STIFLE your BRAT!!

[Barracuda]

I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy tonight in 3D at a theater that shows slightly out of date movies cheap tonight. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, aside from one thing:

When you bring your child who can't be more than 5 to a movie of this type, KEEP HIM IN HIS SEAT. It is RUDE to allow him to run around the theater, crawl on the floor, and run in circles around half the theater, while jumping and noisily banging down his feet every so often. I also do not appreciate him running by me, making loud thumping noises on the floor the whole time, or hanging off the railing between levels and kicking the wall. Honestly. Talk about stupid. I almost, no fooling stood up and yelled, "HEY! CONTROL YOUR BRAT!!" Next time, I just might.

[An Haddock]

I can sympathize... although the best move would probably be to alert management rather than get in a confrontation. That way the theater is alerted to the problem and can record the complaint about the incident. And if the parent continues to allow their child to run around uncontrolled, the next move is they get kicked out or the nice men in the blue uniforms remove them.

[Monterey Jack]

That's why I firmly believe that NO children under the age of five should be allowed into a movie theater. I don't care if the movie is rated "G", kids that young do not have the patience or self-restraint to sit through a two-hour movie, and they won't even be able to follow the plot anyways, so why bother? You're just wasting your money, the kid won't really enjoy it, and you're gonna piss off every adult in the room. Keep the kiddies at home until they're at least six or seven.

[Sapphire Silk]

I used to take my four year old niece to the movies all the time. She loved going to the movies, and I would take her to stuff her parents didn't want to see (all G rated of course).

It really wasn't too hard to keep her in her seat. I would let her move around a bit before the movie started, because the rule was once the theater went dark her butt was in the seat for the duration. The rule was also she didn't run around screaming, and she didn't go near other people.

If she got fussy, I would take her outside and settle her down before going back in. It didn't take much for her to understand that bad behavior = having to leave the movie.

Her brother was a bit more challenging. We'd let him run around the theatre before the movie started IF there wasn't anyone else in there. He'd burn off his excess energy, and that would pretty much be that. He still gets restless, but as long as he sits away from his sister, it's not too bad.

Funny thing was, I went to see Big Hero Six last week. There was a mom there with a boy about six or seven years old. He wanted to run around the theatre before the movie but his mom said no . . . because there were other people already there (not just me; if it had just been me I would have told her to let him run).

[AnaKhouri]

My son saw his first movie in a theater when he was 3. He sat still, watched, whispered when he wanted to ask me something, and didn't get up once, not even to pee.

It depends on the child, and you have to know the kid to know if they would handle a theater movie. And you have to know what's appropriate; Older Son is 5 and I don't consider Guardians of the Galaxy to be appropriate for him right now (even though he loves the idea of Groot). Most children that age do better with animation; he tends to lose interest in live-action pretty quickly. It's also very loud and very violent. The parents of that child were bring selfish in taking him to a movie he'd have no interest in.

I would never take a baby to a movie, as I've seen some people do. But if the kid is mature enough to handle it, I don't have a problem with it even if they're 2 or 3. In fact I am taking Older Son to see Big Hero 6 this week.

So blame the parent(s), it's their problem for taking their kid to a movie when he obviously couldn't handle it.

[Captain Trips]

I remember drive-ins.

When I was 5, my parents took the family to see The Sound of Music. (First run. Yes, I'm that old.) The theater was one with two aisles down the sides, and one in the middle at right angles to those two. We sat in the row on the right just at the cross-aisle. And pretty much all I remember of the movie was playing in that aisle (in front of our seats) with my 3-year-old brother, we were both bored. (We were well-behaved enough that we didn't bother anyone else, and even the ushers were understanding. But we were too young for a movie theater.) (Yes, I remember a fair bit of details, but not too much of the movie....)

After that, our parents took us to drive-ins until we were old enough to sit quietly through a movie. Too bad that option has pretty much disappeared now.

[notalwaysright]

I don't even remember when I first saw I movie in a theater. My parents are the kind of people who love their own kid but have no patience for other kids. I have fairly clear memories of being a little kid and watching another kid my age throw a tantrum and thinking "why is she doing that?" I don't see movies in theaters much, it's so easy for others to ruin it for me. Yes, I'm a cranky pants. But I know it, and stay away accordingly.

