I learned early not to leave a sewing machine where boys can have access to it. Growing up, the only place my Mom had for her sewing machine was in the room that my four brothers slept in. (What was she thinking?) At bed time, every once in a while, which ever was the first one in the room would unscrew the light bulb, place the foot pedal under their shirt on the floor a little ways out from the sewing cabinet & turn on the machine's power switch, then turn off the room light and jump into bed quick. When one of the other unsuspecting brothers came into the room and stepped on the shirt, the machine would race scaring the bajeebers out of the one stepping on the foot pedal. So I always kept my room locked when my three sons got old enough to think of those kind of pranks. I also told them that they would be "dead meat" if they touched my machine or sewing tools, especially my Gingher shears!