totally ready to be flamed on this but if you take a toddler/baby to a school performance -take them out if they start carrying on!

[sausagesandwich34]

the DCs and their friends have worked really hard practising for the christmas play and it was spoilt for them by inconsiderate people staying in the hall while their little ones cried, shouted, ran about etc etc

I have no issue with baby noises that are not crying but when they start shouting, having a tantrum, really tired crying please take them out

yes it's also anoying for audience but it's the dcs who get distracted from their lines or the little ones on stage for the first time who see children not much younger than they are crying, that I get upset for

and yes I do have more than one child and I have taken the younger one out to calm down before now

YANBU I have missed bits if several performances as DS3 stripped about outside.

I only wish the mother who took a phone call in the middle of last year's leaver's assembly in Infants had the same approach.

YANBU. Incidentally I missed a bit of ds1's concert this week chasing after ds2 who made it his life's mission to escape from me to try to liberate the Guinea pigs in the classroom next door. Luckily this was all done relatively quietly just lots of persistent wriggling followed by super fast crawling. I'd picked an aisle seat as he is known for such things!

Totally agree, same for theatre shows and cinema. Wtf do people bring a child under 1 to the theatre, and not even have the courtesy to leave when they cry throughout

This thread goes against all MN rules. LOVE it.
MN rules are : England is so unfriendly and you should be able to take your baby or child to any restaurant, any opera , anything.

But no, this thread says otherwise.
"why do parents feel the need to take their babies to such events, and if they really haven't got child care (and I bet a lot have but can't be bothered to arrange it)"

Ha. Ha. Ha.

I'm very glad our school has a no pre-schoolers at special performances rule. We are issued 2 tickets per child (which have their name on) as the church has a limited capacity and anyone turning up with a baby or toddler will not be admitted.

I have total sympathy with parents wihout childcare. I never have any childcare! My friends are either at work or with their own young children at events and my parents and inlaws are miles and miles and miles away. However I have never let my dcs disrupt a performance. The odd coo or sigh or even an odd toddler remark, fine. Anything of the screaming, crying, shouting variety - NOT fine. Running - NOT fine. Playing with loud toy -NOT fine. Feeding child endless cheerios or chocolate button - BRILLIANT idea
Goodness knows it's hard being the parent of a school age child and a little one. You get pulled in both directions but you do have to get a grip and manage your life without disrupting that of other people.

Oblomov

YANBU This used to go on when my DC were at school. There's no problem with younger ones being there but if they start being disruptive then take them out.

As for all exits being blocked...really I find it hard to believe that any school would blatently break fire regs.

YANBU. I missed three-quarters of DD1's nativity play a couple of weeks ago (although fortunately still got to see the majority of her lines) because DD2 was restless. It would have been shockingly rude of me to have kept her in there disruptibg the performance (endless nacks failed on that occasion, although have seen us happily and quietly through two assemblies and a carol service thus term). Similarly with DS's play at the end of the summer term - DD2 wanted to join in (loudly) with the songs, so out we went. I always get seats near the door (which is easy at DCs' school as it's near the back).

I look forward to DD2's being at school and my not having to maintain constant vigilance.

YANBU. My DD2 is a livewire and I've had to remove her from stages, catwalks and the like at school performances, hen remove ourselves from the hall.

On one occasion though when she was about 18 months old and DD1 was at nursery she went to sit beside her big sister during their Christmas party carols. I went to remove her, and the staff just told me as long as she behaved she was fine to stay where she was. I would always err on the side of caution though and attempt to remove them rather than assume this was ok.

Unfortunately you get these thick inconsiderate paremts everywhere - in restaurants, at Church services, at school concerts, at weddings - the ones who cannot understand that anyone could possibly find their children annoying or just don't see why they should have to inconvenience themselves in order to ensure their child isn't disturbing other people.
OP YANBU, it is incredibly selfish behaviour.

Atthewelles you are right about the wedding thing. When me and dh were getting married my bil and sil allowed their toddler to run riot. He was crawling under the table, trying to get dh to pick him up, shouting and screaming... 10 years on and I am still livid about it. The registrar had to halt proceedings and ask that he be kept under control. My sil thought it was sooooo cute and her precious lil man just wanted to be part of his uncle's big fucking day. I will get revenge one day.

WOW!

I am sure I have seen similar threads on here before which attract loads of YABU unreasonable comments and people saying "Oh its a school performance not the Albert Hall" and similar. Can't believe that you have got such overwhelming agreement

Oh yes - and I agree with you entirely YADNBU

At the music club we go to there is a Christmas performance and some people there had a child of 3 or 4 who would not sit still and insisted on playing nosily in the aisle and the parents did sod all. Yet some of the youngest children performing were not much older than this boy and it seems such a shame that their hard work is disrupted by one unruly child with selfish parents.

At the nativity this year the deputy head congratulated the kids on performing under such noisy and distracting conditions. It wasn't just the babies/toddlers in the audience. Parents were talking, standing up taking pictures, mobile phones going off despite being told to put them on silent by the camera guy...

YANBU..love this thread!
When my DC were tiny i would go armed with boxes of currants,drinks and biscuits to hopefully keep them quiet when watching my other DD, if it didn't work i would and have took them out.
Some parents think the whole world revolves around their kids, and stuff the little ones on the stage who struggle to remember their lines over them.

I went to ds1 first nativity a few weeks ago. My dh,and in laws came, as did ds2, who's almost 2. As soon as I sat down with ds2 I could feel people around me bristling ad the poor boy hadn't make a peep, so straight away I felt uncomfortable. The school had a crèche but I know ds2 would get upset in there and I I wanted him to see his big brother in his performance. The head teacher asked f parents could remove their little ones if they started bring noisy. I brought a huge pot of raisins to keep ds2 quiet but unfortunately the play started at least 10 minutes late due to parents turning up late so ds2 had already eaten the by the time the play started. He did wriggle around a bit and keep wanting to get down so 10 minutes into the play I left. I had to watch from the classroom door while ds2 played.
I can see how annoying the noise and distraction is for other people but no, I didn't have childcare for ds2, as my mil has him on Tuesdays usually as I work but she wanted to see ds1s performance too, also as I've already said ds1 loved having his little brother there.
Saying that I think I will rethink it next year and either leave ds2 with mil, or let inlays go on different day, baring in mind that they live 40minutes away.
I do understand where you are coming from but a bit more compassion and understanding would be good.