Why is it that parents have no common sense when deciding to take their kids out for the afternoon?

Question

My girlfriend and I wnet to see the movie "Cars" this weekend.
We decided we should see it this weekend since it had been out for a couple of weeks and has received some good reviews.

While this is an animated movie, we did expect that some people would bring their children to the theater.
As we started watching the previews, it was obvious that the parents were not going to be able to keep these kids quiet.
Parents didnt just bring in children, they brought in toddlers.
Im talking abouot children under the age of 5 who have no understanding of what they are going to see. Children that have no ability to sit still for an extended amount of time, and will begin to cry or yell at their parents when they are bored or arent able to get up and do something that they want.

Is it reasonable to expect that there may be a time in which children under the age of 5 would be banned from the public movie theater, until they can sit still and focus on the movie?

Answer 1

It is a children's movie, but I think you're right. Children under the age of 5 should not be allowed to view the movie, as they will have a difficult time sitting still and being quiet.

Answer 2

Its to be expected that some kids wont be able to sit through a movie (even over the age of 5--go figure! they are kids!). If a child is acting that way, then it is the parent's responsibility to remove them from the theater.
That being said, children under the age of 5 DO know what they are watching. Our daughter is 3.5 years old and knows what she is watching when it comes to both movies and tv shows. She sat through her first movie at the age of 20 months (give or take a month). She has been to quite a few children's movies since and not once did she cry or scream (did fall asleep once though, but even I almost did that. darn boring movie).
I think YOU are totally out of line thinking that chilren under 5 need to be banned from a public theater. It is a public theater, you're going to get disrupptions now and then. It can be kids at a children's movie or rude teens/adults at a more mature movie. Get used to it, it happens.
Also a toddler is ages 1 to 2. Ages 3 to 4 are considered pre-school. Once they are in Kindergarten they are school-aged children. FYI for someone who must not have children.

Answer 3

No, I think that you set yourself up for disappointment. The movie that you chose to see is a children's movie. I am a single parent and I ask you this, I am suppose to deny one child from something he or she wants, just because the other child is too young to understand it?

Here is what you do. First realize that the movie is a children's movie and there will be a LOT of kids there. Second, remember that children are sometimes very hard to contain, they are literally bursting with energy. Third, next time you decide to go see a children's movie, take in the last showing of it. Most parents take their children to the movies between Noon and the evening showing of 5/6pm. Find the last showing, example: 10pm. Most parents are not going to want to have a child, especially a child under the age of 5 out after 11pm and Midnight. Its really just a matter of thinking logically about the situation.

Answer 4

I think it's perfectly reasonable. Perhaps not ban them, but there should be restrictions. I mean, the theater should hold the right to remove problematic families from the theater just like they would anyone else. As it is now, if you complain about a consistantly loud child a theater cannot remove the problem because they could get sued for discrimination. I'm a movie buff, my wife and I go to the theater at least 3 times a month and occasionally run into this problem. I have to agree that it should be dealt with in some way... it's just a matter of finding out how.

Answer 5

All children are different. I started taking my oldest grandson to the movies when he was 1 and I never had a problem with him. He always sat there and watched the movie and enjoyed it. However, when I took his cousin who is 2 years younger, the first time, he was 2. He did not do as well and started getting jumpy about 30 minutes into the film. I took him out of the theater and let him run around in the lobby. We tried again to go back in and sit down but he just couldn't so I took him home.

I don't have a problem with people taking their children to the movies but they should recognize their children's limits and act accordingly. For the comfort of others, we have always left when a child could not sit and behave during a movie.

Out of respect for others you should not stay with a crying child. Unfortunately, most people think that since they paid for a ticket it entitles them to stay. They don't stop to think that everyone else in the theater paid the same price as them.

Answer 6

The problem is that people are looking for the movie theaters to "ban" children under 5..and suing gun companies because Junior shot up the whole 4th grade and carrying on at the school districts because the principal and teachers aren't doing enough to raise people's kids for them.
What it boils down to is people in general have forgotten about courtesy for others and it seems that they have forgotten raising their children themselves, not looking for the school district and the movie theater to tell them what they should already know.
My daughter is 3. She is perfectly capable of sitting through a movie at the theater and not bothering anyone. Because she is being taught that others in the theater have come to see the movie too. If she were to become antsy..which she wouldn't..it would be up to me or my husband to remove her from the theater so that everyone else could see the movie. We don't need a "rule" telling us that we can't bring our children to the movies, because we have consideration for others.

Answer 7

first of all, the movie theaters are not going to ban people from seeing a movie when they have to pay for the ticket. thats bad business.

however, as i was reading through, some genius said that the theater can't ask a family with an overly unruly child to leave because of discrimination. HELLO!!! people, before you go spouting off on all your "rights" in this country, PLEASE know what they are!! YES, a theater can most definitely ask an unruly patron to leave, and if its a child, then someone has to go with it.
what would make someone think that a theater can't make a continuously screaming child to leave? most parents run like hell out of the theater if one of their kids starts making a racket.

my suggestion, over and above seeing the later showing or another movie, is to have some patience, and sit away from the kids. were there any that were really loud enough to cover the sounds from the movie? movies usually blast my eardrums.

Answer 8

I see terrible examples of parenting every day, but you may be surprised to know that a child under 5, can enjoy,appreciate, and behave at the theater. Each child has differerent levels of concentration and abilities for sitting still and being quiet. What you can hope for is good parental decisions and consideration for others. That seems to be happeining less and less. My suggestion is to go to the latest showings of these kinds of movies possible, and do not go to a weekend matinée showing . Hey kids gotta have fun too!.

Answer 9

Not really, especially when it means another income from a movie ticket purchase for the theatre. These kinds of movies are meant for children. A suggestion would be to see the movie later in the evening when most younger children are already in bed. Either that, or wait until it hits dvd and rent or buy it.

Answer 10

Wouldn't it be reasonable for old fools to get lifes and stay out of kids movies. because just like some adults are rude some kids are rude but my 22 months old is perfect in the theatres and sits the whole movie. Like others have said if your idea of a date movie is "cars" since you look to be about 40 from your picture maybe something is wrong with you. Maybe you should have waited for this movie to come out on DVD since it's a amied at kids. We pay our money for the movie we have our right to stay if you had a problem you had the right to leave and ask for your money back ......