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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To bring baby in carseat to evening cinema showing?

138 replies

Loafingaround · 05/08/2016 08:45

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?

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 05/08/2016 14:18

And behaviour was different then. It really was. Children in the 50s/60s didn't talk all the way through a film (in the evening - children's times obviously different). But it was rare to go at night. They sat still at a table in the restaurant and ate nicely. But early evening, not 9/10pm unless on holiday. They didn't run around. And we weren't allowed in pubs. We sat in the car with a lemonade and crisps with the blue twist of salt

I remember very similar back in the 80s/early 90s

Was very much a shock to start working in a pub in my twenties and having to witness chips and ketchup smeared over tables and kids climbing on the furniture or running around.

Mind you I never saw adults plastered and vomiting on the pub floor or fighting till then either....

Wtf happened I don't know

Cosmo111 · 05/08/2016 14:18

I hope you got your money back Flossflossy

Gileswithachainsaw · 05/08/2016 14:21

Mind you as a kid eating out was rare and a real treat and we dressed up to go and expectations of our behaviour were high...

You knew what waited for you at home if you were naughty.

I guess with all the buffets now and vouchers in magazines and "kids eat free" deals eating out is a more regular occurrence and ergo no big deal anymore?

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 05/08/2016 14:23

I would hate that.

Dontyoulovecalpol · 05/08/2016 14:25

I'm quite amazed that people (lots of people?) pay a baby sitter (£30?) then pay another £30 in tickets just to watch a film. Netflix people! You'll be able to watch it at home in a few weeks

Artandco · 05/08/2016 14:31

Behaviour wasn't diffenent in the 50s. Mine wouldn't talk through a film and we have spent many evenings at 9/10/11pm out places with them since newborn. They have never been allowed to shout and run around or smear ketchup everywhere. Sure some children's behaviour now is appalling, but doesn't mean everyone's are. And I'm sure there were some terrors in the 50/60s also

Artandco · 05/08/2016 14:33

We def went in pubs though, my parents owned one when I was small and there are pictures of us as babies and toddlers asleep in Moses basket or on a duvet tucked under the bar. Surrounded by a fog of cigarette smoke no less

JedRambosteen · 05/08/2016 14:34

Have to go out shortly, so a quick post. We took baby DS1 in carseat to a film once. He was asleep, but it was unbelievably loud and we got so twitchy about (passively) damaging his hearing we left half way through. Probably marks us out as nuts, but our parental discomfort reduced our enjoyment to the extent we jumped ship.

Dontyoulovecalpol · 05/08/2016 14:34

We used to have to go in the Garden and mum would smuggle in a 2L bottle of coke so she didn't have to pay pub prices Grin we used to have the best time running around and playing

Gileswithachainsaw · 05/08/2016 14:37

Back in the day where pubs had outdoor play areas Grin

angelos02 · 05/08/2016 14:42

As long as your baby is silent, it's fine. No whimpering or any other noises

angrydwarf · 05/08/2016 14:48

Personally, I wouldn't. The cinema is expensive and babies are unpredictable. But the only issue I can really see is the car seat itself. Even our local arty/sofa type cinema wouldn't have a lot of space for an infant car seat on the floor without blocking access. How about baby in a carrier? Will baby sleep on you?

Like previous posters have said, we never go to cinema as a couple any more. Can't justify paying babysitter and tickets when we could just buy it on iTunes a couple of months later. We usually go individually now if it's something we can't wait to see, on consecutive evenings, and whoever went first isn't allowed to give spoilers!

Nanny0gg · 05/08/2016 15:23

We def went in pubs though, my parents owned one when I was small and there are pictures of us as babies and toddlers asleep in Moses basket or on a duvet tucked under the bar. Surrounded by a fog of cigarette smoke no less

Because your parents owned it, that's why. Licensing laws didn't allow it when I was a child unless you were eating. And most pubs were for drinking, not restaurants.

Dontyoulovecalpol · 05/08/2016 15:25

To be fair though pubs weren't really that regulated then especially local pubs. Anything went really.

itsmine · 05/08/2016 15:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Niloufes · 05/08/2016 15:50

Sorry, no, you would be being unreasonable. Its not fair on anyone else, day time screenings are for kids.

I8toys · 05/08/2016 15:50

No. I agree don't be those parents - you may think you are being quiet but the whispering, soothing the child etc is noticeable to others .

