Loud kid at Wall-E matinee

[I_Know_You2!]

First of all I am not the OP. My dd is 7 and behaves very well at the theater. The child in question here is not mine nor do I even know her. I just did not see what the big deal was with the ops dds behavior.

Who says a 2.5 can't handle going to see a childrens movie several weeks after it has been out in the middle of the day? Oh, you do.

Well I disagree. I do not feel that an entire movie must be bought out for a young child to go to the movies. I do not think that it has to be an unpleasant expereince for anyone.

I also have never said that the child in question should have been left to roam and talk freely.

No and I never said that you did. It was directed at another poster - not you. Ever accuse people of something much?



Maybe your son shouldn't go to the movies - every time I have been they have had the sound on real loud.

LOL, not witty enough for the tag fairy...or he/she likes quiet in the movies...

 

[mjkacmom]

Who says a 2.5 can't handle going to see a childrens movie several weeks after it has been out in the middle of the day? Oh, you do.

I personally do - if a child is disruptive enough to warrant 2 strangers to complain, it is obvious that this child can't handle seeing a childrens movie in the theatre - plain and simple.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

I personally do - if a child is disruptive enough to warrant 2 strangers to complain, it is obvious that this child can't handle seeing a childrens movie in the theatre - plain and simple.

That is your opinion. Mine's different. Plain and simple.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

LOL, not witty enough for the tag fairy...or he/she likes quiet in the movies...

Well, there goes my chances of getting a tag!! LOL!! I will have to see I can get my hands on some extra specail imported chocolate for the next time I see her to make it up to here!!!

 

[Handbag Lady]

Wow, kudos to the OP for asking the question and accepting the answer.

I wish we had more drive-in movies. My parents used that as a teaching tool to keep us quiet in movies. It was great, because my older sister could watch the movie and my parents could shush me all they needed until I was old enough for a walk-in movie.

 

[dis ms.]

I do not see any person as having more of a right to be at the movies than another. As has already been pointed out to me on this thread going to the movies is privilege and a luxury not a right. So really your 9 year old has no more right to be there than the 2.5 year old.

I can't believe that this would upset you. Instead of getting upset about it. I would enjoy it! Instead of seeing an annoying child I would see a child whose parent cares enough about them to take them out into the world to experience life instead of letting life pass them by.

Why should others have to move to enjoy the movie? That's ridiculous. Sure, if the inconsiderate parent is unwilling to do something about their disruptive kid, I can move to another seat, but the parent shouldn't let it get to that point.

Talk about entitlement! I prefer not to let my little darlings think the world revolves around them. Therefore I would not:

• disregard two complaints about my loud child just because the two people complaining may be in the same group.
  
• inconvenience others so my child can "experience life" and/or "learn the proper way to behave" in a theater.
  
• fail to correct or remove my loud child, thereby forcing others to move away from him/her.

 

[ferris198]

Maybe there should be a poll on this.
I would have spoken to the parent, than the manager if it continued.
In my mind 2.5 yrs old is young to take a child to the theatre especially for a movie that is almost 2 hours as Wall-E is.

 

[daisyduck123]

I think if more than one parent had to speak to you, than your child was definitely disrupting the movie.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

Ok - haven't read the whole thread, but you picked the wrong movie - Maybe if Wall-E had actually said something, it may have helped! Well, besides "Eeeeevvvvaaaa".

My 10 year old thought the movie was boring and even mentioned how sorry he felt for little kids to have to sit through it. Although I liked the message, it is somewhere on the bottom of the list as far as "enjoyable" Disney flicks!

 

[froglady]

I don't believe there are "Children's Movies". WALL-E (and any other Disney or Pixar movie) is for everyone including children, adults, and anyone in between. I thoroughly enjoyed WALL-E and I'm 38 and have no children.

I'm getting the impression that as an adult I shouldn't expect to be able to go to and enjoy WALL-E.

I agree, there are many resons for an adult to be watching these movies without children. There are several reasons why there may be many eldery people in the audience:

1. People go to "children's" movies because frequently anything not rated G is filled with language that they grew up believing shouldn't be used in mixed company.

