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Original poster

Would you take a two year old to a pantomime?

102 replies

mrsclaus44 · 22/12/2024 10:15

Dh and I were meant to be taking our older dc to the Christmas panto later. Our two year old was going to be babysat by her grandma.

Unfortunately Dh is unwell and can't go. So I wondered if I could use his ticket for our 2 year old. I just don't know how she will react. It's about 2.5 hours long with an intermission. From previous years it will be loud and busy and there are some mildly scary bits. Our seats are on the end of an aisle so I'd be able to take her out quickly if needed but equally I don't want her to be going out every 5 minutes because she's being loud. What do you think?

OP posts:
cadburyegg · 22/12/2024 11:31

Agree it's child dependent. My ds1 wouldn't have entertained a pantomime at that age for more than about 5 minutes. My ds2 was a bit more compliant but I don't think he would have tolerated 2.5 hours. But some toddlers would be fine. I think I'd only consider it if I had another adult there to stay with the older child if you had to leave with the toddler.

UndertheCedartree · 22/12/2024 11:34

Our panto doesn't recommend it for under 4s. There are some bits that would scare a 2yo. I think it is far too long for them too. You could well end up having to take them out and spoil it for the older DC. Can grandma not still babysit?

IVFmumoftwo · 22/12/2024 11:34

No way. Both of mine would have been awful at that age.

SparkyBlue · 22/12/2024 11:37

Go off and enjoy yourselves without the two year old. We went on Friday night and had a great time it was a lovely start to Christmas

HPandthelastwish · 22/12/2024 11:38

No, unless you are in an aisle seat and your other two can be left alone.

DD was well behaved and regularly going to tots shows and baby ballets at that age, but she didn't settle at panto until she was about 4/5 possibly beyond and she'd seen and happily sat through proper west end musical at 4. It was the booing that got her and the calling out, it made her really upset and shed cry loudly and she wasn't the only one. At 15 we don't bother with Panto for years as she still doesn't like it even though we go to theatre at least once a month for other things.

Go with the older two and grandma, leave the tot to watch CBeebies panto with dad and bring her back an overpriced light up toy instead

RabbitsRock · 22/12/2024 11:39

Definitely not OP

StormingNorman · 22/12/2024 11:40

Is she normally good at sitting still quietly for a couple of hours?

HPandthelastwish · 22/12/2024 11:41

ThatKhakiMoose · 22/12/2024 10:27

Leave your toddler with DH and take Grandma. I'm sure she'd love to go to the panto with her other GC.

Do this, I bet Grandma would love it

Twoshoesnewshoes · 22/12/2024 11:43

No way.
though I wouldn’t take a two year old anywhere except the park or the beach…

mitogoshigg · 22/12/2024 11:45

I would have but I had children who went to concerts (for children) from birth (dd2 went to her first aged 3 weeks) and church so would sit still. Know your own child!

ClicketyClickPlusOne · 22/12/2024 11:46

No.

They can suddenly and unexpectedly be terrified by almost anything. I have seen kids freaked out by everything from tip up seats to the growing bean stalk. There will be pyrotechnics, baddies, sudden surprises etc etc
They are sitting in the dark, the characters are live (it really isn’t the same a cinema, for young kids) .

It would be shame for your other kids if you had to leave, or sit outside and miss the things they want to chat to you about.

Just not worth it.

Mynewnameis · 22/12/2024 11:47

My kids i would of, they were very compliant

viques · 22/12/2024 11:48

Have a lovely afternoon with the older DC, they will enjoy the show far more by not having to worry if they will have to leave because of the 2 year old, and you will relax more too. Pantos are often sold out so you never know, someone might buy your spare ticket.

doodleschnoodle · 22/12/2024 11:49

We take ours to the cheaper 'family pantomime' and lots of littler kids there, fine to eat snacks all the way through, etc. The more expensive, traditional panto I just take DD1 who is 5. I started taking her at 4.

Balloonhearts · 22/12/2024 11:50

Quietly sell it to someone in the queue.

I wouldn't take a 2 year old. That's too long to expect her to be quiet and still.

MargaretThursday · 22/12/2024 11:51

All of mine went to panto at that age, although with ds it was a local amateur one that I knew the people well and did the first half one day, and second half next, and sat at the back where I could creep in and out with no distraction.

I'd not take a 2yo to a professional one, especially with older ones (then they miss out of younger can't stay) and if I wasn't at the end of a row near an exit.

doodleschnoodle · 22/12/2024 11:52

We took DD2 to the family panto last year at 18 months old and she really enjoyed it and was well behaved. I always book end of aisle and no seats in front of us to minimise any disruption!

At the panto last night it was the adults who were badly behaved unfortunately. Talking loudly at various points, phone screens lighting up. The young kids there were great! We had what must have been a 3yo little boy in front of us and he was brilliant.

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 22/12/2024 11:52

Blakehouse · 22/12/2024 10:17

Oh no I wouldn’t

Oh yes you would

sleetandwind · 22/12/2024 11:53

I don’t think I’ve got a particularly well behaved two year old but I’d go. I’ve taken both mine to the theatre since they were young and I’ve never had the horrendous experiences described here!

Mumofteenandtween · 22/12/2024 11:53

We took ds at that age. We were going as a big extended family group so it was a case of take him or one of the adults miss out. He was fine - sat on my lap the entire time but that was fine. We bought him one of those big flashing toy sword things and he was very pleased with it. Dh and I had the agreement that if he didn’t like it I would take him out in the first half and him in the second but we didn’t have to.

I would say that he enjoyed it. But probably not as much as he would have enjoyed getting lots of attention and playing with granny. So in your situation I wouldn’t take him.

Incidentally thanks to the usual Xmas bugs we have ended up with a “coat seat” pretty much every time we have booked a big group in for the pantomime. It is useful - both for somewhere to put the coats and also to give a bit of flexibility for seating in case of “ridiculously tall person in front”. The loss of the money is annoying though! 😂

SockQueen · 22/12/2024 11:58

Depends on the panto. If it's an amateur/semi-pro one in a smallish theatre, I might give it a go. If it was a "big name" one, probably not.

I've just taken my Brownies (aged 7-10) to our local big panto and wouldn't take a 2 year old. It was very loud, some bits were quite scary, and the jokes would all be miles over their heads. The Brownies enjoyed it but even some of them were a bit nervous!

We had a family with two little girls (probs 4 & 2ish) next to us, who had to squeeze past our entire group 3 times for toilet trips/getting scared. They were too young, IMO.

Cantgetausername87 · 22/12/2024 12:01

My 2 year old was fine last year. I just got him a flashy thing.
Shocked by some of the responses, it's a panto. Kids are encouraged to shout and its generally noisy, unless I'm missing something it's not a trip to the west end?!

LittleBearPad · 22/12/2024 12:01

HPandthelastwish · 22/12/2024 11:41

Do this, I bet Grandma would love it

Show quote history

Absolutely. Great idea!

Don’t take a 2 year old to the panto

TempuraCustard · 22/12/2024 12:02

My 2 year old - no

MrsSkylerWhite · 22/12/2024 12:03

Ours were both 2.9 first time. Eldest fell asleep half way through, youngest loved it.