Adults want a child free showing that includes babies - their own and others. And the cinema isn't cheap these days. Just because you can doesn't always mean you should.

SuperFlyHigh · 05/08/2016 16:06

Struggler - my mum actually brought me out to restaurants etc as a baby (but I rarely cried) but would have brought me out etc if i did cry and realised that very late night wasn't the right environment for a baby.

I hate to say it (not saying you will be) but there are so many example of rude entitled parenting these days with parents taking their kids everywhere and not keeping an eye on their behaviour so I agree with NannyOgg that there should be more child free places.

Switch this to allowing adults everywhere kids go (soft play etc) and you could possibly get the paedophile card but also why would adults want to be in a kids environment. Some places like bars etc due to behaviour, drunkeness, swearing etc just aren't suitable for babies/kids.

Cubtrouble · 05/08/2016 16:10

Cinemas are loud, just a normal film I find loud and if I paid £30 for two tickets and your kid made a noise I would not be happy and yes I would say something, it's not the place for someone who can't realistically be kept quiet

Cubtrouble · 05/08/2016 16:12

Also- check you can get child friendly screenings for adult films in some places so you could go and watch in the morning, not so dark and quieter. Expect crying babies sometimes. I will stress this was for babes in arms not toddlers roaring about

pleasemothermay1 · 05/08/2016 16:15

Please don't

We don't have much money and my dh has to work extra hours for treats like pictures it also a diffcult for us to get a baby sitter for our children

I would be gutted if our only evening out was spoilt by a crying baby

Are you that desprate so see a film you need to take a baby

Onionringo · 05/08/2016 16:33

Any noise, or potential noise in a cinema really annoys me. I rarely get to go, because I have young children, and Id be really annoyed if Id spent money and organised rare time away from my children to see a baby there.

And I'd never have done it with my babies, quiet as they were most of the time, because I wouldn't have been able to relax for worrying about disturbing others or hurting the baby's ears, or frightening them.

Original poster
Loafingaround · 05/08/2016 16:58

The reason I was even considering this is the seating is completely separate sofas for 2, with masses of legroom in front of them and very wide gaps between others sofas, so wouldn't be as intimately close to other cinema goers as normal.
Most parents know their baby and I can see immediately, by her movements/waking up that she might start crying and honestly do, when in places like planes etc and her crying will annoy people, wip her out and on the boob before she can start howling. But yes, people around me wouldn't know this, and might become very anxious waiting for any noise throughout the film and yes thats not fair to inflict on them.

Those saying why waste money on cinema when you have kids- I love movies/the cinema- watching at home on a tiny TV is just not the same experience as being in a cinema, especially a seriously luxurious and comfy one at that. Why waste money going to restaurants when you can eat at home? Its just not the same thing is it?! We are paying for a babysitter for sure now though- thanks for the comments.

OP posts:
Brummiegirl15 · 05/08/2016 17:00

I take my baby to baby cinema every week and I love it. But it means if she is a bit grizzly, doesn't matter. I can carry her in in her car seat but she sits on my lap, watches film, snoozes etc

I am taking her to a non baby cinema showing of Finding Dory as DH wants to go so we will take her to a weekend morning showing where crucially there are other children but her car seat won't go in. She'll go in the sling and sit on our laps.

I'm sorry I really don't think it's fair to take a baby to an evening screening of a film when other people have gone there for an adult evening. Take your baby to a parent & baby screening or go to one earlier in the day.

As for those asking about ratings. Infants under 1 are exempt from the 15 rating, but only at the individual cinemas discretion. The big chains Cineworld, Odeon etc have a blanket ban on anyone under 15. The Independents tend to be a bit more flexible. So I had to take DD with me to parent & baby for Ab Fab at Everyman as my local cinema Empire wasn't showing it, and I checked with Everyman to make sure it wasn't a mistake.

If you decide to take your baby, don't take the car seat or pushchair, there simply isn't room. And a normal showing doesn't have to accommodate your car seat because it WILL be in the way of other seats/ people

Just sit baby on your lap or in your arms

DoNotBlameMeIVotedRemain · 05/08/2016 17:12

Take her in the daytime. I don't think babies should be at evening cinema showings due to risk of disturbing everyone. Daytime is fine; parent and child showing even better.