To think parents shouldn't let their kids talk in the cinema?

[worriedaboutray]

Went to see Toy Story 4 at 8:30pm with well-behaved 10 year old DC.

A lady with her DC, aged about 7, talked to him the whole way through. He was a bit hyper and asking lots of questions, imitating what was on the screen and occasionally jumping up.

But the bit that annoyed me was that the mother initiated talking to him even when he was quiet, pointing out things about the plot and explaining what was going on. It was a constant narration throughout the whole thing and incredibly distracting.

I'm torn because it's a kids' film, so kids are obviously entitled to be there. And he could perhaps have had ADHD or other SEN, as I noticed after the film that he was whizzing about the place. If he had additional needs he may find the plot hard to follow and need her guidance.

But where's the line? Is there a level of disruption that's inappropriate? I tried to "shhhh" a couple of times, and this started the Mum "shhh"ing, but it only lasted 5 minutes.

Noticed she rushed out of there the second the credits came up, and felt bad as perhaps she was embarrassed and didn't know how to control him.

I'm on the fence... I don't want to criticise a mum of a child with SEN, who may have brought him to the cinema in desperation. But if he didn't have SEN, it was quite annoying.

But the bit that annoyed me was that the mother initiated talking to him even when he was quiet, pointing out things about the plot and explaining what was going on. It was a constant narration throughout the whole thing and incredibly distracting.

I think whether or not he had SEN isn’t so relevant as it sounds like she was instigating most of the chatter. I would expect a bit of chatter from kids during a kids film, but not the adults. It’s a cinema, people pay a lot of money to be there and she’s not on gogglebox

It’s the cinema. It’s not the Royal Opera House.... but nor is it your sitting room when you can talk at will and wander round the room. So - the odd low volume/whispered comment to a child? Fair enough. Talking all the way through it? Absolutely not. You don’t sound at all unreasonable to me.

YANBU. That would’ve annoyed the hell out of me too and I would’ve sushed her or asked her to stop.

Hate this. Once had to sit beside a woman and her son, who both kept talking at the start of the film loudly. They shut up after I told them to shut up. Didn't help that they took their shoes off too and they both absolutely stunk, I mean not had a shower in weeks smell. It was vile. Couldn't move either as the place was packed.

Have some decency people. Wash before you go, don't talk, and don't look at your phone. Can't manage those 3 rules? Stay at home.

Talking in the cinema winds me right up but not during kids films really. They're kids films, kids ask questions and don't really know the "correct" way to behave in the cinema.
Kids leaping about in the cinema is well annoying but a bit of talking is to be expected.

It’s the cinema. It’s not the Royal Opera House....

This. You don’t pay £10 a ticket to see a kids film and expect total silence. If you want that then wait for the DVD release.

I took my daughter to see the new Dora film last week.In the cinema was me my daughter aged 7 ...3 teenagers together and 14 grown ups..4 in one group and the rest were amazingly adult men sitting on their own throughout the cinema which to me is odd in itself but all the noise the getting up for toilet trips the ringing of mobiles and the general disturbance came from the adults.I was fuming.It cost 22 pounds for me and my daughter which although not much really it was ruined by others.The kids and I count the teenagers in that were perfectly behaved the adults christ on a bike only knows what they were doing there in the first place,pretty sure they can;t all have been film reviewers caused so much disturbance.I wanted to scream,The film was less than 2 hrs long surely they could have waited to go for a wee,,go for a drink or food and just shut up.You are not being unreasonable at all OP ..sorry for my rant on your post!

Also with well-behaved 10 year old DC .

The 7 year old in question doesn’t sound particularly naughty, just a very normal curious child.

YANBU at all.

Tbh I wish cinemas would enforce silence unless it's a special child/SEN showing.

We need the old ushers back with their big torches who used to throw you out if you created a disturbance!!! OMG I have turned into my mother!

Honestly I think yabu a little. The film has been out for months, and it was a late showing which is unlikely to have been busy based on the length of time the film's been out. You never know if someone's kids got additional needs, and a bit of low chat isn't going to be that much of an issue. And I'm pretty sure you could have moved seats to be further away from them. If you want to watch a film completely in silence and not bothered by anyone, watch it at home

"They're kids films, kids ask questions and don't really know the "correct" way to behave in the cinema."
Then teach them the "correct" way to behave in a cinema before they ever go into one.
e.g.

1. No talking but if they really have to ask something, it should be whispered as quietly and infrequently as possible.
2. No opening noisy food/sweet wrappers or eating noisy food like crunchy food.
3. Put your phone on silent and don't check it while you are in the cinema.

How hard can it be to follow a few simple rules that enhances everyone else's enjoyment of the film in peace?

