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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Seriously who takes babies to the theatre?!

156 replies

EL8888 · 15/02/2020 19:05

Went to the theatre last night, 2 babies and their mothers were there. Cue a fair amount of noise throughout. It’s not a mother and baby group?!! People are trying to enjoy and concentrate. Don’t worry l checked and it wasn’t a “baby / children showing” or something like that. Some people are so self absorbed and entitled

I probably shouldn’t write this in AIBU. Because l really don’t think l am! My partner and the woman sat next to me who l don’t know were unhappy as well 😡

OP posts:
fishonabicycle · 16/02/2020 13:49

YANBU - that is ridiculous and selfish of the parents. Entitled twats. And anyone who thinks we all love the sound of babies crying is obviously going around in their own little self absorbed bubble, inflicting their poxy babies on us everywhere.

CottonSock · 16/02/2020 13:52

I went to Avenue q and there was a toddler there. Parents must not have done much research. It was very annoying.

Strugglingtoquit · 16/02/2020 15:07

The people saying that they’re not inconsiderate because they take baby out if it disturbs others are still selfish fuckers! By the time your baby has cried and you’ve stood up, collected baby paraphernalia, everyone else has stood up to let you pass and you’ve gone out you’ve caused several minutes worth of disturbance to everyone around you.

Babies are unpredictable little buggers and even the most settled can have a bad day. Which is why they don’t belong in a theatre unless it’s a children’s show!

Original poster
EL8888 · 16/02/2020 15:17

^this. Even if people leave and then probably come back in then. It is very disturbing

OP posts:
ItsAllTheDramaMickIJustLoveIt · 16/02/2020 15:42

But if it's just a few baby cries, in a theatre of all places, isn't it a lovely reminder of our being?

Nah. It’s a reminder that I’ve spent god knows how much on theatre tickets to have no choice but to listen to someone else’s crying baby instead of what’s happening on stage. I doubt performers on stage think the sound of a crying baby in a theatre is a “lovely reminder of our being” either. Fuck sake Hmm

ilovesooty · 16/02/2020 16:03

Fuck the lovely reminder of our being

Theatre tickets cost a lot of money and there are expected standards of courtesy to your fellow audience members and to the cast.

Wheresthesandman · 16/02/2020 16:28

As well as potentially spoiling the experience for people who have paid a lot of money for tickets, it’s also horrendously unfair to the actors to bring a baby or toddler to the theatre. Saying you’ll take them out if they start to fuss is all very well, but you’ve already distracted them at that point!

I’ve been in the cinema twice when someone has brought a baby in. Once was a Cineworld movies for juniors showing (still not really ok if you ask me, but I know many will disagree), and the other was a 7pm showing of a 12a film. Both babies cried almost constantly from about 10 minutes in, but ironically it was the parents in the movies for juniors showing who decided to leave before the end.

drina27 · 16/02/2020 16:34

OP:
Selfish people.

AnneElliott · 16/02/2020 17:07

I agree with you op. I also think it's unacceptable to bring babies to 12A films. Apparently my local cinema can't ban them as "the parents can decide if the kids can come in". Total nonsense in my view.

Theatres I thought were more strict. When I go to the ballet they refuse all under 5s. And say they'll ask for evidence if the kid looks younger.

bakebeans · 16/02/2020 20:15

With you in this one! Would never have dreamed of it. My family and I want to watch a film in the cinema a while ago. It was a 3 hour film suitable for aged 12 and upwards. A family of 8 were sat behind me with 2 kids under 3 at a 9pm showing mid week!
Kept crying, kicking the chair, asking for the toilet. Just being typical tired toddlers really who just wanted their comfy beds.
Who does that!!! 🤬🤬

MinnieMountain · 16/02/2020 20:24

AnneElliott a friend got told off by the woman next but one to her at the ROH for getting her phone out to check she was taking the correct medication. I love ballet audiences.

Divebar · 16/02/2020 23:38

@MinnieMountain

Well your friend was ill advised to be taking her phone out at the ROH ( was this during a performance?) to check her medication. How would anybody know she was doing that and why choose that moment? The ROH is bloody expensive and as I said previously my friend was seated next to a teenager listening to music from his phone during the performance.

KatherineJaneway · 17/02/2020 05:46

a friend got told off by the woman next but one to her at the ROH for getting her phone out to check she was taking the correct medication. I love ballet audiences.

She should have been told off. Who waits until the middle of a performance to check if they are on the right medication 🙄

ukgift2016 · 17/02/2020 05:59

This gives me the rage. I would never have done this when my DD was a baby.

At my sister graduation, a baby cried throughout the majority of the ceremony. The bitch mother didn't take the baby out once.

Brazi103 · 17/02/2020 06:17

Yanbu. I could care less about whether a 'poor mum' needs to get out and about too. Not my baby, that's your problem.

MinnieMountain · 17/02/2020 06:42

Divebar she really couldn't help it. She was on various timed painkillers. But equally I get why the woman was annoyed.

billystoatgruff · 17/02/2020 06:44

she really couldn't help it. She was on various timed painkillers.

Come on. Checking before would have been a good idea if she absolutely had to take them during the performance.

MinnieMountain · 17/02/2020 06:48

It probably would have been. BUT it's not something I'd ever do myself.

billystoatgruff · 17/02/2020 06:49

BUT it's not something I'd ever do myself.

What isn’t? Checking before the performance starts?

MinnieMountain · 17/02/2020 08:45

Taking my phone out during a performance for any reason. Are you being deliberately obtuse billystoatgruff?

ScreamedAtTheMichelangelo · 17/02/2020 10:20

I still can't get over babies crying in silent theatres being a lovely reminder of our being.

It must honestly be absolutely wonderful to live like that. I'm actually a bit jealous.

KnifeAngel · 17/02/2020 10:29

Definitely complain. We had our theatre trip ruined by a family with a baby that screamed throughout. The selfish parents did nothing to quieten down the baby. The theatre couldn't apologise enough. We got free tickets to another show and they were in a box.

MissGuernsey · 18/02/2020 02:08

JacquesHammer

I managed to flick his ear before his parents saw. How he howled!

Yeah course you did.

Yes I did. I dislike small children

Canuckduck · 18/02/2020 02:11

It’s very odd to bring babies to the theatre.

We were out for a valentines meal on Saturday. It was at a winery and was a 5 course gourmet meal with wine pairings. A very expensive dinner for most people. There was a couple there with a toddler and a baby. They didn’t bother us but it seemed a strange choice. Not somewhere I would’ve looked and assumed it was child friendly.

JacquesHammer · 18/02/2020 08:04

MissGuernsey

Yeah. Course you did.