PC Setup for Small House with Child?

nzgeek asks: "I've been managing with a pokey Windows notebook for a couple of years now, and am desperate to get a decent PC for development and gaming. Problem is, our house is tiny and we have a 1-year-old entropy generator running amok. What's the best recommendation for getting a full-power desktop PC installed in our house? My ideal setup would be a mini-tower case hidden in a cupboard, with a remote LCD monitor, mouse, keyboard, and headphones. The keyboard and mouse can be done via bluetooth, and there is no problem with cable length for headphones. The major stumbling block is VGA connection for the monitor. Any suggestions on how to overcome this problem?"

Comments

Quick recommendation

[Lenolium]

Just a quick recommendation from someone with a little nephew. Avoid wireless mice and keyboards like the plague. Sooner or later, those mice and keyboards become intriging targets to play hide and seek with. It's all fun and games until they decide that hiding in their cereal is a good spot.

old-fasioned

[Anonymous Coward]

Teach him not to mess with Dad's stuff. I recommend a wide leather belt which makes a memorable sound when snapped. You'll probably only need to wack him with it lightly a few times; at that age, you can make a big production out of the punishment and he'll cry and feel awful without the belt even touching him. Then just leave it hanging up somewhere, and glare at it meaningfully when he's bad.

Or, you can just let him fuck over your whole life for 18 years, and his for his entire lifetime, which may well be unusually short if someone else puts an end to his nonsense later on.

Re:old-fasioned

[poningru]

or instead of being a complete asshole to your kid, why not try teaching him about respecting others belongings, or heres an idea when he reaches that certain age teach the kid about the computer, so that he will grow up liking the thing. This kind of fear instilling punishments may actually work but it does nothing for the kids emotional developement apart from developing irrational fear for a belt and/or a computer; oh and this will certainly help him develope love and respect for his parents.

Get your child involved

[neitzsche]

Before each of my children were one year old, they were familiar with Jump-Start Teddy. Before they (each) were two, they were able to start the computer and get JST running so that they could sit in a favorite aunt/uncle/parent's lap. My oldest sister did not know how to turn that particular PC on, but my 11 month old son did it for her one day. (I had a link for JST to start as soon as that computer was on.)

Children are looking up to you as their role model. Just like putting on daddy's shoes to tromp around the kitchen, they want to do things their parents do. The sooner they understand what they are and aren't allowed to do on your computer, the sooner you will have respectable uptime on your home web server.

The last thing I want is for my children to follow me into the computer industry. But they each have a solid understanding of how a computer is used as a tool. They also have a healthy respect for electrical dangers.

Take LOTS of pictures when they are young!

Re:Better yet

[mvdw]

I agree with this totally. I have two smallish boys (now 6 and 8); I have never had a problem with them playing with my stuff. And if it does become a problem, make it not a problem by teaching the kid to use the computer! Children are not these little things that get in the way of the rest of your life, they *are* the rest of your life. Embrace and extend, in the best MS philosophy!