Tinwhistles and two-year-olds ...

littlejohngael · Post by **littlejohngael** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 2:25 pm

I found my tinwhistle last night. It had been missing for half-a-day. I had it at the computer, turned around and POOF! it was gone.

Well, I knew I was in trouble, because I found it in my two-year-old's private stash of toys under our endtable. I picked it up and began to play. To my shock and horror, barely any sound came out.

Upon inspection, I found that my two-year-old had tightly stuffed it full of styrofoam. I can't get it out. I now understand how stupid it is to leave my only source of stress relief within reach of children. Question is, how do I undo the damage?

[edited by me ...]

[ This Message was edited by: littlejohngael on 2003-02-03 15:26 ]

goesto11 · Post by **goesto11** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 2:35 pm

I might try some warm, soapy water. The warm water might expand the metal (if the whistle is metal), and the soapy water would provide some lubrication.

I have a 20 month old who likes to play my whistles, and I was warned to be careful. Apparaently it is not uncommon for young ones who are walking and playing to trip and fall and get a serious injury to their pallatte (sp?).

John Mac

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 2:36 pm

Remove the head and use a chopstick to push the bits of foam out. Store it up high in the future. I have a 2-year-old and the thing that really improves his behavior is his little sister. He spends time telling her not to do things like play in the pet dishes that he used to play in. Gets loud sometimes, but then I can praise them both for staying out of the dog water.

Or get a new whistle. You know you wanted an excuse...

-Patrick

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 2:45 pm

Ahhh, kids, aren't they sweet? I feel for you - I have a 4 year old who covets any whistle left within his sight, but I now have him trained to leave my fav. Clarke original alone.

Anyway, I second the simply remove the head and push out the styrofoam. If the head is not removable, look at this:

http://www.chiffandfipple.com/tweak.html

If it's a Clark or Shaw where you can't remove the head/fipple, you'll have to get wire and use the tone holes to push down the styrofoam one note at a time.

Keep us posted!

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 2:46 pm

I have two Generation Ebs and a wooden recorder that my daughter did some serious teething on when she was about that age. Fortunately, they all still play, but they sure look like they've been through the wringer.

It's true about the potential for soft palate injuries too. In our case, it wasn't a whistle that was the culprit, but the wooden stick on a balloon...our daughter had a nasty, deep cut in her soft palate that scared us all half to death (fortunately no lasting injury, but it was a close thing).

Redwolf

bufo · Post by **bufo** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 2:46 pm

Everyone wants an excuse for another whistle. I was going to buy a book on music, and it came out to less than the shipping. So what did I do? I bought another whistle. It really is a contagious disease

littlejohngael · Post by **littlejohngael** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 2:50 pm

Well, okay, I WAS looking for a reason to get a new one, but I'll try the removal of the fipple (it's a Walton -- one of my first whistles). I was afraid to try this for fear of never getting it back in tune. I'll bite the bullet. ... I've been wanting to try my hand at tweaking anyway.

Thanks!

chas · Post by **chas** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 3:04 pm

On 2003-02-03 15:36, Patrick wrote:
I have a 2-year-old and the thing that really improves his behavior is his little sister. He spends time telling her not to do things like play in the pet dishes that he used to play in.

Or get a new whistle. You know you wanted an excuse...

-Patrick

Geeze, do they stop playing in the pet dishes that soon?

I agree, get the little tyke a Meg or something. My 1.5 year old has a couple of whistles of her own. Her taste, though, really tends toward the Water Weasels (esp. the A and Bb). On the one hand, they are pretty indestructible, on the other hand, they're really not whistles that I want to lose for six months before finding them inside the sofabed or something.

spittin_in_the_wind · Post by **spittin_in_the_wind** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 3:31 pm

Oh boy, do I hear you! Do yourself a favor, invest in your future mental health, and get a new one anyways!!!! The nicer, the better, and give yourself a major case of WhOA! Tell your family we said so! My daughter keeps stealing every new one I get, the nicer the better....but I won't let her touch the Dixon, since sometimes they're used as a weapon against the brother, and she's not real good about rinsing out her mouth.

Robin

Sunnywindo · Post by **Sunnywindo** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 8:17 pm

Ah yes.... nothing like small children and whistles!

Good luck on the whistle thing... my son completly dented the mouth piece of my first Clarke, whistle's never been quite the same since. Thank heavens they eventually start to learn concepts like being careful and not getting into things without asking if it's okay.

_________________
'I wish it need not have happend in my time,' said Frodo.
'So do I,' said Gandalf, 'and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'

-LOTR-

[ This Message was edited by: Sunnywindo on 2003-02-03 21:19 ]

spittin_in_the_wind · Post by **spittin_in_the_wind** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 8:39 pm

On 2003-02-03 21:17, Sunnywindo wrote:

Thank heavens they eventually start to learn concepts like being careful and not getting into things without asking if it's okay.

[ This Message was edited by: Sunnywindo on 2003-02-03 21:19 ]

When exactly does that happen? LOL! I caught my 6 year old cutting open the new package of sticky tack I bought, and there were suspicious strips of sandpaper on my desk--I think she was trying to tweak her Generation F after watching me work on my Little Black and Clare! She thinks all this whistle stuff is pretty cool....I can only hope she pursues it.

Nyghtshayde · Post by **Nyghtshayde** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 9:27 pm

Oi, I have a two year old too, who is also obsessive about stealing my whistles. This is the longest I have gone without being able to find one of them though.

Wouldnt you know it, I bought an oak this weekend, got to play it long enough to realize what a difference it made over the other one... until I got the numb lips and that god awful taste in my mouth from the fipple.

-sigh- Wouldnt you know it, its my other playable, non poisonous, non-nauseating and safe whistle thats gone missing.

-Shay
-currently suffering from whistle withdrawal shakes-

Tyghress · Post by **Tyghress** » Mon Feb 03, 2003 9:43 pm

Shay, I TOLD you to put on a video of Iron Chef for him! Geez!

Does a good soaking help with the numb lip? what about chapstick or something along those lines?

Easily_Deluded_Fool · Post by **Easily_Deluded_Fool** » Tue Feb 04, 2003 2:05 am

Velcro ( nylon tape with hooks on one piece, and 'woollen' finish on the other) can be used to safeguard whistles from young children.

1)Fix a square of velcro (hook side)on the wall, about 6 feet off the ground.

2) Sew the woollen side of the velcro strip to the childs clothes, along the arms, legs and back. In extreme cases socks too.

3) Place child gently against the square on the wall. This fixes the child in place, off the ground so they can't 'push away'.

4) Put yer whistles where yer like, 'cos they can't get to 'em!

No whistles or children were harmed during this transmission.

[ This Message was edited by: easily_deluded_fool on 2003-02-04 05:51 ]

hank123 · Post by **hank123** » Tue Feb 04, 2003 2:46 am

Shay,
get an Acorn. I have found it to be almost identical to my Oak, only a brass tube (not Nickel (?) like the Oak) and NO NUMB NASTY tasting lips after playing Banish Misfortune on it