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AIBU?

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Original poster

5 year old never been to cinema?

198 replies

ILikePaperHats · 08/04/2019 20:30

Hi, AIBU to think it's strange that a 5 year old boy has never been to a cinema before? I'm looking after him tomorrow to help him mum out in the holidays, and thought I would take him and my DS (same age) to see Waterpark but the mum has vetoed it saying he's never been before. My DS has been loads of times and loves it.

OP posts:
NoKnit · 08/04/2019 20:33

My 5 year old hasn't been to cinema. I don't think it's abnormal if they have younger siblings (we also have a 3 year old) and no childcare or grandparents close by. How would they do it with a baby/toddler in tow?

IceRebel · 08/04/2019 20:34

I would say it's very normal. Cinemas are loud, expensive and young children are often disruptive to others with snacks, chatting and needing the toilet.

superram · 08/04/2019 20:34

I think
Mine were about 5. It’s exoensive and they would have been bored.

FrederickCreeding · 08/04/2019 20:34

It's not really strange!

Obviously plenty of 5 year olds will have been to the cinema, but certainly not all. If he was 15, I'd be a bit more surprised.

Anon10 · 08/04/2019 20:34

I think it’s perfectly normal for a 5 year old not to have been to the cinema.

blackteasplease · 08/04/2019 20:35

I dont think it's strange.

sparklefarts · 08/04/2019 20:35

Not strange at all.
It's strange that you think it's strange

itsnotso · 08/04/2019 20:36

Both of mine were 6 the first time they went. It's an expensive treat, and I wanted to be sure they would sit through it and not cause havoc.

SarahAndQuack · 08/04/2019 20:36

I think maybe cinemas are less of a common 'treat' now that you can get so much on Netflix/Amazon?

Anon10 · 08/04/2019 20:37

I guess it also depends how much you like films. We don’t particularly and sitting through a kids film for 2 hours sounds like my idea of hell. So we wouldn’t take ours unless they asked us to and they are too young for that. Grin

BluishMoon · 08/04/2019 20:37

Not at all strange. Took my son for first time aged 5 and had to take him out in the first 15 minutes as he wouldn't sit still and didn't like the noise. Was at least a year until I tried again.

Jeezoh · 08/04/2019 20:37

Nope, normal in my family!

EncroachingLoaf · 08/04/2019 20:37

My ds is 5 in a few months and has never been. He is not likely to sit still long enough to watch a film, he gets fed up watching them at home.

We hardly ever go ourselves, it's super expensive, most of the films look shite and I have a baby as well and sod all childcare.

I find it strange that you find it strange actually.

RedSkyLastNight · 08/04/2019 20:37

I think it's more weird that a 5 year old has been "loads of times". Cinema is expensive unless you go to the kids' showings, and they tend to be older films you can watch at home. Plus there are so many more things you can do with a 5 year old than just sit them in front of a screen.

BlueMerchant · 08/04/2019 20:38

I didn't take my son until he was 5. He didn't really have the concentration skills to sit to through a movie until then. I remember he had to keep having a walk to the foyer for more sweetsGrin

MulberryPeony · 08/04/2019 20:38

My five year old boy hasn’t been. I don’t find it unusual at all.

Changemynamexchangemyname · 08/04/2019 20:39

My 6yo hasn’t been, he would hate the noise, cinemas are so loud now.

KitKat1985 · 08/04/2019 20:39

My eldest DD (4.5) has never been to the cinema. I'm buggered if I'm paying £10 for her and £15 for me to watch the Peppa pig film for 10 minutes before she gets bored and fidgety and I have to spend the next 60 minutes telling her to sit down and stop kicking the chair in front. I have a TV she can watch kids films on for nothing.

And my snacks cost a lot less.

pessimisticstateofperception · 08/04/2019 20:39

It's expensive to get in, the snacks are expensive, they want to go to the toilet all the time, not really my idea of a fun couple of hours. They have thousands of films on Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, sky etc as well now so really not unusual for a 5yo to not have been.

kaytee87 · 08/04/2019 20:39

My 2.5yo went loads to mum & baby (before he could crawl back Grin) but I wasn't really planning to take him again until he was about 5 tbh.
We prefer to spend time in the garden, at the park, swimming, soft play or farm parks etc.
I would think most children don't have the patience to sit through a proper film until they're about that age.

mindutopia · 08/04/2019 20:40

My 6 year old went once to see Peppa Pig. We did try to see Moana, but it was so ungodly loud. She cried and we left 15 minutes in. Honestly, it’s expensive and kind of boring to just sit that long. Mine would rather be outside playing (for free!). So I don’t think it’s that odd.

Onceuponacheesecake · 08/04/2019 20:40

My 5 year old has only been once. It's expensive and he has to really like movie to sit through the whole thing. It's not strange at all...

DantesInferno · 08/04/2019 20:40

but the mum has vetoed it saying he's never been before

nope, not weird, does she want to be the first one to take him to the cinema?

JassyRadlett · 08/04/2019 20:40

My eldest was really badly affected by any loud noises. I first took him to the cinema when he was about five and a half, ready to make a quick getaway if needed. He was able to tolerate it but before then the volume would have freaked him out.

theworldistoosmall · 08/04/2019 20:41

Not strange at all. Not all young children have the attention span to sit for 90 minutes

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