Kids were onstage PLUCKING instruments! Yes, I was judgey. AIBU?

[TheClaws]

..this was an open-air classical concert we were attending. All ages, kind of Christmassy. Kids were dancing away close to the stage while their parents sat back watching - but some got too close. There were infants sitting on the stage, and as this was a full orchestra, there wasn't much room. And yes, some children even had the nerve to attempt to play with the instruments both mid-recital and during short breaks. At no time did a parent intervene or take their child away. WHYY?

*Oh dear this thread is quite amusing but also informative. DD2 has her first ever concert with a very well known seaside town band next Tuesday evening. I'm thinking I should err on the side of caution and advise them to place all of the trombone section at the front so that on every downward slide they can violently, but legitimately, eject and deter any pfb toddlers from 'interfering' with any of the vulnerable stringed instruments?

I'm slightly torn re ida s post however, and the link to the South Korean lady. This could bring back the very straight laced and stoic British response to this kind of problem. I could well imagine myself (asthmatic but vair vair respectful) dying in the aisles of asphyxiation rather than spoil anyone's enjoyment of a Christmas concert with a random misplaced cough.*

😂😂😂

@ 123MothergotafleA Going off on a tangent here, but in my family background it would have been considered heartless to consume a meal and not offer children some food if they come round and I guess the mother was hinting at that. I have no issue with the OP, though.

YANBU for all the reasons above.

I do wonder if these are the same parents who say on MN "Having a child doesn't have to change your life... I take mine anywhere and they are fine and happy" (to which I usually wonder "yes but is everyone else there equally happy")

Dementia has it exactly right.

Just to reiterate- YET again - orchestral players cannot police the behaviour of children on stage. We're too busy - you know - playing. Plus orchestral management wouldn't be very happy with us if we were horrible to audience members.

YANBU; Good mannered well behaved children seem to be out of fashion today; However, they are the typical kind of child you meet in the grammar school setting. -They are calm enough to be able to learn.

That post makes me feel as though you look down on children, like mine, who go to comprehensives.

Just letting you know how it makes me feel, thought you'd want to know as we're all so keen on manners.

I would ignore that eye

I live in hampshire

No grammer schools here

So every child in the whole county is bad mannered, badly behaved and the opposite of calm

Its shocking...a whole county i tell you!!

Tigerz

Really?

There's a subset at my son's grammar school who are just as spoilt as the subset at my other son's comprehensive.

just thought that as the poster cares so much about manners it might be useful for her to know how to improve hers....

She probably didnt go to grammer school eye

Jesus: Plucking the instruments?! Completely ridiculous behaviour.
Having said that though: My 4 year old has hopped on stage with a Ska band at a music festival and shot the front man with his bubble gun. The band were super cool about it. They even lifted him up and got the crowd chanting his name. And they put photos of it happening up on their Facebook page.
This did not happen on my watch btw. He was being babysat while I had a well earned pint at the bar.

Went to a concert last night and there were all ages there (the youngest looked about 2 days old and slept peacefully throughout, I was broody I can tell you!). I'm glad to say that every child there behaved beautifully, and sat quietly and respectfully while the performers sang or played their instruments. I didn't really appreciate how unusual that was until I saw this thread.
It does bug me when people think 'child friendly' means permission for their brat to run riot. Surely these events are the places where children are supposed to be encouraged learn how to behave properly and foster an interest in the music, not a free-for-all?

It definitely wasn't the type of family music concert where that sort of thing is actively encouraged? We have 'Bach to Baby' round here and what you describe sounds just like it.

but even at 'bach to baby' the performers make clear that touching instruments is not allowed during performance.