[Sheldonrs]

When I was 5, my parents took the family to see The Sound of Music.

Same for me. About the same age and also at a drive-in and also "The Sound Of Music". :-) First movie I ever saw.

[MoonCat]

I always thought drive-ins were cool. I think the last one around here only closed a couple of years ago. Sad

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I always thought drive-ins were cool. I think the last one around here only closed a couple of years ago. Sad

You can check with this site to see where the closest drive-in is located that's still operating.

http://www.driveinmovie.com/mainmenu.htm

My state currently has 9 listed but two of those are showing as dark. I'd have to drive 45 minutes to Eden currently.

Of course, this late in the year some of those are already closed, as they are operating on a seasonal basis. Maybe next spring I can get a chance to go.

We used to have one here in Greensboro (somewhere off US 29 I think) that had a playground area for the kids. But of course that was back in the 70's - it closed down sometime in the 80's.

[shanarocks]

I tried to take my daughter to see Horton Hears A Who some years ago and she started fussing (she was about 1yr old). I left. I wasn't about to try and stay in there with her being a brat. She never fussed at a movie again after that. I guess she didn't think I'd leave the theater. Showed her...lol.

[carryonnow]

I am a grandparent raising my two grandsons. One of my grandsons has ADHD and one has sensory issues. I would never dream of subjecting the general public to a night of terror in the cinema by dragging the boys out to see a movie.

Thankfully, there is an organization in my local area that has "sensory friendly" movies...the volume is lower, the theater is not completely dark, kids can bring their security blankets, and all the adults there understand that meltdowns happen because our kids all deal with the same challenge.

SO--while the kid may be a brat--and the parent may not appear to care, there is a chance that child has a sensory issue or other challenge that may not be easily seen....I am more patient with the child than I am with the oblivious parent(s) who wont look up from their phones.

[VComps]

I am a grandparent raising my two grandsons. One of my grandsons has ADHD and one has sensory issues. I would never dream of subjecting the general public to a night of terror in the cinema by dragging the boys out to see a movie. Thankfully, there is an organization in my local area that has "sensory friendly" movies...the volume is lower, the theater is not completely dark, kids can bring their security blankets, and all the adults there understand that meltdowns happen because our kids all deal with the same challenge. SO--while the kid may be a brat--and the parent may not appear to care, there is a chance that child has a sensory issue or other challenge that may not be easily seen....I am more patient with the child than I am with the oblivious parent(s) who wont look up from their phones.

That organization rocks!

More places should do that. And more theatres should do matinée shows for parents of young kids so that they can go and enjoy the movie without having to worry about non-parents having their nights affected.

[taxguykarl]

You can check with this site to see where the closest drive-in is located that's still operating.

http://www.driveinmovie.com/mainmenu.htm

Hey cool....there's one within 5 miles of my place.

[Kagato]

That's why I firmly believe that NO children under the age of five should be allowed into a movie theater. I don't care if the movie is rated "G", kids that young do not have the patience or self-restraint to sit through a two-hour movie, and they won't even be able to follow the plot anyways, so why bother? You're just wasting your money, the kid won't really enjoy it, and you're gonna piss off every adult in the room. Keep the kiddies at home until they're at least six or seven.

Sorry, but I am going to very STRONGLY differ to your opinion on this - my two nieces are 5 and 7, my sister took them to see Frozen back when it was in the movie theatres and their eyes were basically glued to the screen the entire time - and they sure as heck were not the only kids in the theatre around that age.

That being said, the cinemas here have the right idea with a special session mid-week exclusively designed for parents with kids, usually a G rated film for the kiddies or a PG rated romance style film for the parents, but it is screened with the proviso that anyone that enters realises there WILL be crying, breast/bottle feeding, all that stuff that comes from early parenthood - basically a perfect opportunity for parents to get out of the house without people being judgemental so-and-so's. Saying that they "don't have the patience or self restraint" is just stereotyping.

I COULD say more, but I'd be entering fratching territory so I won't.