Baby in the cinema???

[Lalapaluzza]

Just that really. DP and I went to the cinema last week. It was The Lego Movie and I fully expected it to be full of children (we were on our own). When we got there I saw a group of three women, five children between I would guess five and ten, and a baby of about nine months. When we got tickets and went into the movie, I noted the whole lot of them, including the baby. I made an effort to sit a good bit away from them as I could see what was coming. For the next two hours the baby had to be entertained, handed over three rows, cried and fussed. At no point was the baby taken out of the very loud movie though there were two other adults who could have watched the other children.

Help me. Is this a thing?? I found it really distracting. Maybe I'm in the wrong, but it seemed really bizarre to me.

[raeray]

There used to be special parent and baby screenings of some films (but grownup ones rather than kids ones).
I think I'd be annoyed if a baby was restless through a non parent and baby screening of a normal film. But prob not with a kids film as they're always noisy and a bit chaotic screenings anyway!
Plus it's half term maybe the older kids really wanted to see it and family trying to do trip together (even if a little misguided!).

[Doghorsechicken]

It’s really rude to take a baby. They won’t enjoy it, they don’t know that they have to be quiet and other people are paying to watch the film. They were very selfish! I have a 9 month DS and wouldn’t do this.

[RitaConnors]

I wouldn’t take a baby to the cinema but I wouldn’t complain about a baby being in the cinema for a children’s film at half term.

[WhatNow40]

I used to go to parent and baby screenings, they were great. And everyone knew what they were getting in to!

It took till about 5 before he'd sit through a film once he was mobile. But I think a compromise has to happen for the other kids to have a life too. They will probably have to endure soft play in the near future. Don't go to a family film in half term if you expect peace and quiet.

[SmarmyMrMime]

A quiet baby in the cinema at a children's/ family film is not a problem.

Not removing a fractious, noisy baby is a problem.

[MyDcAreMarvel]

It’s half term and a children’s movie. Of course it’s fine. I would be more bemused by the presence of adults with no dc than a baby in a children’s movie.

[Amanduh]

A family film in half term is nothing to do with it. A baby shouldnt be in the cinema making noise!

[whitehorsesdonotlie]

No, it's bloody selfish. Babies don't need to see films.

Take older dc at a time when the other parent can look after the baby. It's expensive going to the cinema and other people deserve to see a film without being interrupted by a crying baby.

[LlamaPink]

There was a lady in front of me and my kids when I went to see lego movie with a baby of about 4 months.

She did take it out when it cried but not before standing up in front of my DD for a good 5 mins getting bags and stuff together.

Then she came back in with the baby in a car seat. Stood in front again fussing baby another 2 or 3 times through the film.

Was really quite annoying.

Cute baby though.

[SleepingStandingUp]

Taking them is fine, but whether they're 9 months or 9, if they're being really disruptive you take them out. It was obviously too loud for the poor baby and I do think it's shitty parenting to not remove the baby from somewhere it's so obviously unhappy and doesn't need to be

[APurpleSquirrel]

Slightly off topic but my DB went to Australia when my niece was a baby & they went to the cinema as the cinema had special parent & child pods off the sides of the cinema. They were soundproof booths with dimmer lights & adjustable sound so you could make the movie quieter/louder. It meant they could take DN along, she could cry or fuss, my DSIL could bf her all whilst getting to watch the film they wanted without disturbing anyone else. Wish they had them over here!

[Lalapaluzza]

I forgot to mention it was 7pm. For this reason I fail to see how half term is relevent and now I think about it why wasn't this baby in bed?

[my2bundles]

Saying it's ok because it's half term is a cop out my older kids enjoy going to tbe cinema at half term, it's expensive, why should their treat be ruined by a baby who has no understanding of what a cinema is?

[LL83]

I would be sympathetic if there was only one adult and they would have to take everyone out.

But as there were other adults there I find it rude to other customers and unfair on the baby too.

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

I’ve taken a similar aged baby to a film screening before - family film, daytime screening though. And i’d have taken him out if he’d been disruptive.

Had more problem convincing the 4 year old not to ask lots of questions about the plot out loud!

[Kaykay06]

My sister takes my nephew with my older niece and nephew he’s 8 months but good as gold doesn’t make a peep or she wouldn’t take him. she’d leave if he was being a noisy boy, although he’s not a loud baby at home either. Very placid mine weren’t like that except for my youngest and now he’s the total opposite 😊
It’s a shame it ruined your film hope you complained to someone cinema staff are good at sorting noisy people out usually.

[HolidayQ]

Yabu. I took my 21 month old to the cinema and a lady a few rows behind before the film started asked me what my baby “was like in the cinema” I think she thought she would be stuck with a screaming baby the whole time, yet she didnt make a sound. At a kids movie I would expect to see kids and babies!

[blueskiesovertheforest]

A baby at a children's film at the cinema isn't intrinsically wrong in any way, but a noisy or upset baby should be taken out to the foyer and looked after there.

Children's films are a minefield though - I've twice taken my kids to a children's 3D film they've really wanted to see and really looked forward to (at considerable cost) only to have it ruined by adults talking to one another at normal conversational volume throughout, as though it doesn't matter because the screening is 3/4 empty and the people watching are "only" kids and their accompanying adults.

[Thehop]

That poor baby’s ears.

[jarhead123]

Saying it's HT/kids film is a total cop out.

It's inconsiderate of others, if a baby/child of any age is causing a scene you take them out.

[NekoShiro]

If you complain to the cinema during the film they will normally send someone in to check on the levels of noise and refund you the ticket if they deem the noise enough of a nuisance

[BartonHollow]

Babies in the cinema =

Entitled, rude and shouldn't be allowed unless a Parent/Baby Screening

I also think the level of noise of some of these films is child cruelty and selfishness

But then I'm quite militant about the cinema and wish they would get rid of the 12A cert, bring back the 12 bring back ushers in screenings and throw people out without refund for :

Phone usage including lighting up phone to check time
Excessive or loud talking
Refusal to remove distressed or misbehaving children


I would also ban repeat offenders

I think cinemas would experience boom and not bust if they did this

I'm aware my views don't sit well with people reading this AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE who let DC run amok annoying other people without parenting them because taking them out would ruin YOUR ENJOYMENT of the film

[SnuggyBuggy]

I think babies should be in parent and baby screenings only. Wouldn't dream of taking my 9 month old to a normal screening

[EwItsAHooman]

We went to see Lego Movie at the weekend (as an aside, what an utter pile of shite it was!) and someone a few rows in front had a very young baby, no older than 2-3 months I'd say. We'll nothing at all happened. Baby was silent for the entire film.

The woman further along that aisle though got told by staff to turn her phone off after she sat playing on it for the first hour of the film.

[Bananasarenottheonlyfruit]

Crying through the Lego Movie 2 is the most appropriate response to the unutterable pile of steaming horseshit that it is. The baby appears to have been wise beyond its years in its desperate attempts to be removed from audiovisual torture.