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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

2yo at ballet Aibu to say this too young

57 replies

Madeyemoodysmum · 27/11/2011 23:03

I am a regular but have name changed as I felt my old name could reveal my ID. Today I took dd 6yrs and parents to see the nutcracker for a birthday treat. Parents enjoy ballet and dd does lessons so I thought it would be a lovely day for them. Cost best part of £70 for 4 tickets.

On arrival I noticed a mother with 3 kids one of which was only just 2yrs old or maybe a little younger. May first thought was is she mad Bringing a child that young to professional ballet but settled down to watch show.

After 20mins or so 2yo got louder and more fidgety. This was annoying but tolerable. However after another 20mins I got irritated as parent seemed happy to let this disruption continue dispite frustrated looks from others in her vicinity I whispered to the usher that the child was very distracting and her response was to nod and laugh. Hello! It's your job to deal with this.

Eventually child had full blown tantrum and was removed by parent to relief of audience. The next few scenes were enjoyed but then she was back and got in and out of her row of seats 3 times in all during second half. The poor people in her row were up and down like a yo yo

My dd is six and I had reservations about taking her to ballet for fear of her getting bored. As far as I could see most children were 4 or older. She enjoyed it but am I alone in thinking it's ridiculous to expect a 2yo to sit through a 2hr show and then not even remove the child when she is clearly bored!

I'm so annoyed £70 is a lot of money to spend to have it ruined by inconsiderate parents!
Rant over...........

OP posts:

lisad123 · 27/11/2011 23:05

I would it take a two year old, no way could they sit for 2 hours and sod everyone else I would want to see it!

troisgarcons · 27/11/2011 23:22

Not everyone has baby sitters/paretns/chjldminders on tap. Perhaps some form of toddler kennels would be a good idea? Or shall we exclude children from society completely?

ElphabaisWicked · 27/11/2011 23:28

YANBU. 2 years is too old to take to a ballet. When ds was that age and we couldn't get babysitters we just didn't go. Dh and I are huge muscial/ballet/opera fans and we just had to go withouth.

Even now there are shows we can;t see becasue we know ds won;t sit through them. When we do go the dc are under threat of death to sit still and be quiet. Dd danced in a professioanl opera when she was 7 and we didn't even take ds to see that.

StopRainingPlease · 27/11/2011 23:29

Agree with you OP. Troisgarcons - there's a time and a place, and if the parents don't have baby sitters they shouldn't go. The ballet is not an essential part of life - buses, shops, etc. sure, toddlers will have tantrums and other people just have to live with it - but the ballet?

squeakytoy · 27/11/2011 23:31

Toddler kennels are a fantastic idea! A bit like the ones in tesco where you can park your trolley for an hour while you go in the cafe!

BaronessBomburst · 27/11/2011 23:31

troisgarcons No, but I do think that people with toddlers should remove themselves from certain sections of public life for a year or two!

And I speak as someone with a 21 month old and would not dream of taking him to a ballet, the cinema, or such like as it would just ruin it from everyone else, and he'd hate it too. It's just common sense.

BluddyMoFo · 27/11/2011 23:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JAMW · 27/11/2011 23:34

troisgarcons how ridiculous. The whole audience didn't decide to have a baby, that family did. So why the hell should the rest of them have to put up with it?

Unavoidable situations is different (ie people need to put up with crying babies on trains etc) But if you have kids then you have to either a)accept you have responsibilities and not go or b) find someone to take them.

WhoIsThatMaskedWoman · 27/11/2011 23:35

ENO trialed a babysitting scheme - dunno whether it's still running.

Original poster

Madeyemoodysmum · 27/11/2011 23:36

Trois. I also have a just 4 yo that I left at home with her dad Dispite her dad wanting to go he decided to miss out. She is still Too young. It's not Saturday morning pictures!

OP posts:

MardyBra · 27/11/2011 23:37

YANBU. Panto yes. Ballet no.

