Tell the kids to suck it up. haha I would have been thrilled to have a ride like that as a kid even if the exhaust sounded like nails on a chalk board!
(Of course my dad had a '74 Chevy K20 with 3" side pipes. SOunded like a poor mans stock car and I loved it!) Maybe I'm weird, just cut the muffler out of my diesel too!
Seriously, I'd try some turndown tips first, that should help with the noise from the rope.