong sound driver, that should unable him to play music.

Or another trick, that was once played on me, pull of the speaker plug from the wall outlet, and put gray electric tape on the pin, so the contact cannot be made.

This way he won't be able to turn on his speaker, but WILL see they're plugged on the wall, so he will probably search others areas...

Can't think of other ways right now, but I might add others later.. Hopes it help.

(BTW: not letting your teen listen to his music might makes him very angry and unpredictable)

Originally posted by m0rbid
Though question...Please use the computer related forum for further question like this...

Does he knows his way around windows? You could turn off all the volume functions, or even install a wrong sound driver, that should unable him to play music.

Or another trick, that was once played on me, pull of the speaker plug from the wall outlet, and put gray electric tape on the pin, so the contact cannot be made.

This way he won't be able to turn on his speaker, but WILL see they're plugged on the wall, so he will probably search others areas...

Can't think of other ways right now, but I might add others later.. Hopes it help.

(BTW: not letting your teen listen to his music might makes him very angry and unpredictable)

Sorry didn;t see "computer forum" need to read better I guess.
Clear nail polish works better on the contacts for the speakers, you can;t see it.
And it's not that I DON'T want him listening to music, I just don;t want the whole block hearing it.
He actually vibrated my router connection loose once.
I have tried to find in the registry where you could set the volume on the thing to a certain level, but nothing is there.
Oh well guess I will just get ear plugs

Originally posted by NetStorm

Clear nail polish works better on the contacts for the speakers, you can;t see it.
And it's not that I DON'T want him listening to music, I just don;t want the whole block hearing it.

Hehehehehe...I'll try to remember that lol...

That's one tought situation you got there. I know if MY kid would "vibrate-off" my router connection, he would get his ass smacked.

I know you can limit the volume in windows, in a software way, but directly in the register so he can't find it? Not sure about that, probably possible, but wouldn't know how to do it my self. Good luck with that.

First off remind him and yourself who's in charge in YOUR HOUSE! (If it is your 17 y/o then you can stop here and get used to loud music! Otherwise go to step 2)

Second, Talk to him about the importance of Respecting Others and how you both need to respect each others Privacy, Peace of Mind, etc. per the Rules of YOUR HOUSEHOLD. (This will also benefit the rest of the world when he moves out one day!!)

Third, By respecting each other that includes NOT Disturbing the Peace! Tell him he can blast it as loud as he wants when 1.) You aren't home. 2.) You are home, but don't mind if he rattles the house with his music. & 3.) He blasts his music while wearing Headphones.

Now, if this doesn't work, then most likely there are more serious problems which are at the "Root" of this problem. The problem of Dis-Respect without a valid reason is more of a "Rotten Fruit" Result that has come from "Root Problems". One last thing of course is that "Respect" is a two way street, which includes you as well. Try the "Do as I say, not as I do" thing and you'll be listening to his Bass Thumping until you throw him out or he bails.

mojom.... you hit the nail on the head !

I remember my first "stereo" in my room when I was about 17, yeah I played it real loud too, for all of about 10 minutes, then my dad laid down the law...

I had a nice little peice of tape on the volume control and I knew that if it went past that, I wouldn't have a stereo very long....

Thanks for the advice. We have had several talks with him but they don't seem to matter. He's an awesome kid, but when he gets his mind set that "he's right" thats it, you're talking to a wall.
Funny thing is, he has 150.00 headphones, that he NEVER uses..ya know why? Cause at the volume he plays his music, it would rupture his eardrums.
Anyway, the negotiations continue.
Gotta take him for his "Cap and Gown" pic in a few so maybe we will have another chat.
Thanks again


[Edited on 4-2-2004 by NetStorm]

I really think your son needs some ass kickin.

Smack the kid over the head with a chair or dead fish!

Originally posted by m0rbid
I really think your son needs some ass kickin.

Knowing the little bastard, he'd sue his parents for abuse.

Ya know, 17 is pretty old. It may be too late for him to learn Mutual Respect for Others. In that case there is really only one thing to do. Trash him and start over!

You'd really be doing him and the rest of the world a favor ya know. He'll just end up in prison or something anyway cause he won't understand how to get along with others from a Equal point of view. Think about his unfortunate Girlfriend/Wife!! Can you say Spousal Abuse boys and girls?? Anger Management Classes???

Just kidding, I'm sure he's and outstanding young bag of People Flesh!!

what are parents still allowed to do to discipline thier children without being arrested?

this is absolutely unacceptable that he is not listening to your requests.

shut off the electricity to his room by throwing the circuit breaker. then put a lock on the circuit breaker box.

