Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to let my 12 y/o & 6 y/o DDs go to the cinema alone?

70 replies

Joolsy · 14/10/2015 15:47

What I mean is, I will obviously take them in but they'll be watching the film without me. They are both v. sensible & I would be in the vicinity or a few mins walk away should they need me (DD1 has a phone which she could go outside of the screen with DD2 to ring me).

OP posts:
Sandsnake · 14/10/2015 15:49

Absolutely. I took my younger sister to the cinema (mum drove us) at similar ages and she really cherished the memory.

LittleRedSparke · 14/10/2015 15:51

I wouldnt let my 12yo and 6yo (obvs if I had a 12/6) go to the cinema alone

Go with them - thats a lot of pressure on your 12yo, what if something happens.. (not sure what could happen in a cinema) but its a dark room with strangers....

Drew64 · 14/10/2015 15:59

yanbu
They will love it, and adventure and you will just be round the corner

KinkyAfro · 14/10/2015 16:02

It would be different if you were dropping them off, leaving them there and coming back for them hours later. YOu've said you'll be in the vicinity so I don't see a problem

HeteronormativeHaybales · 14/10/2015 16:03

The 12yo, fine.
The 12yo with the 6yo, hmm. Could be fine, could be a disaster. I personally wouldn't.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 14/10/2015 16:03

If you're in the vicinity anyway, why don't you just go in with them?

lilybetsy · 14/10/2015 16:05

i would, and have ...(although it depends on the 6yo. DS2 no, DS3 yes)....

Fourarmsv2 · 14/10/2015 16:07

I took 3 x 11YOs to the cinema and they went in alone. I was next door watching the Martian.

I checked on them when my film finished. One was distraught and sobbing at the film. The other two were fine.

I might for a U rated film.

yummumto3girls · 14/10/2015 16:08

The 12 year old is not old enough to be responsible for a 6 year old. YABU

Autumnalhedgehog · 14/10/2015 16:10

Yes to leaving 12 year old
No to leaving 6 year old too much responsibility

Original poster
Joolsy · 14/10/2015 16:15

It would be a U film. I would go in but I've got 2 free tickets at a vvv expensive cinema and I don't want to be paying around £12 for me to get into a kids' film! I would just take 1 of them but all the films that are on they would both want to see. And OH & I can't use them as we have noone to babysit

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 14/10/2015 16:18

Yes of course it'll be fine. What on earth do people think is going to happen??

If they are both happy with the idea, go for it.

ConstanceMarkYaBitch · 14/10/2015 16:19

Who's going to tell them to be quiet when they are making too much noise (which ALL of the unaccompanied kids do every time I bring mine to the cinema, ruining it for those of us who actually want to hear it!)

BertrandRussell · 14/10/2015 16:20

I would feel a failure s a parent if I had brought up a 12 year old who couldn't look after his own 6 year old sibling for 90 minutes!

DoJo · 14/10/2015 16:21

So long as you cover all likely eventualities such as going to the loo together if either of them need to during the film, staying absolutely quiet while the film is on and leaving immediately if either of them wants to.

BertrandRussell · 14/10/2015 16:23

I would also feel a failure as a parent if I brought up a 12 and 6 year old who didn't know how to behave in a cinema.

LittleRedSparke · 14/10/2015 16:37

"I would feel a failure s a parent if I had brought up a 12 year old who couldn't look after his own 6 year old sibling for 90 minutes!"

Seriously? you would put that much responsibility on a 12yo? Thats not fair on them at all - they are still children at 12 and not there to be adults. A 12yo with others the same age - fine, but not looking after a 6yo

BertrandRussell · 14/10/2015 16:41

So tell me the scenarios where the responsibility would be too much for a 12 year old sitting with his own 6 year old sibling in a cinema for 90 minutes? With their mum outside? Hmm

Actually, I don't see any problem with 12 year olds taking a bit of responsibility, to be honest.

EddieStobbart · 14/10/2015 16:45

I did this yesterday, DC1 (9) her 8 yr old friend and DC2 (6). I have a cough and I thought I would be pretty unpopular if I went in, also didn't fancy Hotel Transylvania 2 much. I was allowed to show them right to their seats and collected them right outside, they were under strict instruction to go to the loo together so I chose aisle seats near the exit.

LittleRedSparke · 14/10/2015 16:46

6yo finds the film too scary
6yo drops drink all down himself
6yo gets picked on by someone being a prat
6yo falls over and smacks his head open in the dark
6yo argues with 12yo re doing anything and refuses to do as told
12yo finds power goes to his head and bosses 6yo about and 6yo rebels and runs off and hides
6yo wonders off and the 12yo doesnt notice as they're watching the film
6yo wants to go to the toiler and 12yo doesnt want to take him

all sorts of stuff can happen in an hour and a half
6 is too young

lalalonglegs · 14/10/2015 16:46

My 11yo would love to be put in charge of her younger brother and sister. I really don't understand why it is such a huge responsibility to sit in a cinema and watch a film for a couple of hours especially if a parent is hovering nearby and the older child has a phone for emergencies Confused. And I agree with Bertrand, my children definitely know how to behave in cinemas etc.

trollkonor · 14/10/2015 16:48

Whats the policy at the cinema?

EddieStobbart · 14/10/2015 16:49

They didn't need the loo anyway (they don't usually in a period of 90 mins when they've just been). They were fine.

LittleRedSparke · 14/10/2015 16:51

Obviously most mnetters are disagreeing with me (which is the fun of an online forum eh?)

Its very much a personal thing though, and if you feel confident in it, then the consensus seems to be to go with it

Personally I wouldn't and i would be Hmm if I saw it - but thats just my own view

AChickenCalledKorma · 14/10/2015 16:52

If any of those things happens, the 12yo takes her sibling by the hand and walks to where mum is sitting drinking coffee, surely? Or texts mum. I do think 6 is possibly a bit young, but OP is not talking about abandoning them for the whole afternoon. She'll be in the building.