to leave nine year old twins at the cinema alone cos I don't want to watch Horrid bloody Henry!

[WonderMa]

Want to drop DTSs, buy tickets and then leave them. I will be about a 10 min drive away shopping in Sainsburys and will be there before the film ends to collect them.

One is sensible, one very silly. They have both been warned on the pain of death not to misbehave, split up or leave the cinema (on a busy retail park).

They will have my mobile number written down in case of emergencies so a staff member could ring me.

AIBU to worry about doing this and extremely PFB (even though they're not)?

It's bad enough having to sit through a shit film, without being disturbed by other people's unsupervised children. IME, staff in multiplexes rarely check the theatres. You admit that one of your DCs is a bit silly.

YABU and inconsiderate of other patrons.

Is OP at the cinema?! Come back later and tell us what you did!

I sent my 11 and 8 year old with their cousins of 14 and 17. They all loved it. Wouldn't let my 8 year old go just yet but hope to let my 11 year old go with a friend soon.

tell them the little window behind them at the top of the wall is for a member of staff to watch them and if they misbehave before you get back they will be made to go and clean the toilets until the end of the film!!!

alternatively take them to the odeon at lakeside where i did find such a member of staff that went all gooey over keeping an eye on my kids when i left them there for the first time!!! it was however my eldest that i didnt fully trust!!!

nykxx

Well despitemy misgivings they went ALONE. I escorted them to the ticket tearer and watched them enter the screen room, hung around for 5 mins then hung around a bit more in the shops outside. Then had the courage to actually leave the immediate vicinity and did a panicked food shop(all the while expecting a call from them that something had happened and I had to get back quick, they had my old mobile, they will not be getting their own for a while yet).

They sauntered out to me when the film ended lookng full of themselves in their independance! Both of them insisted that the other had behaved perfectly (they definitely would have grassed each other up if they had'nt).

Am very proud and expecting this to be regular thing - mass relief that I will not have to sit through shite like Astro Boy or Megamind for the foreseeable future.

All's well that ends well then :)

Kids can be better when you aren't around - I'm glad he they were this time!

YWNBU! When I were a nipper, saturday cinema was for kids only, hyped up on sugar and cartoons for the morning, it was great! Glad the DT enjoyed themselves, brilliant!

I think that's great. They are taking a very important step towards independence

I'm impressed. I sent my 8.5 year olds to the cinema today while I was at work to see Horrid Henry, but they were accompanied by our temporary nanny. Maybe next summer they can go on their own ...

Have done this but slightly older, in Yr 6, took son and 3 friends, told them to be sensible. Son had mobile and told him if any problem arose to ring me asap. Loaded up with popcorn and drinks, they were happy. If went home to cook the tea.

Nothing happened, got back to greet them as they came out. I saw it as a start to independence as they would be travelling to school on their own a few weeks later in September.

Yanbu having watched it myself.The acting is awful

glad it went so well for you!

ime they behave well to start with, then it after a few times they start pushing the new boundaries a bit. My oldest are 11 and 9, and now have a bit of independence, but every so often push things, like when they walked home through the woods instead of the road way. dd carries a phone and I do spot checks on them.

I manage a cinema. Most cinemas say that over the age of eight you can be unaccompanied, I think. However, we request over the age of 12. This is because we are in a very family-based area, and near lots of shops, and we fear turning into a cheap creche. We could "keep an eye" on one or two kids, probably, but not a cinema full of them!

That said, we often find that parents do not discipline their misbehaving kids and we have to do it anyway. I don't think that just because it is a family showing, it is OK for children to run about, for example, or throw food.

Nothing on earth would get me to watch HH, and I'll sit through most kids stuff and generally enjoy it.
So UANBU, but you have to be absolutely sure they will behave and that the sensible on doesn't feel responsible for the silly one.
You can leave 8 year-olds in a swimming pool and boys are expected to change on their own if they go with their mum (or girls with dad). So I think they are old enough to be left, but they are not old enough to have to monitor the others behaviour. They both have to behave themselves.

My boys are 9 & 12, they both have birthdays next month.

They went to our localish swimming pool yesterday,
(the pool had a huge inflatable out) on their own yesterday
(well i say on their own, we live too far away for me to have thought about going home/into town etc etc)
I sat in the Cafe above them and had a coffee and spied on them Just to make sure..
They were fine together makes a change

I might try the cinema now, as they want to see HH too shudders

Should have read the thread, interesting to see swimming pool rule officially applies.
As I generally like films, I haven't left my DDs on their own. DD1 (12) has been to see a couple of the Twilights with her friends while their mum was in a different screen watching something suitable for much younger siblings. The same bunch have been to the theatre on their own no trouble.

I rang the pool up before we left, they can be left at 8yrs as long as they can swim proficently, 15m (might have been 25 cant remember now) I think she said.
Will call the cinema complex before hand too, to see what the age rules are.

Just found out that cineworld accept children aged 8 and over on their own before 7pm. That's quite good.

YANBU.

If mine were older then i wouldn't have watched it either. It was shite a bit noisy for me.