To bring baby in carseat to evening cinema showing?

[Loafingaround]

Our local cinema is a fab arty type one that has sofas/food bought to you during film etc. They allow babies under 1 in as long as you keep them quiet. Pretty certain DD would stay fast asleep in carseat for the duration as she likes noise to sleep and is fast asleep by then usually (8pm). Moment she so much as whimpered Id have her out on the boob (under blanket). But, can well imagine we would get some serious evils from other people on the way into the film if not shooting glances at us throughout...what do you think? Shell out £30 for babysitter or take advantage of the cinemas policy?

I wouldn't take a baby to the cinema in the evening. What about all the other people who have organised babysitters. They don't want to watch a film with a baby crying even part of the way through it.

Your local cinema sounds awesome though. Ours has probably had the same chairs since 1974.

I don't see the problem.

A sleeping baby isn't exactly an annoying thing. Just take the baby out of is wakes up.

That won't be any more disturbing than the star bringing food and drinks in, customers getting up to go to the toilet etc

I think any plan that involves a high likelihood of having to get up and walk out of the cinema is a plan that involves inconveniencing and annoying other people.

Many of whom will also have paid £30 for a babysitter so that they can watch a film without interruption.

So everyone else is going to sit in absolute silence the entire time? Not go to the loo or eat or drink anything?

It's funny, other people's babies don't annoy me in the least.
My own…. that's another story.

So, baby starts making a fuss, parent leaves with baby/offers boob.
Would not bother me in the least.

Going to the cinema by definition is a shared experience with lots of people and I agree rustling sweetie wrappers and mobile phones and conversations and restless fidgeters etc etc are more annoying. And more common IME.

So everyone else is going to sit in absolute silence the entire time? Not go to the loo or eat or drink anything?

At my local arthouse cinema - yes. We're serious filmgoers here It's like going to the theatre - people do manage for 120 minutes without eating or loo-going.

I wouldn't tbh

But that's because when I go to the cinema in the day I expect kids and noise etc.

People specifically pick later showings to avoid the kids.

Having said that it is usually the adults that are worst behaved so.....

I don't see the problem. I find people playing on their phones in the cinema far more annoying! My babies would all have slept through all the noise but I would take DC in a sling rather than the car seat.

I don't expect people to be leaving a showing of a film for grown ups to go to the loo.

I have a pretty weak bladder, but even I don't need to leave a film to take a piss.

At the cinema/theatre it is not really great to be getting in and out of your seat and disturbing other people's views.

Other people's babies don't bother me. But if you can't sit in one place for a couple of hours, choose another form of entertainment.

Please don't leave your baby in a car seat for extended periods of time. It can cause dangerous breathing difficulties in young babies and can cause hip or spine issues. It's safer to use car seats as little as possible, and put them in a flat pram or hold them instead when you get out of the car.

Look for a parent and baby daytime showing. It'll probably be cheaper too.

I wouldn't do it. It's not fair on other cinema-goers (or you, in the highly likely event that you have to take her out). It's also too loud.

And my local art house cinema is like Foggy's - best behaviour or else. The sweet rustling and mobile phone wrangling tends to only happen at the multiplex. Also where the baby screenings are!

Oh please don't be that parent. Sorry but if I went to the cinema in the evening, to purposely avoid babies/children I certainly would not expect to be sitting beside a baby in a car seat. Seriously don't be those parents. You will think that you lifted her and got her settled quickly but I guarantee other people will have a different description of it. Just pay for the babysitter.

As Fruu says, being in a car seat out of a car for a prolonged period is advised against. They can have trouble breathing as they are not in the correct position on the floor. Take the carrycot from your pram and putting it by your feet could be an option?

Those complaining of car seat for two long - how do you cope with car journeys if you think 2 hours of a film is too long? And OP is planning on holding baby some of the time too to feed them.

There's a big difference positionally with it in the car and on the floor. When mine were small we stopped and took car seat breaks.

There has been a crackdown recently on the babies in 15/18 films thing - across many cinemas they've had to stop or make baby screenings part of a club if the local authority agrees.

Generally for 12A and below, a baby in a daytime screening (before 5pm) is fine as long as the parent/s sit on the aisle near the exit and are happy to pop out if there is any noise.

Isn't the cinema too loud for babies?

This is what baby screenings are for! The volume is down a tiny bit, the lights slightly up, and people expect noise from the babies so there's no stress!

Plus a baby isn't supposed to be in a car seat for longer than 1.5-2hrs.

If you go to a baby screening instead you can relax.

Maybe it's me but why take a baby anywhere for pleasure where ear defenders are nessecery ? Some environments are unavoidable but not the movies.

I'd do it. Both of mine were very quiet when they were small. Such babies do exist. They yelled like the bejeezus at 12 months old though.

As long as you sit by the aisle and are prepared to zip out promptly in the unlikely event the baby fusses, go for it. You know your own baby and how things are likely to go.

I wouldn't be impressed to be honest. Sorry.

I rarely get to go out so if I'd just spent money on an evening showing then I'd expect an adult evening out.

I went to see The BFG with DD this week and so expected lots of children and noise to some extent. It was still incredibly distracting when a family near to us had a toddler with them and fidgeted and fussed the whole way through. Don't even get me started on the mess they left behind!

I think consideration of others is sadly dwindling these days.

Loafingaround Odeon do special baby/parent viewings at some cinemas. you could have look and see if there's a local one to you? Its called Odeon Newbies.

My local arty cinema is part of the Everyman group. They do a special session for parents and babies where they soften the sound. They are not allowed to let underage children into films with 12 12a and 18 certificates.
I'm going with DC to see The BFG this evening there may well be babies there.