2. Some older people have difficulty driving after dark, so have to go to matinees.

3. They might have to watch every penny, and going to a movie really is a special treat.

4. They are there as part of a group (from a nursing home, assisted living, or adult indepent living facility) and the planner has to chose a movie without risking offending anyone, hence a "children's" movie.

 

[N&B'smom]

I would certainly not be pleased if I was at a movie and was being repeatedly distracted by a child. I don't think going to a matinee means that I should lower my expectations on how everyone will behave during the movie.

We went to see Speed Racer at the IMAX for my son's 9th birthday with a group of other boys. They were all so well behaved. Unfortunately for me, I got to sit next to a kid who's mom felt the need to tell him what was happening in the movie BEFORE it even happened. (he was a little older than my son) Her constant chatter was quite distracting.

It would have been a lot more fun had I been able to watch the movie without the noise. (Just my opinion!)

Shelby

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

Why should others have to move to enjoy the movie? That's ridiculous. Sure, if the inconsiderate parent is unwilling to do something about their disruptive kid, I can move to another seat, but the parent shouldn't let it get to that point.

Talk about entitlement! I prefer not to let my little darlings think the world revolves around them. Therefore I would not:

• disregard two complaints about my loud child just because the two people complaining may be in the same group.
  
• inconvenience others so my child can "experience life" and/or "learn the proper way to behave" in a theater.
  
• fail to correct or remove my loud child, thereby forcing others to move away from him/her.

Don't worry the world does not revolve around your little darlings!

Item 1 from your list -- never said the op should disregard the complaints I was correcting the assumption that two entirely seperate parties had complained. It is much easier to confront someone when the numbers are on your side.

Itme 2 -- my point here was (since you seem to be having a hard time getting it) that children are going to make mistakes - I do not believe they should be kept out of sight until they can behave perfectly (if this were true a lot of adults still need to be at home! LOL!!) How can we expect kids to learn in different situations if we do not put them in different situations? Watching a movie at home is vastly different from going out to the movies.

Item 3 -- I have never stated that the behavior should have gone uncorrected.

I would like to reiterate that this is not about my child. To assume that I have entitlement issues or that I raise my child to believe the world revolves around them is making a grave assupmtion. You do know what they say about people who make assumptions don't you?

 

[dis ms.]

Don't worry the world does not revolve around your little darlings!
Item 1 from your list -- never said the op should disregard the complaints I was correcting the assumption that two entirely seperate parties had complained. It is much easier to confront someone when the numbers are on your side.

Itme 2 -- my point here was (since you seem to be having a hard time getting it) that children are going to make mistakes - I do not believe they should be kept out of sight until they can behave perfectly (if this were true a lot of adults still need to be at home! LOL!!) How can we expect kids to learn in different situations if we do not put them in different situations? Watching a movie at home is vastly different from going out to the movies.

Item 3 -- I have never stated that the behavior should have gone uncorrected.

I would like to reiterate that this is not about my child. To assume that I have entitlement issues or that I raise my child to believe the world revolves around them is making a grave assupmtion. You do know what they say about people who make assumptions don't you?

Boy is my backspace key getting quite a workout.

First off, I know the world doesn't revolve around my children. My children also know this because I haven't raised them to think that they can behave however they want whenever and wherever they want--without considering those around them. For instance, I wouldn't let them disrupt people trying to enjoy a movie.

Assumptions, huh? Well, hello there, Ms. Pot. When did I say I was talking about your child? You made an incorrect assumption. FTR, you're also assuming the two men who complained were together (as if it matters) just because they were sitting near each other. Even the OP didn't know for sure if they were in the same group, so how are you so certain they were together? Another assumption on your part.

Oh, and I'm not having a hard time getting your point. I just think you're fighting the wrong battle. As has been pointed out to you several times from several posters, most of us aren't saying children should be kept out of the general public until they can behave. Our point (since you seem to be having a hard time getting it) is that parents have a responsibility to correct or remove their children when the children are being disruptive.

If you can't see the difference in what you're accusing us of saying and what I just posted...again, then I don't know what to tell you.

 

[BostonRob]

Item 1 from your list -- never said the op should disregard the complaints I was correcting the assumption that two entirely seperate parties had complained. It is much easier to confront someone when the numbers are on your side.

