To not get why anybody would have a burning desire to go to the Olympics with their kids let alone pay for the privilege?

[MilaMae]

Ok I'm not sporty but seriously sitting in a stadium with my 3 watching ants run round a track for 5 minutes(let alone an afternoon)would be pure torture. You couldn't pay me to do it let alone expect me to fight for tickets and part for ££££s.

Handball,bandminton,table tennis..... [yawn emoticon].... with 3 bored kids or even just with dp?????

Seriously who are these people desperate for tickets?Can anybody enlighten me as to what I am missing. I don't get it.

I would love to see the interest in the olympics split geographically. I live in the North East of England and have not heard anyone express an interest in buying tickets.

So you don't get why people would pay to do something they enjoy but which you yourself have no desire to do? Are you this close-minded about everything or just sport?

I'm in the North West and I don't know anyone who is going but then transport and accomodation costs would be prohibitive. Having said that not many of dcs friends have ever been to London for any reason which I think is a shame.

OP we could all ask exactly the same question about anything we're not interested in.

Some people hate internet forums so they could well ask what you and I are doing here.

Nope just about an event that costs ££££ for a whole family,you probably can't see much and you don't get to pick what you want to see.

A gig you get to enjoy the band you want to enjoy and you actually hear something.

I just get the impression the Olympics is a bit Emperor's New Clothes.

MilaMae - I've paid £43 for tickets for a family of 3 (1 under 3), with an extra ticket for a yet to be conceived child, just in case. Considering how much it costs to go to the London Aquarium or Zoo, or Legoland, it's not a bad deal really. And if you are genuinely interested in sport (I'm not), I can imagine that you'd consider it a bargain to pay more than that to see world-class athletes doped up to the eyeballs competing in your favourite sport in a one off event. Like some loons paid hundreds to see Take That or Madonna live - not my cup of tea at all, but I get why they did.

We're going to be watching sportspeople I really admire take part in a sport I love. We're going for the same reasons we'd go to see a brilliant actor at the theatre or a brilliant singer in an opera. Because watching people participate in something at a high level is fascinating and absorbing and inspiring and being there makes for a more intense and personal experience.

And we're taking DD because we think she'll love it too.

I can see that if you have three to control and no innate love of the sports on offer then going to the Olympics would not be fun. But most of us who applied for tickets are excited by what we'll be seeing and imagine our kids will be too.

I would love to watch sailing - DS would but would lose interest I expect.

I would love to watch gymnastics and DS would too I expect.

My Dbro has 4 tickets for a swimming final as his mate is expected to be in. He is hoping others will buy tickets but he may take my DS 6 to watch if he has a spare. I think DS will love it as loves swimming.

Agree with pag its not boring of you like the sport your spectating.

And like my mum says ' its not that x is boring its that you don't find it interesting'

We are quite a sporty family so for us the olympics is a big thing, I only applied for 2 events, gymnastics and hockey and for the cheapest available seats just so that DD & I can go and experience the atmosphere etc as I think it will be a once in a lifetime experience for us both although am hoping either ds or dd may play for their country in some sport one day!
I have been allocated tickets just for the hockey which we are both happy with and am looking forward to heading to London to watch the match whoever may be playing so that I can say I went and had a fabulous time (hopefully)

Yep because everyone at a major concert/festival has a spectacular view and gets in for free.

I used to go and watch tennis, horse jumping and athletics pre dcs. I was fortunate to live near crystal palace so could walk there on a friday nights and saw some world class races.
I would have loved to have got tickets for the kayaking. We live walking distance from the WWC and ds has kayaked there already, but unfortunately didn't get any tickets for that or the diving.

I will have two by that time and I am completely gutted we haven't got tickets for the rowing. We wanted to go as a family - it is a once in a lifetime thing and we know people who will be competing.

We wanted to take DS to the judo because he does judo and is interested, and all the DCs to the rowing because we've done family days out at (non-Olympic) rowing events before and it works very well with children. Athletics we only applied for adult tickets because I don't think any of mine would be interested enough to watch a whole session.

i.e. we have different interests from you, our children have different interests from yours and therefore our answer to the question "shall we apply for Olympic tickets and if so for what?" was different from yours. That seems perfectly simple to me. It would be a bit strange if I said "No, DS, I know you do judo regularly, but MilaMae and her children don't so we won't apply for tickets for you to watch it."

I can give you a list of things that my children and I don't enjoy so that you can immediately stop spending any of your money on them, if that will help?

As it happens we didn't get any tickets anyway so may not be going unless there's any judo or rowing left in the next round of ticketing.

Kveta and Veronica interesting points.

I'm just staggered at the stampede for reasons I mentioned. Must be a whole lot of sporty(and rich) families out there.

I agree. My idea of hell (but yes I do know people like it. weirdos)

you've got to remember though that some of the venues hold more spectators than others and some are more popular than others. I went for cheap seats as I couldn't afford much and wasn't going to stretch myself just to get more of a chance of being able to go. as it turns out quite a few people I know that applied for loads of different events didn't get anything. I know non-sporty people that want to go and watch just because it is a once in a lfetime thing and to have that experience etc.

mrsjohnsimm - re: the rowing. There is some talk about whether the whole course is going to be ticketed or not. I am holding out some hope that it won't so people without tickets can still see som of it.

We'll I've been enlightened Hully.

Can see now actually liking sporting events must play a part.Still staggered at how many there obviously are and how far people would go to watch said sports.

I seem to be living in a non sporty bubble,was discussing this with my equally bemused friends.

We're not into sports generally (well DH likes football), but we have 2 tickets to hockey and to football at the Olympics, specifically to take DS (who will be 9), for the whole experience of the london 2012 Olympics. It is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. DD (who will be 4) will be staying at home with the other parent, because she won't appreciate it or the travelling, overcrowding etc.

Mila - me too. Can't even bear to watch the odd game the dc might play.

It's not a once in a lifetime thing if you're 105

I would rather swim through boiling rancid treacle while simultaneously ingesting the faeces of a rabid dog and slicing off my gonads with a rusty razor blade. But I'm A Nonentity, Get Me Out of Here have already had that idea.

One of the most tedious days of my life was taking DCs to the Millenium Dome; totally knackering, spent a fortune & saw virtually nothing. But DCs still talk about it as a highlight of their (obviously impoverished!) childhood.

These things have a sense of occasion that DCs really latch onto. May not be rational but neither are kids.

I would not pay tuppence to watch any Olympic event live. Not even Ussein Bolt. Blink and you miss him - where's the fun in that? And you can see better on the telly. But that's just me - I couldn't give two hoots about sport, and I get tetchy in crowds. But for people who enjoy that kind of thing I'm sure it will be fabulous, and a memory they will treasure forever. I imagine the atmosphere is much like it is at a fantastic rock concert, which is quite magical, providing you like the music!

Not my thing but each to their own.