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It may also be because the kids have changed the sound settings. To check this go to:
Start > Control Panel > Sounds And Audio Devices. From here there are multiple tabs and settings you can adjust. Each computer is slightly different depending on what drivers are installed and what audio software is being used. The best advice is to look through the various tabs/settings and find any that say 'Restore Defaults'. One of the tabs should open a page that looks like a graphic equaliser. Check for an echo setting and turn it right down.