I have been following this thread, but there hasn't been much that I felt needed a response from me. But I think this is worth addressing. It wasn't about confrontation or numbers. As I said, I asked the second guy what he expected in a matinee and then challenged him to go get a manager, because I thought I was right. The only significance I attached to them being together was that they might both be unreasonable. But the last thing he said - that maybe my daughter was too young for a movie - got me to thinking that maybe I was the unreasonable one.

People keep posting that if two parents had to tell me I was wrong, then I should have known I was wrong. Well my response to that is that the world is full of a-holes, and I would never automatically assume I was wrong because two a-holes said I was wrong. But then there was this moment of doubt that maybe I was unwittingly being the ******. And then I thought that moving (then leaving the theater entirely) could be the more appropriate thing for my kids for a few different reasons (maybe we were wrong, maybe they could learn from the experience, maybe they could see that sometimes you just have to be the better person, moving wouldn't hurt us but might help them - I was thinking a lot of things at the time.)

But one more time, just because two people tell you you're wrong, doesn't mean you're wrong. In this case I was wrong, so I'm glad I made the right decision. But I hope someday the right opportuntity comes along where I'll get to teach my girls another lesson - that just because two people think you're wrong, doesn't make it so.

 

[overlyspoiled4sure]

Interesting thread. However, I didn't read each page.

I'm agreeing with everyone that kids do need to be quiet at the movies, Disney or not, matinee or not. BUT I've never been to a kids movie without NOISE!! Geeze, no one was quiet in the theater & it seemed no one knew how to sit still either. Running up & down the aisles, screeching, dropping popcorn, etc. What a mess!

I believe the best way to give them the idea to be quiet in the movies is at home as other posters suggested. Have a movie night at home with popcorn, soda, the works. Once they can sit through that quietly, they're ready.

Good luck!

 

[dis ms.]

BostonRob,

As I said before, I think you did the right thing. And I don't think you were wrong to take your 2.5 year-old to the movies. You tried it and it didn't go as well as you probably expected. In all fairness, it could have been the movie you chose. LOL!

At any rate, you gave your DD a chance to try something new, and--this is the key--you removed her once you realized she was disturbing others. You did what a responsible parent should do, IMHO.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

Our point (since you seem to be having a hard time getting it) is that parents have a responsibility to correct or remove their children when the children are being disruptive.

When have I stated that the child should be left free to do as they wish and not have thier behavior corrected? That has never been my point.

But we really don't want your back stroke key to get broken so why don't we do as I earlier suggested to you and agree to disagree? You have your opinion and I have mine.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

People keep posting that if two parents had to tell me I was wrong, then I should have known I was wrong. Well my response to that is that the world is full of a-holes, and I would never automatically assume I was wrong because two a-holes said I was wrong. But then there was this moment of doubt that maybe I was unwittingly being the ******. And then I thought that moving (then leaving the theater entirely) could be the more appropriate thing for my kids for a few different reasons (maybe we were wrong, maybe they could learn from the experience, maybe they could see that sometimes you just have to be the better person, moving wouldn't hurt us but might help them - I was thinking a lot of things at the time.)

But one more time, just because two people tell you you're wrong, doesn't mean you're wrong.

Exactly!

 

[darlak]

Boston Rob, I think you did the right thing in this case. I especially appreciate the fact that you were willing to question your own “rightness”. Far too few of us remain willing to do that once we’re adults.

In my opinion, if the noise level reaches the point that it is distracting other patron’s from their ability to enjoy the movie, then the obvious solution is to remove the source of that noise. I don’t think the age of the source has anything to do with it.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

WOW, i am surprised at some of the comments here. I would have EXPECTED that the Disney Movie (at any time of the day) would be loud. You would hear kids talking and so forth. It is disturbing YES, but this is after all A CHILDRENS MOVIE in the early afternoon. (No, the WORLD does not revolve around Children, but The G rated movie DOES!)
I don't understand why people are so anal about things like this. (???) Unless your child was on the floor screaming and holloring or something similar to completley disrupt the movie, then i don't see the big deal???