Toddler cinema club - AIBU

[maybeitsmaybellinebutmaybeitsme]

My assumption re toddler cinema was it’s a “gateway” to normal cinemas. You feel more comfortable going as people understand children are there and therefore there will of course be a degree of silliness/talking and movement. Just a more relaxed way of taking them and teaching them how to behave.

took DC 3 and 5 today for the first time and was totally amazed at the amount of children allowed to just do whatever they like - run around, speak at full volume throughout. Parents talking to children at maximum volume throughout. Children climbing over seats other people (strangers) are sitting on. Of course my own children also tried to speak etc but I thought the point was to teach them “we don’t speak in the cinema/if you have to say something whisper”.

I guess I’m just wondering (please be kind) if it’s my expectations that are unreasonable, or if this was a bad experience? Is it usually like this? I’m not sure I would go again if so - if anything it’s sending mixed messages to my children about cinema behaviour. Or do people just see toddler club as a bit of a playground/children do whatever and im being a fun sponge?

I have a 1 year old who could have technically come along but I didn’t take him
because he’s not old enough to sit down and behave appropriately at the cinema. I knows he’s a “toddler” but I don’t think him
running up and down is appropriate/that’s for the playground

I thought it was just a different type of activity desperate parents could use to entertain their kids when they are sick of soft play. Not a whole heap of options in this endless rain

YANBU.

I took my 3 year old to see a children's film recently and I was also shocked by the behaviour. Adults unable to sit still for 1 hour. Constantly jumping up for the toilet / snacks etc.
It's probably just another example of me me me society where everyone does exactly what they want when they want and to hell with anyone else.

I would assume anything with "toddler" in the title was going to be fairly wild, with one and two year olds wandering around.

I think the issue is, you have brought one kid towards the top end of the toddler age range, and another kid who is out of that age range and could probably cope at a normal cinema, and that has shaped your expectations. So for 3 and 5 year olds, yes it's a perfect "gateway" to going to the cinema to see a kids' film. But parents of younger kids won't be thinking like that.

Same.

I think you have quite different expectations of this than a lot of parents. If something is marketed as "toddler", to me that suggests developmentally appropriate behaviour for toddlers is going to be welcome, including one year olds.

That’s why I’m asking though. The cinema says it’s for 1-5 year olds. But I just don’t think, despite that, that a 1 year old is going to understand sitting still etc so I wouldn’t taken them. Or if I had, I would have been constantly trying to shhh him and sit him
down to teach him to try. I think I expected to see more effort from parents because I’m not sure why bother leaving the house if it’s our child is really just going to run around and ruin the cinema for everyone else. You should at least be able to hear the film, surely? I didn’t expect everyone to sit quietly but I didn’t expect children unpoliced, jumping on seats and trying to get my son’s popcorn.

it’s not softplay. It’s also beautifully sunny where I am today.!

I also feel heartened that many people on this thread seem like minded so i am not sure I am in the minority!

It sounds like you were at the cinema.