to be confused why children cannot go for 35 minutes without food

[PrincessScrumpy]

I left dtds at home with dh and took dd1 for a treat to the theatre - Charlie and Lola. She loved it and each side if the interval was about 35mins. From start to finish, the 2 families in front of us passed sweets up and down the row. I just don't get it - the theatre isn't the cinema with popcorn, but I understand some dc may need the odd chocolate button as a bribe, but my dd sat and watched the show, then had ice cream in the interval. tbh I think the kids infront would have been fine without food but their mothers insisted on them having it. I just think it's unnecessary and bad etiquette but I'm probably a grumpy old woman.

Another party pooper. Op, do you know what a bit of fun is? I always take sweets to the cinema and theatre with dd. that's the whole enjoyment. I bet you don't let your children eat anything whilst watching a movie at home too :(

"Sweets aren't food." Riiight...

I think of food as something that you eat because your body needs it in terms of its nutritional value.

I see sweets as an occasional treat, so no, sweets are not food to me.

We'll have to differ in that then rainyday. To my mind, the "fun" or enjoyable aspect of going to the theatre is actually being able to watch the show/play/musical/concert undisturbed. I can sit and eat sweets and people watch for free in any park / station / shopping centre etc., if I've paid a lot of money to see a show, then that's what I'd like to be able to enjoy.

Well if sweet papers offend people so badly then I think KIDS shows are best to avoid!

rainyday, the OP isn't talking about not 'letting' kids have sweets per se, just saying that the rustling and talking that goes along with passing them round at the theatre is distracting for other audience members and disrespectful to performers. That's obviously different from watching a film at home.

its a little kids show though Lady C!! Where is the fun? Where has it gone?

Unless I have missed a post by OP she doesn't say anything about the papers just that they shouldn't eat

Well, I did say earlier that my personal ideas about theatre etiquette don't apply to kids' shows (as I don't have kids/take any kids to the theatre). Of course the audience at kids' shows are going to be noisier. But I think the poster who said that part of the point of taking kids to live performances from an early age was so that they learn the appropriate way to behave has a very good point; surely there's a balance between letting kids enjoy a show and showing them that it's good to be mindful of other people being able to hear and concentrate too?

I went to see Matilda, and the audience was obviously full of kids including nearly a whole row sitting in front of us. I was sometimes aware of quiet eating/fidgeting etc, but generally I think they were having a nice time while also keeping the noise well within reasonable levels.

its RUSTLING PAPERS though. Seriously. Its a bit miserable isn't it. If they were jumping about and shouting fair enough.

Whats next? Complaining at shouts of hes behind you in the panto?

Pickles The 'fun' is seeing the show. Really, honestly. Why would you pay out ££ to take your dc to see Peppa Pig or Hairspray or Mary Poppins, then distract them throughout the whole show rather than encouraging them to watch / listen to it all ?

I don't let my DCs have sweets etc at the cinema

I don't have a problem with them eating them, but I want them to be aware that they are consuming something, which they are not if they are agog at the big screen. They're not allowed to eat in front of the TV for the same reason.

We often stop for a milkshake/ ice cream on the way home instead.

Why does anyone care if someone wants to give their kids a bag of minstrels? How do you know it was to distract them?

Seriously, rustle rustle pass me a sweet is hardly going to RUIN a performance of a KIDS show.

If the kids had been behaving badly, crawling over the seats etc etc you would have a point.

I think its miserable-ness!

when I took DS to see Peppa Pig he sat beautifully for the vast majority of it much to my amazement but asked at one point for some rasins so he had some whilst watching the show.

I really can't see why that would cause problems for anyone else?

What was more annoying was the child further down the row who needed the toilet 5 times in the show, but thats to be expected at a child's show.

Oh come on OP, how is a parent to keep the kids quiet so they can chat on the phone without giving them sweets every six seconds?

Really surprised how many people seem to think sweets=fun and no sweets=boring. dd does have sweets as a treat but we also have lots of non-sweet related fun too.

I don't think anyone has said no sweets is boring, but surely its not hard to see why for children who don't have sweets a lot having a box of sweets while they are at a show adds to the excitement?

Seriously what harm does it do?

No one is saying that.

I'm saying Sweets= moaning = harsh

Right, so now no one on this thread has any sort of non-sweet related fun except you op?

I do think, some people like to look at other children having a few sweets and think, ahhhh my little johnny doesn't need sweets to have fun. I'm Ace.

Roffle. Very true.

Not saying that, just replying to the couple of people who've called me a party pooper and stated how boring I must be. dd does have sweets but some posters seem to think I'm anti sweets (I am not).

To complain about children eating sweets at a show does give a party pooper impression. Seriously whats wrong with it?

I think some people have their own judgey pants hitched so high they can't read what the OP has actually written