Kids in Movie...Vent

[Eeyores Butterfly]

My friend and I went to see Up tonight and these two kids behind me were literally yelling through half the movie! There were many times when we could not hear the dialogue. There was also a little girl (maybe four years old) at the end of the row who did not stop talking. At least the kids behind us the parents did tell them to be quiet (not that they listened). The girl at the end of the row, the mom couldn't be bothered.

This really irritates me. Movies can be expensive and nobody wants to hear your little kid yelling the whole time. I'm glad they were enjoying it, but I wish they had done it quietly. If you're going to take your kids to the movie, you need to talk to them beforehand about being quiet during the movie, and be prepared to take them to the lobby if they are too noisy. If they can't be bothered to take them out to the lobby then they need to consider hiring a sitter.

I don't mind if a child talks once in awhile, it happens. But when a kid is literally yelling- or they are talking non stop, the parents need to step in.

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

I feel ya. I've experienced that a lot lately.

I would have asked the kids to be quiet, and if that didn't work, I would have asked the parents to have their kids be quieter. Of course I would understand it's a kid's movie...but that doesn't give the kids permission to talk throughout the movie. If they continued to be noisy and the parents weren't helping and it really was hard to hear the movie, I would have complained to a manager. Maybe that would have helped?

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I feel ya. I've experienced that a lot lately.

I would have asked the kids to be quiet, and if that didn't work, I would have asked the parents to have their kids be quieter. Of course I would understand it's a kid's movie...but that doesn't give the kids permission to talk throughout the movie. If they continued to be noisy and the parents weren't helping and it really was hard to hear the movie, I would have complained to a manager. Maybe that would have helped?

I thought about saying something but really did not want to get into an altercation. Sadly, you never know these days. I did turn around a couple of times and they got the hint and reminded the kids to be quiet. As far as getting a manager... I'm stubborn. I don't see why I should miss part of the movie because somebody else can't keep their kids quiet!

 

[Beca]

I'm sorry the noise was so excessive! That being said, I do tend to cut kids a LOT of slack when I am in a "kids" movie. We went to go see Up opening day (during the day) and there were a LOT of kids talking. However, I do expect to hear more kids talking during daytime showings than in the evening. When my dd was 3 or 4 and she wanted to see a movie, I would often take her during the day, during the week when I knew there would be lots of other preschoolers there as well. Even now (she is 7), we still went to see Up at a 2:30 showing. She didn't say a single word during the show, but we knew that we would hear other little kids talking at that showing.

Now, to not be able to hear the dialogue can get frustrating!! However, the WORST show I can remember for this was opening night of "17 Again". Everytime Zac Efron appeared on the screen the screaming was so loud. This guy is like the newest Elvis!! Sometime, I think I would like to see that show again so I can hear all the dialogue I missed the first time!!!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I realize in a kids' movie there is going to be a little noise. As long as the parents are attempting to keep the kids quiet and it's not the same kids the entire time I can cut them some slack. But when the kids are literally yelling or it's the same kids over and over, that's crossing a line. The theatre was packed and it was only those three kids who had a problem. All the rest were able to stay quiet during the movie, so it can be done!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I had close to the same experience during WALL*E. There was little boy sitting right behind me who loudly talked through the entire movie like he was sitting on the couch at home. I realized from then on if I'm going to be watching movies where there'll more than likely be a lot of kids, I'll wait for it to come out on Netflix

I, too, understand kids are kids but there is a time and place. Of course, when you don't have kids some people get defensive about feeling like you can't say anything unless you have kids.

 

[wdwiala]

My friends attended Terminator the other night. She said that there was a man with a 2(!) year old behind them. The child cried and wimpered the entire movie. The dad kept telling him to "shut the f... up".

Dad of the year I'm sure....not. Find someone to watch the child or don't see the movie. Some people are clueless.

That said, I too cut a little slack to people in kids movies. Doesn't mean that it isn't frustrating though.

