To wish people would just respect age restrictions

It's not always easy to go to a matinee if you work, weekends can be sold out, and people sometimes give away tickets to friends last minute and you don't have a babysitter etc.

It's all very subjective and I imagine it's left to parental choice. My 5 year old at 3 was going to the theatre for kids shows and would happily sit for over an hour absolutely enthralled and not move from her seat or talk. She has gone to the panto for the second year in a row now and can easily sit through a film in the cinema. Whereas my current 3 year old absolutely will not be going to anything rated at 5+ when he is 5 as he just doesn't sit still. I wouldn't subject him to annoy anyone else even if I think he might enjoy it.

The Nutcracker is for children.
It is one where I would have some leeway. Kids are the future patrons.
Maybe the child was close to 5 but still found it tiresome.
The parents will know for next time.
Good on them for frequenting the ballet.

Theres a difference between guidance and a limit. If it’s a limit, the theatre should have checked.

This is another 'But not all...'

It is easier for everyone if there is specific age guidance and everyone sticks to it!

You might think your DC can behave, but one time they may not.
And just because yours can, others can't and no one knows till they kick off

So if there's an age restriction then just follow it
It's not the end of the world if they miss one show or film
Just take them to another one!

I went to a theatre show 3 weeks post-partum and I saw someone carrying in a baby in a sling. I spent the entire first half of the show listening out for the baby crying (like I would have done at home with my own).

She was asked to leave by staff at the interval so I managed to relax somewhat in the second half but it still baffles me. Baby must've been about 6 months old. Obviously going to cry in a dark, loud room with loads of people!

Possibly whoever was on the door couldn't be certain that the child wasn't five. It sounds like she was past the obvious chubby toddler stage.

For some maybe. I knew perfectly well that the poster wasn't referring to the Nutcracker having scenes of wild sex or shooting up. 'Age appropriate' is contextual, which sadly a lot of people don't get.

I always think if you want to take kids go to the matinee. They are less tired and more likely to be able to focus.
But I do think it’s good for kids to go to the theatre, choose carefully though.
We saw The Nutcracker when she was 4 but we didn’t see Swan Lake until she was 12.

Was it a relaxed performance?
We went to one at ROH recently and lots of adults without children were on their phones all the time, and ushers randomly asked some to not record the performance while letting others do it. It was bizarre 😂

When i was 4 some thought i was 2 as an adult i never grow past 4f11.
I was always tiny.
Now at 38 some find it hard to believe that i have an adult son 22 in may.
They will always be something for someone to pick at.

I found it very odd when in America that some babies were in the cinema. Can’t have been enjoyable for the parents who just stayed put despite the endless crying. There are baby matinees in one of my local cinemas, all very lovely, but I just don’t see the attraction of an evening film with babies.

A lot of places do relaxed performances especially for ND people. I don’t think it’s ok to have someone screaming throughout a standard performance, regardless of how old they are.

I thought you were going to say a crying baby or crazy toddler. There are four year olds at preschool that look younger and smaller than my two year old so you may well have estimated incorrectly in this case.

Duration is never "age inappropriate", the wording is about explicit content :)

Duration of the show.
For this child, who the OP says couldn't sit still and remain in one place quietly, it was clearly not age appropriate for her.

And the show details state that under 5s shouldn't be there, so the venue and/or show have decided that the production isn't appropriate for under 5s.

DD1 has been going to the ballet since she was 3.5 but she's very well behaved in the theatre, doesn't talk, doesn't fidget, just loves to watch. Tbh I was at a show the other night and the odd fidgeting/whispering from young kids paled in comparison to the adults having proper conversations or lighting up the place with phone screens or trying to get back in the aisle after it had started again with their drinks, so I don't really have strong feelings about the kids thing. Bad/loud behaviour of course not, but sitting on a few different knees and the occasional whisper, I can't get worked up about that.

So you would ban ND people from the theatre?
Nice.

I think the ages in theatres are recommendations for what age they're aimed at not that those under that age are banned
My under 2 has been to plenty of theatre shows that say they're 3+ and he's loved them and has been wonderfully behaved

Also why on earth do parents take kids to things that clearly aren't age appropriate?

What is there in the Nutcracker that is not age appropriate? 😂

The more important consideration is that she couldn't sit still & quiet, as anyone watching a ballet should.

The little girl did okay for a while but she kept moving between each of the adults knees and whispering. I wouldn't say it was super disruptive but it was hard to ignore and I really doubt she got anything out of it.

I'd have found that quite disruptive. Neither she nor her parents know how to behave in a live performance - not the child's fault, though - the adults shouldn't have taken her.

If it’s an actual age restriction then the theatre staff shouldn’t have allowed her in. If it was just guidance then there isn’t much you can do.

I took my DD to shows from age 2 and she was always perfectly well behaved. Sometimes she just fell asleep so it was a bit of a waste of money but she wasn’t disturbing anyone else. So I don’t agree with age guidance because someone doesn’t think a child is capable of behaving, it should only be if content is unsuitable or for safety reasons. That said, of course I would abide by an actual restriction as opposed to just guidance. I’d be too concerned that the venue wouldn’t let her in if she wasn’t old enough.

It does matter though, because the theatre stated on the website that there is an age restriction. (5+.) Why do some people think the rules don't apply to them?! Sooooo arrogant!

No WAY is a toddler of 2 or 3 going to want to sit through a sodding ballet. Take them to a fucking panto!

Unless you saw her passport she might have been five. We can all point to a kid who is small or immature for their age.