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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Would you leave 8/9 year olds at the cinema alone?

129 replies

Yougotthatvibe · 31/07/2026 17:56

Took my Dc to the cinema the other day and saw a mum from my area, don’t really know her but have seen her on Sm. I know she works and travels a lot.
Sat down with Dc and her Dd and a friend went to sit down and mum then left.
Kids were laughing a lot, running up and down the stairs.
When we came out, the two girls were waiting by the entrance of the cinema and her Dd constantly calling her on her Apple watch thing.

It made me a bit uncomfortable but am I being overprotective? Cinema is in a large, indoor shopping type place.

OP posts:
cadburyegg · 31/07/2026 18:02

Too young. 10-11 yes not 8-9

Rumpledandcrumpled · 31/07/2026 18:01

I worked at a cinema when at uni. This is enormously common. They’d drop their kids off, buy them sweets. Warn them to behave, then go to the bar or the bingo and come and get them when the movie finished.

the kids were generally well behaved but I always felt sorry for them, especially when they were alone. Parents use it as a cheap baby sitting service . The same mums every weekend.

Yougotthatvibe · 31/07/2026 17:59

Wowzel · 31/07/2026 17:57

Definitely not!

That’s what I thought!
I’m assuming mum went off to get a coffee/work somewhere in the shopping place, but I hung around for a while as it felt strange

OP posts:
Wowzel · 31/07/2026 17:57

Definitely not!