Is piano safe for toddler

[musingmuso]

I would like to get a piano for our kitchen-diner, just a free to collector upright, nothing fancy. We have a nearly 2yo and id like her to be able to play with it while I'm cooking etc a few metres away.

I have a digital piano tucked away but it is on a stand and I think she would soon bring it crashing to the stone tiles or mess with the cables if I moved it to the dining area.

I was thinking a real piano would be safer and nicer, but will it or will she slam her fingers in it somehow or find some other way to injure herself? Will I just need to look for one with a lockable lid (seems a shame to keep it locked though) or it it better to wait till she's older, what age works? Am I overthinking this 😊

We tied a bungee rope around the lid and the back so that the lid was always open.

it was strong. Actually not unattractive, and it never crashed down.

Oh there's an idea I hadn't thought of! Much nicer than a locked piano. Good old mumsnet, thank you.

We have a piano and 3 kids. Most of the musicians I know (and lots of non-musicians) have a piano and also have had kids. No one locks the piano and no ones had a problem.

Find a way of wedging the fall board up, or just take it off ? A kitchen diner may not be the best environment for a piano though, humidity from cooking or alot of direct sunlight and high temperatures from lots of glazing.
You could use your digital piano and secure it to the wall the same as other easily toppled furniture.

The bit that covers the keys on our upright folds behind the whole front of the piano. There's no way a toddler could lift it

Hmm so it sounds like there's a few options for preventing trapped fingers, I can make sure I buy one that we can make safe somehow.

Good point about the kitchen diner environment @Nosecamera, I'd better get the cooker hood fixed, haven't been here in the summer yet but should be able to close the blinds if it's too hot, the piano shouldn't be directly in the sun. It may not be the ideal environment but for the kind of piano I'm talking about at least it won't be going to the tip or on the fire.

I bought this to prevent trapped fingers for my toddler and it works perfectly.

Alnicov Piano Slow Soft Fall Device Hydraulic Pressure Fallboard Decelerator Keyboard Cover Descend Control Devic(Gold) amzn.eu/d/dmbqewB

Oh wow now there's a gadget! It sounds like I have pretty much no excuse not to buy a piano now 😊

We have a digital piano, bought before DD was born. It's built into a pretty solid body, I was never worried DD would tip it over. Ruin it (in a variety of ways) yes, but I've not been worried about her safety.

We have always had my upright in the dining room. I have 3 teen DC and all survived it!!! I think you may be slightly over thinking....
My piano was at much worse risk but is still in one piece! It is in kitchen diner now and surviving the steam etc. In fact my tuner said its actually liking the humidity!
All 3 play. Middle child is seriously good. Unfettered access at 2 is surely a good thing all ways round.

We bought a piano and we're very clear on respecting it. We never had any problems with our 3 ds. There was always music on it so not that easy to shut the lid on fingers.

My digital piano is portable just sitting on a keyboard stand and I hadn't really thought about it but there would be any number of ways to ruin it in a dining area with food and drink about.
I like to think of unfettered access at 2 being a good thing, I would like to give her that opportunity.

Sorry posted too quick, yes of course music may help hold things in place although I'll need to keep it out of tearing distance to begin with.