Some fucking idiot woman the other week, watching Toy Story with a toddler behind us. The kids was too young, seemingly, to get what was happening. Or whether he was or wasn’t.... sort of irrelevant maybe. The mum literally explained every single bit of the film to him in a baby voice. My glaring and tutting we’re not effective. My DH turned around and said our children can’t hear the film over her voice. She looked pissed off and just continued in a loud whisper.

When we came out I said thanks for ruining the film and left. Twat.

Tbh I wish cinemas would enforce silence unless it's a special child/SEN showing

Because kids with SEN shouldn’t be allowed to live life in a way which encroaches on you?

Let’s just shut them all away so they don’t upset you. Oh hang on, we used to do that and then stopped because it’s fucking archaic.

It’s a bit of talking through a film, if it really is constant with no attempt to speak in hushed tones ask them to be quiet. But if you can’t cope with people with diverse needs doing what they need to do in order to live the life that they’re entitled to, maybe it’s you that needs to shut yourself away.

Toy Story's been on for ages so the cinema won't have been packed. Why didn't you move away from them?

Also just a bit curious to know how you saw him whizzing about afterwards, if she rushed out of there the second the credits came up?

If an easy morning film for young kids eg Peppa Pig at 10 am the YWBU.

However! 8,30 pm movie for kids that might be slightly older YANBU at all.

I have a 6 year old and never let her talk through movies (the odd whisper possibly but then shush her if she carries on).

Everyone has paid the same to see the film, not to hear other people talk. It's selfish to talk through a film, wait for it to come on DVD if you can't help yourself!

*early

idontwanttotalk yes even my 6 year old knows these basic rules! Amazed at the amount of MNers who think it's ok for someone to talk through a movie with comments such as "move seats".

Can't believe how entitled people are.

The 7 year old in question doesn’t sound particularly naughty, just a very normal curious child.

A 7 year old should be able to watching a film in a cinema without giving a running commentary. If they aren’t, don’t take them to the cinema and watch films at home instead.

When I was a child I hated having to watch films with other kids who couldn’t shut up.

"And I'm pretty sure you could have moved seats to be further away from them. If you want to watch a film completely in silence and not bothered by anyone, watch it at home"
Why should they move seats because someone's kid hasn't been taught cinema etiquette? Why shouldn't a parent teach a child when to be quiet instead? You have to teach a child not to talk at a library, in the quiet carriage of a train, during a church service or at a funeral - just add the cinema to your list of quiet places.

At a cinema you pay for the experience of the enormous screen and the sound system, or the 3D effect or IMAX screen. It isn't the same at home. People don't need their experience to be ruined by disrespectful big mouths, whether they are children or adults.

Why should they move seats because someone's kid hasn't been taught cinema etiquette? Why shouldn't a parent teach a child when to be quiet instead? You have to teach a child not to talk at a library, in the quiet carriage of a train, during a church service or at a funeral - just add the cinema to your list of quiet places.

Because (from the OP) And he could perhaps have had ADHD or other SEN, as I noticed after the film that he was whizzing about the place. If he had additional needs he may find the plot hard to follow and need her guidance.

I took DD (8) to see the Lion King. A woman split her 4 children across 2 rows - 3 next to us and 1 next to her on the row in front (offset rather than directly in front of them).

The small child next to us shouted to her siblings/mother “IS THAT SCAR?!” every time a lion appeared on screen. And every time they responded with an explanation that it wasn’t, that it was a different lion, which then promoted a million more shouted questions about that lion’s part in the story. There was other selfish behaviour too - who takes multipacks of crisps To the cinema?!

At the end the mother asked over the seats whether they had enjoyed the film. I responded as if she had asked me “not really, thanks to the continuous running commentary from your kids”. She told me to fuck off. I told her to wait for films to be available on DVD if her kids can’t behave appropriately. They stomped out over all the crisps and packets they’d dropped on the floor.

Yanbu she was very inconsiderate and selfish. Surely she knows he behaves this way at home as well. So it wouldnt have been a surprise to expect this. She Obviously didnt care.

The little boy sounds very much like my own who has ADHD and ASD- very excited and interested and just needs the odd reminder to be quiet. However, I will always tell him to sit nicely and quietly which he tries very hard to do and mostly succeeds (but with poor impulse control he sometimes really struggles).

I don’t think YANBU for being annoyed with the little boy’s mother, she sounds like a pain in the arse. I do however think that if a movie is child friendly (like toy story 4) you’re unrealistic to expect everyone to be totally quiet. Children fidget, “whisper” too loudly, need to go to the toilet etc. Adults can be even worse though 🙄

Last night was at a play with my kids. Lots of older kids there too. Very tall man sat in front of me. That's ok, I can crane my neck so long as he doesn't move about. But of course he moves his head constantly to initiate conversation with his kid. Plus he opens a can of coke, a bag of popcorn, constant sharing and munching. Gaaahh!