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.

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

To which the response is 'Ah, I see where it gets its manners from'

My sister is blind so when watching a film we tell her what's going on in the silent bits. Don't go to the cinema often but when we do we try and talk quietly so we don't bother people.

I would never let my kids speak out loud in the cinema, but I don't shut them up - we all whisper amongst ourselves if there is anything that requires explanation so it doesn't disturb anyone else.

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

I don't care. Shut the fuck up if you're one of those rabbiting on!
Might as well be the Opera House when it's approx 10 quid a person for us all to go as a family to the cinema.
OP says the adult instigated it half the time, so if the kid is sat there quiet, why start waffling?!
Would drive me mad!

Coulddowithanap they do audio description movies a lot now, especially at vue. Not sure about other cinemas, but I'd imagine they do it too. You get headphones that describe what is happening even during the silent bits.

*@hittheroadjack1

"I'll never take my 8 year old with adhd to the cinema unless it's a sn screening after reading this thread."
Thank you in advance.

I don't care. Shut the fuck up if you're one of those rabbiting on!
Might as well be the Opera House when it's approx 10 quid a person for us all to go as a family to the cinema.
OP says the adult instigated it half the time, so if the kid is sat there quiet, why start waffling?!

Agree, except here in London it can easily be £15 a ticket, and you can go to the Royal Opera House for less than that

IME many adults behave badly in the cinema too.

Don't they just? I've more or less stopped going. The last few times I've been, the soundtrack has been so loud it's been distorted and people were practically shouting over it.

We have a couple of small, independent cinemas in the area and we go to those occasionally. They don't get blockbusters or first release films, but they seem to have better behaved audiences.

YANBU. Can't believe people saying if you want to watch a film quietly, wait for the DVD. No - if you want to talk through a film, wait for the DVD! It's common courtesy, when watching something where there are others who've also paid to be there, to be quiet. So many people now just don't care about anyone but themselves though.

coulddowithanap you're still talking during the movie - and especially during quiet suspenseful parts- even if the cause is noble. You need to find audio described screenings as another poster has suggested.

Can't believe people saying if you want to watch a film quietly, wait for the DVD. No - if you want to talk through a film, wait for the DVD! It's common courtesy, when watching something where there are others who've also paid to be there, to be quiet.

So, so true.

Yanbu.

I removed my 3yo from the cinema the last time we went after 1 warning to be quiet. Yes it was annoying that we'd paid for 3 tickets only to leave 30 minutes in. My son though and my responsibility, not for others to put up with.

I can believe it. Many times on MN it’s the quiet people who are expected to suck up loud people’s behaviour, despite the fact that they’re not the ones bothering anyone else.

Could I’ll bet that your talking quietly is annoying the sit out of other cinemagoers. Please don’t do it.

I taught DD from very young that only necessary quiet whispers during the cinema. No putting feet on the chair in front. No kicking the chair in front. And generally sit still so as not to annoy people.

I find it really annoying when parents don’t even try to reign in their children from causing disturbance in the cinema.

I also fully agree with op above that says if you want to talk through a ‘paid for’ film - stay home yourself and wait for the DVD. Don’t ruin a cinema trip for others.

Can't believe people saying if you want to watch a film quietly, wait for the DVD. No - if you want to talk through a film, wait for the DVD! It's common courtesy, when watching something where there are others who've also paid to be there, to be quiet.

This this this!! People are just becoming so self absorbed these days.

I have experienced the same thing with the parent inititating the chatter. Yanbu.

If it's a kid's film any viewing before 2pm is fine if the kids don't like sitting down or can't be silent.

One of my favourite memories is seeing Snow White in the cinema and most of the kids under 10 getting up and dancing. I thought it was cute. Their parents didn't though.

Then again the parents weren't instigating the behaviour which is why I didn't have an issue with it.

Colafreesepop depends if the showing is full price or not and what film it was. In the example of Snow White I guess fair enough, but for Toy Story or say The Incredibles adults without DCs go to see these films too and most cinema goers expect relative quiet if they've paid full price for the tickets

Whatever they do, don't you ever dare shushing them. That's almost equivalent to child abuse, according to one of the recent threads. You could always walk out, go to another cinema, pay for a new ticket and hope there are no spoilt kids there.

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.

Soooo... this is why some kids behave badly (fucking entitled). they have had terrible parenting like this top example above

Actually, in spite of complex SEN my kids can behave in a cinema and a range of other settings because I’ve helped them develop strategies for this. The point is that I understand that some people can’t adapt their behaviour, not because they’re entitled or badly parented but because sometimes the demands of the environment are just challenging and some people won’t tolerate diversity. By accepting that not everyone can behave in a way which meets my own usual standards I can make life a little bit easier for someone else, worth a bit of disturbance in my opinion so that we don’t have to go back to the days of the asylum.

But you know, you carry on making incorrect assumptions and judgements and feel superior to people, whether on purpose or because youre being deliberately obtuse. If that’s what works for you.