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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Xbox 360 Toddler-proofing

The main form of entertainment in our household is an Xbox 360. We use it for movies and Netflix, my husband plays games on it with his buddies, and we've recently started to use it for a connection to Pandora music in our main living space. If we're home, it's probably on in our living room. Or...it used to be.



Because it is used so much we don't dare put it inside our entertainment center behind closed doors.  To do so would risk extreme overheating and ruin the system. And that is just not an option! So, it sits up on top of the entertainment center...eye-level to a toddler.

Now I want you to take a look at the above photo.  See that green lighted ring around the power button. It's the equivalent of a bug zapper.  My girly sees the light and is drawn straight in. It's compulsive...she just HAS to push that button.  And once she does, she's rewarded with a pleasant little chirp to tell you the system has just shut off, or on, or off, or on, or off, or on... as she KEEPS pushing it in rapid succession. Yeah. Not cool. For us or for the electronic components.

I started browsing the web to see if I could find some type of guard to go over the front.  I did find a few (not specific to the Xbox but general ones for dvd players and such that would have worked fine), but they were at least $10 before shipping and all were just a cheap piece of plastic. Of course they aren't sold in stores, so I also couldn't just go out and get one.  So I started thinking...

Meet the bent acrylic picture frame!

 
 
A plain 8x10 frame, in landscape orientation. Normally $5 in JoAnn's framing department, on sale for half off. I flipped it around so it now sits like this on my entertainment center.
 
 
 
Avery can't push the button, it's clear enough that the remote and controllers can still be picked up by the sensor on the front of the Xbox, no airflow vents are blocked, and it's quick and easy to remove when we need to throw a disc in.  And again...$2.50.  You're welcome. Have fun toddler-proofing your own.


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