Anyone disturbing another's enjoyment should leave the auditorium imo. And that includes the bloke I once berated for singing along to the opera.

workshy · 27/11/2011 23:40

we had this problem in the cinema yesterday -child can't have been older than 18months and it was 4.30 show so I'm guessing it clashed with either tea time or bed time!

either way the baby was disruptive as soon as the lights went down -the mother took it out about 5 times during the film

I just didn't go to the cinema until mine were nearly 4!

plus it was the only child she had with her, at a kids film so no need for her to be there unless she just wanted to watch it but was too embarassed to go the the evening shw

montmartre · 27/11/2011 23:41

YANBU. Our local theatre say no under 5s for ballets.

WilsonFrickett · 27/11/2011 23:41

YANBU. And I have regularly taken DS to theatre, cinema, music etc - but to things that were suitable for him. The ballet is loooooooong and there's that bit in the middle where everyone does their solos and I found that boring at the age of 25! (when I first saw The Nutcracker) There's no way I'd expect a toddler to be able to sit through it, so I just wouldn't take them.

Although I'm interested in this cage concept...

Debs75 · 27/11/2011 23:48

I'm taking DD#s to watch panto on ice next month and feel we might annoy a few people. They are 15, 3 and 15m. We will be sat in a huge section with mainly mums and toddlers and the youngest is easily shut up with a bit of boob

pigletmania · 28/11/2011 08:04

YANBU its a ballet not a pantomime. Noway would I take a 2 year old, I would not even take my 4.5 year old either. Its just not suitable for them, and it distracts others that have paid good money for tickets, they don't want to be disrupted by tantruming children/toddlers. No its not about excluding children Trois, its about respecting others, and exercising a bit of common sense, the world does not revolve around your little darlings.

Clossaintjacques · 28/11/2011 08:05

Ballet is boring for most adults let alone children of 2
YANBU

MmeLindor. · 28/11/2011 08:10

Panto is fine, as is cinema if clearly aimed at young children.

Ballet / Theater - no young children as it is boring for them and annoying for others.

DuchessofMalfi · 28/11/2011 08:17

I'm not even taking my 2 yr old to the pantomime. He can't sit still for 5 seconds, and throws tantrums all the time over nothing very much. I wouldn't want to spoil everyone else's enjoyment. It is bad enough in the supermarket!

Bloodymary · 28/11/2011 08:19

YANBU I think it is a great idea to have no under 5s in the theatre.

Very inconsiderate to take a 2 year old to the ballet.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 28/11/2011 08:24

I'm the first one to get snippy with those who think small children should be seen and not heard and detest this culture we have of treating them like second class, slightly shameful citizens to be hidden away. But, there are limits and a situation where people have paid a good deal of money to enjoy a show, whatever it may be is one of them.

DD is nearly 4 and the only show she has been to is the Night Garden Live and next week the panto. Both shows aimed at her age group. Anything else is ridiculous.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 28/11/2011 08:42

Looks like it's unanimous. I won't even add my NBU.

CrunchyFrog · 28/11/2011 08:51

Actually, I would take my two year old. But he would behave, or I would Kill. Him. He knows this.

He's been to the theatre a few times (as I've been taking the older ones and SS unaccountably frown on leaving babies home alone) and he's been fine. With the liberal application of jelly tots and choccie buttons.

OhDoAdmitMrsDeVere · 28/11/2011 08:56

The Nutcracker is pretty much pushed as a children's ballet. Perhaps the mother had never been before and was expected something more child friendly?

I wouldnt take a 2 year old but she might have just taken the chance that her DC would behave or fall asleep.

My nearly two year old would be running up the aisles shouting Choooo Chooooo!

BoffinMum · 28/11/2011 08:57

I took my DC4 (2) to a children's opera at the weekend, because his brother was in it, and he lasted less than five minutes. I do think it's a bit young, really.

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