 

[BuffettFan]

I agree with the previous poster who talked about kids being noisy during the day.
I dont think you can go to a matinee of a "kids" movie and expect to watch the movie in peace and quiet.
If you really want to see a movie like Up undisturbed take in a showing at 8pm or later.
Thats what we usually do even when a movie is not rated G

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

We went to a 6:40 showing. I certainly can and do expect to at least be able to hear the dialogue. A good 90% of the kids in that theatre were perfectly quiet throughout the whole movie. It was mainly the three that were the problem. If I had talked during a movie I would have been told to be quiet and if I continued to talk, I would have been taken to the lobby until I could be quiet. That was the way I was raised. That is also common courtesy.

 

[teacups]

I dont think its about cutting the kids slack... I think its the parents who are idiots. Kids will be kids. Parents unfortunately dont know how to be parents these days. Wait a few years... those toddlers will be the teenagers kicking your seat and throwing popcorn in your hair in a few years.

 

[BuffettFan]

If I had talked during a movie I would have been told to be quiet and if I continued to talk, I would have been taken to the lobby until I could be quiet. That was the way I was raised. That is also common courtesy.

Thats the problem right there.
Times have changed....and not for the better !!!
Most parents simply are not raising courteous children.
Like you said, we knew that if we misbehaved we would be taken outside, and it wouldnt be pleasant! Sadly a lot of parents just arent like that anymore.
That's why we go at night..... I figure parents who are too lazy to try to keep their kids quiet also want them in bed early to get some peace for themselves... so they wont be at the theatre!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Thats the problem right there.
Times have changed....and not for the better !!!
Most parents simply are not raising courteous children.
Like you said, we knew that if we misbehaved we would be taken outside, and it wouldnt be pleasant! Sadly a lot of parents just arent like that anymore.
That's why we go at night..... I figure parents who are too lazy to try to keep their kids quiet also want them in bed early to get some peace for themselves... so they wont be at the theatre!

Unfortunately around here I have seen just as many young kids in the 9pm showing as I have in the matinees! There really doesn't seem to be a difference in noise level. I have even seen toddlers and newborns in midnight showings of movies like Harry Potter. The kids ended up zonked out or having to be removed because they were fussy.

 

[2BigKIdz]

I had the same problem when we went to see Angels & Demons but the person talking was in her 50's! She also let her cell phone ring at full volume multiple times during the movie while she dug around in her ginourmous purse looking for it, sat right next to me when there were plenty of empty seats available and put her ginourmous purse up against me for most of the movie!

 

[lillygator]

Unfortunately around here I have seen just as many young kids in the 9pm showing as I have in the matinees! There really doesn't seem to be a difference in noise level. I have even seen toddlers and newborns in midnight showings of movies like Harry Potter. The kids ended up zonked out or having to be removed because they were fussy.

hmm...a newborn in a late showing - to me that = nothing, both my girls would have slept and been fine. It's summer so I also see no issue with kids in a 9pm showing. Even on weekends, we get home by 6 and by the time dinner is made it's after the 7 showings....shoot us now for taking kids to a late show...

 

[NHdisneylover]

Thats the problem right there.
Times have changed....and not for the better !!!
Most parents simply are not raising courteous children.
Like you said, we knew that if we misbehaved we would be taken outside, and it wouldnt be pleasant! Sadly a lot of parents just arent like that anymore.
That's why we go at night..... I figure parents who are too lazy to try to keep their kids quiet also want them in bed early to get some peace for themselves... so they wont be at the theatre!

Sadly this is often not the case. There are plenty of avlid reasons for kids to be on a later schedule (mine were a few times when they were in a community theatre show and rehearsals routinely ran until 10:00 or later. I just adjusted their schedules so they could sleep until 9:00 in the mornings--no biggie. Also some kids are on very "off" schedules to match up with a parent working an alternate shift, etc.). However--the parents who are "too lazy to try to keep their kids quiet" or, just not wanting to parent (they think it is much more fun to be a friend) also tend to not enforce any kind of bed time or other routine so the kids might well be at a late show and evn worse for being over tired.

