If your children won't sit still don't take them to the cinema!

[Tailtwister]

AIBU to think that if your children won't sit still or at least stay in the vicinity of their seats, you shouldn't take them to the cinema?

We've just spent 2hrs watching 2 girls (I'm guessing 5/6 and 4) run/dance around the area in front of the screen and up and down the stairs ALL the way through the film. The adults with them did absolutely nothing to stop it.

Several people complained and a staff member did come and stand for a while to watch (they returned to their seats at this point, so they were capable of sitting), but as soon as they left they just continued. I'm not talking about restlessness, but running and playing and not watching the film at all. I struggle to see what the point of taking them was (apart from to irritate the hell out of other cinema goers).

I'm not intolerant of children and their noise at all, but this was taking the piss. There was the usual movement you would expect at a children's film (questions, toilet breaks etc), but I've never seen anything like this before.

YANBU

At a children's film I wouldn't expect quiet and I would expect people to go in and out. But using the cinema as a playground is a step too far. I don't blame the children but the parents should have stopped them.

Yanbu, assuming it was a children's show then you expect some noise and whatever but children shouldn't be running around.

We went to a children's show at the Liverpool philamonic at the weekend and children were encouraged to sing along and dance at points but the children doing cartwheels across the front for the whole show did irritate me slightly!

I would have asked for my money back. Shit parenting

YANBU. We went recently and a group wouldnt stop talking through the entire film. Several people complained to the staff and they were told they would be asked to leave if spoiling it for others. Children laugh and make the odd comments but this was non stop. Dvds are there for those that cant sit still or quiet at the cinema.

YANBU

I took my 2 to see Frozen last week and all through it there were 2 kids crying, screaming, running around, climbing over seats, running up and down the stairs. 1 tripped over and spent the next 20 minutes crying.

Parents just sat there and let them get on with it

It's a kids film, I don't expect silence and no movement but this was beyond a joke

I'm glad I'm NBU, I was wondering if I was being intolerant or something.

bigbuttons I would have asked for a refund, but DH gets the tickets free through his work, so I didn't.

This happened to me recently too.

I do blame the parents, but also the cinema staff, because they are happy to take your money but don't seem at all bothered about doing their best to ensure that their customers get a good experience.

If people were complaining, and if the children were able to sit still when staff were present, then either a member of staff needed to stay in the theatre throughout the movie (like they used to), or they needed to ask that family to leave.

First time I took my five year old to cinema, he ran about and a woman complained at me. Was cross at first, but later realised she was right.
I don't take him now unless I'm prepared to walk out halfway through if he gets restless. YANBU

YANBU. It's a lot of money to pay to observe bad parenting.

YADNBU. It is very poor that the staff seem so unwilling or unable to do anything about it. I guess the majority of staff might be youngsters who don't feel they have the authority to ask someone to leave. If several people had complained though it is a shame they didn't feel able to have a word with the family and ask them top kepp their children in their seats or else

We saw Frozen last week and wanted an evening performance to avoid all this, but of course there wasn't one.

The child behind us was genuinely ill - had the most hacking cough and poor little pale face with red eyes and cheeks. There is no way she should have been in a cinema spreading all her germs over our group which contained 2 asthmatics and a diabetic because she was so poorly. It was a really loud distressed and distressing cough and made it difficult to follow the film.

Then a toddler appeared in our row (we had all the seats in one row in one section) and started trying to crawl along between our legs and the seats in front.

When my assertive sister told him clearly "No, go away", he did - only to spend the rest of the film kicking one of the children's plastic booster seats up and down the steps.

We complained.

Absolutely nothing was done about it.

YANBU.

Children who can't stay in a seat (without kicking the one/s in front) aren't ready to be in an audience or anything. It's simply not fair on everyone else.

YANBU.

I took DD to the cinema to see Frozen last week. It cost £21.00 for the tickets. Its a lot of money to waste on a spoilt experience.

When DD wasnt ready, we used to go to the ASD friendly screenings with DS. Then she could make as much fuss as she needed and no-one minded.

Too fucking right.

I took my DD (2) and DS (8) to cinema got them settled to watch Frozen (I have took DD once before she sits and watches movies int he house as they are on for DS - U's)

This whiney little girl behind shuffled, talked and rattled the sweet all the way through. She kept getting up and touching our hair.

I get quite annoyed at other people allowing their children to talk and ask questions loudly - teach them to respect other and watch the bloody film OR at least whisper.

I couldnt help but thinking it was our fault for buying tickets on cheap night.

YANBU, I used to feel embarrassed that DD2 always insisted in going to the loo once per film and tried to lurk where we could get out quietly.

Standing, kicking and running about are totally UR.

Although I have to say I have very rarely if ever seen bad behaviour from children at our cinema.

What pisses me off is when familiar with six foot fathers can't arrange them selves with their DCs in front of my DCs

I should add my Toddler was fine and hope the people in front didnt think the noise was from her!

I'm surprised it's so widespread! I spent the whole film wondering how on earth the parents could sit there and let their children blatantly run around like it was a soft play. They obviously knew it was disturbing people as they got them back in their seats sharpish each time a staff member appeared. They clearly didn't give a shit and viewed it as an opportunity to sit on their idle backsides and ignore their kids.

It's a shame as most children are perfectly capable of sitting through a film by the age of 5, as long as their parents have given them boundaries. DS2 is 3 and he spoke once (to ask to go to the loo), but sat quietly throughout the 2hrs. He's not perfect by anyone's standards, but he knows if he misbehaves he will be removed. I wouldn't take him to a ballet for instance, as I'm not 100% sure he would sit quietly through the whole performance like DS1.