THis is a simple problem. GO like this:

"Yo, kid. This is how it is:

You turn that #ing subwoofer down, or I'm going to replace your sweet setup with a Sound Blaster 16 PCI card and speaker set from 1994 era. We'll see how you like the base then, beyotch!"

That sounds like the real DQ talkin'.

I would also enforce mandatory interspersement of Gene Krupa, Frank Sinatra, Wendy Carlos, Diamanda Galas and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with the vibrating-bass (c)rap.

Just take his speakers away if he will not listen.

mOjOm

Seriously, he must really get some discipline now, before he is let loose in the wild life! What will it be then? He just COULD get shot or end up in prison.
Respect is really important, and you betta learn that when you're still young.

I think disrespecting your parent is the worse kind of disrespect one can do. I know they say it's illegal to hit a kid once he turned to a teenager, but he really need to learn NOW!

When discussion is useless, diplomacy is out of stock and nothing will do...some good ole ass kickin' always do.

As Red Foreman from That 70s Show would say: "If you do that again, I'll make you wear your ass like a hat! Dumb ass.." Lol...

DramaQueen

Must admit I liked your approach lol...

Originally posted by m0rbid
mOjOm

Seriously, he must really get some discipline now, before he is let loose in the wild life! What will it be then? He just COULD get shot or end up in prison.
Respect is really important, and you betta learn that when you're still young.

I agree. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, the whole idea is to raise kids up to be Functioning & Productive Adults so that when they enter the "Wild" of Society, all us adults can live in relative harmony. Otherwise, the disfunctional members who do not yet "get it" simply cause chaos and trouble for the rest of us. They still must learn Respect for others, even if it comes from the heavy hand of Law & Punishment or even worse, the deadly hand of another Dis-Respectful misfit, which usually takes one or more innocent people with em.

I remember when I was a kid (10-12y/o) I was told to put my bike in a specific spot in my back yard instead of just inside the gate where someone might trip over it. About a week or so later, I of course didn't put it far enough out of the way. I spent the next two weeks walking to and from school cause my folks stole my bike to teach me a lesson. I say stole cause they didn't tell me until the next day when I was freakin out cause my bike was gone!! After that 2 weeks I did remember where to park my bike though. Leaving early to walk to school and getting home late spending the afternoons picking up walnuts teaches ya to do what you're told.

If that didn't work, or even sometimes cause Step-Dad was a mean cuss, we'd get the Belt!! Violence I don't recommend though cause it only teaches Violence. Taking away "Privileges" works just fine and leaves all "Rights" in place.

I totally agree with you. I know violence really isn't good, especially when you reach a certain age.

There's some 'mental' punishement who works just as well, like the example you cited.

The kid should get his speaker took away for some time... Please excuse me if I take this so seriously, but it simply amazes me how kids totally lack respect toward their parents nowaday. It simply AMAZE me! That's what happen when kids are babi-ed and spoiled too much, they don't respect anything/anyone afterward. IF I would dare lack respect toward my parent, when I was younger... I would knew it and pay for it RIGHT in the next FEW SECONDS...

Kids gets everything too easy todays. As I said, it kinda offend me personnaly, I don't have kids yet, but I've just seen too much (friends, relatives, familly) who totally disrespect their parent with few or no consequence.

As you said, eventually, those who were too dumb to learn this important lesson while growing up, from their parents usually, will most of the time have to learn it because of their acts, in the future, by laws & punishement, but they shouldn't have to... They should have learned when they had the occasion to.

Just buy him a pair of GOOD headphones.....

huh...if you read thru, you'll see he already have 150$ headphones...
I paid mine like 100 $ and they totally kick ass, so...

Lol..Just thought I would point it out.

[Edited on 4-2-2004 by m0rbid]

I agree with EVERYTHING you guys say. I was raised "a la Red Forman" and I don't think I would change a thing about how my folks raised me (except maybe my Dad being home more often). But....my SO (significant other) doesn't believe in grounding, etc , says that her kids turned out OK without it, which they did (One is a Navy Seal, the other is in college, and then the 17 yr old) BUT what they DON'T have (except the Seal cause that changed in boot camp :ham is RESPECT for other people and things.
Their motto is, I can do what I want as long as I don;t hurt anyone.
Which is kinda ok, BUT if you can't listen to what people ask you to do, then you are hurting someone. But anyway, the battle rages on, I really REALLY appreciate yall's input on all this
Have a funny day