I am glad mine are older now (10 and 12). I hated that to take them to a movie we arn about a 50/50 chance of it being ruined by one or two families who did not try o control their kids. THEY wanted to hear the dialog as well. Keeping them up to see a late show to improve our odds didn't make much sense when they were in preschool--and honestly they should not have to stay up late. YES, kids will talk some in a kids' movie. It is totally acceptable to hear lots of loud "kid whispers" about needing to go to the bathroom, or even a question or two (but not incessant), some quiet comforting going on during a tense moment, etc. but that should be about it. Oh, and I do not blame the kids, I blame their parents (who will probably be taking ginormous purses with ringing cell phones to a movie in a few years)

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

hmm...a newborn in a late showing - to me that = nothing, both my girls would have slept and been fine. It's summer so I also see no issue with kids in a 9pm showing. Even on weekends, we get home by 6 and by the time dinner is made it's after the 7 showings....shoot us now for taking kids to a late show...

I didn't say that it was bad, just responding to the poster that the 9pm show would be quieter. As long as your kids are well behaved, to each their own. My only issue with newborns in late showings is that I have seen several times where the noise woke the baby who then began to cry and the parents would not leave until the manager came in and asked them to.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Unfortunately around here I have seen just as many young kids in the 9pm showing as I have in the matinees! There really doesn't seem to be a difference in noise level. I have even seen toddlers and newborns in midnight showings of movies like Harry Potter. The kids ended up zonked out or having to be removed because they were fussy.

If they were fussy they should not have been there and parents should have removed them at the first fussiness. If they were "zonked out" I don't see the problem. Some kids sleep happily anywhere. Okay so the parents used that to their advantage to not pay for a sitter (not to mention finding someone you can trust) and still get to get out to a movie. Unless the child is snoring how does that hurt the other movie goers

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

If they were fussy they should not have been there and parents should have removed them at the first fussiness. If they were "zonked out" I don't see the problem. Some kids sleep happily anywhere. Okay so the parents used that to their advantage to not pay for a sitter (not to mention finding someone you can trust) and still get to get out to a movie. Unless the child is snoring how does that hurt the other movie goers

I was thinking of the kids who are old enough that they would have to pay for a ticket. (obviously not a newborn). I just can't imagine paying for a ticket and then the kid sleeps through the whole thing! But at least they aren't disturbing anybody.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I was thinking of the kids who are old enough that they would have to pay for a ticket. (obviously not a newborn). I just can't imagine paying for a ticket and then the kid sleeps through the whole thing! But at least they aren't disturbing anybody.

Well when the going rate for a babysitter is $10 an hour (or more) a tickets is cheaper than paying a sitter for 2-3 hours Also, as I mentioend it can be very hard to find someone you trust with the kids (especialy when the kids are too young to tell you if things aren't going well when you aren't around). We moved to 5 different states in my DDs first 7 years of life. There was neevr any family around. We found good sitters in the places we stayed at longer--but often we had to either not go anywhere or teach the kids to behave and go knowing we might have to leave erarly if they did not (happened very rarely--because they knew we would).
We were lucky for 3 years when are kids were small we lived near a still functioning drive in theatre. We could take the kids in their jammies and they slept in the backseat. The drive-in allowed kids under 10 for free

 

[lillygator]

I didn't say that it was bad, just responding to the poster that the 9pm show would be quieter. As long as your kids are well behaved, to each their own. My only issue with newborns in late showings is that I have seen several times where the noise woke the baby who then began to cry and the parents would not leave until the manager came in and asked them to.

when you say quieter - you mean by those around you?



I have two girls 6 and 4 been to several movies - rather buy the DVD - but even as newborns, I can't understand being a mom, with a newborn, in a movie and said NB is crying and I don't get up or do something....some people have no sense at all.