What may be getting lost in this is that using drop boards does not mean one never opens a hive. There are times and reasons for both and they depend on many factors, including the reason for maintaining the hives.  

Most 'experts' advise going through a hive at least once a year to examine the brood and the comb, and some more often.

One writer mentioned encouraging beginners to pop the lid often and I see this as harmless and minimally invasive if done with some understanding in terms of timing and method.  I do it myself.  My Dad used to have a plexiglass inner cover on his hobby hives so he could look in.  It is a great idea for beginners but the plexiglass gets gummed up over time. Clear plastic sheeting is cheaper and disposable.

When it comes to pulling frames, though, we are definitely invading the hive so if we care about disruptions to the development and harvest, we need to understand the effects and  have a good purpose  in mind and necessary supplies at hand before we start pulling frames.  

As for children working on beehives, one day I went outside and found my three?-year old son half naked taking the frames of bees and brood out of a hive I kept close to the house and leaning them up against the hive the way he had watched me do.  He had at least six out by the time I arrived, so it can't be all that hard for kids.  I have pictures of my grandkids holding combs covered with bees.

Inspecting for AFB and brood disease is considered to be a good reason to pull frames and a major reason for having moveable frame hives.  

There are other good reasons to disturb a hive but whenever an alternate method of accomplishing the goal is available, perhaps that should be pursued.  However, for a beginner, going through frame by frame is educational and maybe that trumps potential harm to the hive like queen loss, brood being blocked when bowed frames are inserted out of order or with bowed side to bowed side.

We all have to learn sometime and make mistakes.

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