To wish people would just respect age restrictions

[IndiaSS]

Last night DH and I went to see the nutcracker, it's stated very clearly on the website 5+.
Beside us were a family, grandma, granddad, mum and daughter. The daughter looked about 3, maybe a very small 4.

The little girl did okay for a while but she kept moving between each of the adults knees and whispering. I wouldn't say it was super disruptive but it was hard to ignore and I really doubt she got anything out of it.

AIBU to think you should just respect the age restrictions on these things and to question why the theatre allowed them in?

Also why on earth do parents take kids to things that clearly aren't age appropriate?

I agree completely with you OP. I was really pissed off when I went to see frozen with my eldest and a 2/3 year old had been let in and was being incredibly disruptive. I’d left my own 3 year old at home as I wasn’t sure she’d manage so it was especially annoying.

I expect some whispering and fidgeting noise from young children. I don’t expect screeching; seat kicking, talking noisily, climbing. Loads of people complained at half time and we were moved to better seats elsewhere. I think they should have evicted the whole family from the theatre though. It’s not really a great solution to just move 20 odd people.

It doesn’t matter if child in question was 3, 4 or 5. They weren’t behaving and the parents should have taken them out for a bit.

we went to the cinema the other evening to watch wicked, there was a family with two small children who chatted throughout. The film was at 7pm and is very long; it wasn’t suitable for those kids to be out disturbing everyone else in the cinema. Really annoying.

A friends daughter wears age 2-3 clothes and is nearly 5.5. She was prem plus the whole family are on the small side anyway. People constantly think shes a toddler when shes a yr1 primary kid!! Dont assume.

Older children and even parents can be a pest at ballet performances when absolute silence is required. I sat in front of a mother and about a seven year old. It was Giselle. The Mum was giving a running commentary on what was happening not loudly but totally infuriating. I turned and glared at them. It stopped. So inconsiderate and selfish.

It almost doesn't matter how old she is or whether she's a small 5 or tall 2 because she couldn't sit still and pay attention so shouldn't have been there anyway

If a performance is being disrupted and spoiling the enjoyment of others, then the parent or carer should take the child out, or the ushers should send them out.

@IndiaSS A bit annoying, but IMO the only people to blame are the employees at the theatre who let these toddlers in!

Complain, you may get your money back.

Me and DH went to the cinema 6 months or so back to see a certain film, and some teenagers came in 20 minutes before the end, and were pissing about, giggling and being arses, and it ruined the end of the film. No idea how they sneaked past the usher, but they did.

We complained and got our £20 back.

.

Who cares how old she is?

Either way she's obviously not mature enough for this type of thing.

I’m not so sure it should be about an age limit tbh. Anyone who is fidgeting or chatting through a theatre performance should be asked to leave.

I’ve been confused by age limits for standing gigs recently. Some are 12, some 14, some 16. Same with whether an adult is required at various ages. There’s no consistency so I assume it’s down to local council safety advisory groups more than a legal requirement. It affects me because DD likes watching live music and I have to double check every time (although she’s never actually been id’d anyway).

Unless you saw her passport she might have been five. We can all point to a kid who is small or immature for their age.

It does matter though, because the theatre stated on the website that there is an age restriction. (5+.) Why do some people think the rules don't apply to them?! Sooooo arrogant!

No WAY is a toddler of 2 or 3 going to want to sit through a sodding ballet. Take them to a fucking panto!

If it’s an actual age restriction then the theatre staff shouldn’t have allowed her in. If it was just guidance then there isn’t much you can do.

I took my DD to shows from age 2 and she was always perfectly well behaved. Sometimes she just fell asleep so it was a bit of a waste of money but she wasn’t disturbing anyone else. So I don’t agree with age guidance because someone doesn’t think a child is capable of behaving, it should only be if content is unsuitable or for safety reasons. That said, of course I would abide by an actual restriction as opposed to just guidance. I’d be too concerned that the venue wouldn’t let her in if she wasn’t old enough.

The little girl did okay for a while but she kept moving between each of the adults knees and whispering. I wouldn't say it was super disruptive but it was hard to ignore and I really doubt she got anything out of it.

I'd have found that quite disruptive. Neither she nor her parents know how to behave in a live performance - not the child's fault, though - the adults shouldn't have taken her.

The more important consideration is that she couldn't sit still & quiet, as anyone watching a ballet should.

Also why on earth do parents take kids to things that clearly aren't age appropriate?

What is there in the Nutcracker that is not age appropriate? 😂

I think the ages in theatres are recommendations for what age they're aimed at not that those under that age are banned
My under 2 has been to plenty of theatre shows that say they're 3+ and he's loved them and has been wonderfully behaved

So you would ban ND people from the theatre?
Nice.

DD1 has been going to the ballet since she was 3.5 but she's very well behaved in the theatre, doesn't talk, doesn't fidget, just loves to watch. Tbh I was at a show the other night and the odd fidgeting/whispering from young kids paled in comparison to the adults having proper conversations or lighting up the place with phone screens or trying to get back in the aisle after it had started again with their drinks, so I don't really have strong feelings about the kids thing. Bad/loud behaviour of course not, but sitting on a few different knees and the occasional whisper, I can't get worked up about that.

Duration of the show.
For this child, who the OP says couldn't sit still and remain in one place quietly, it was clearly not age appropriate for her.

And the show details state that under 5s shouldn't be there, so the venue and/or show have decided that the production isn't appropriate for under 5s.

Duration is never "age inappropriate", the wording is about explicit content :)

I thought you were going to say a crying baby or crazy toddler. There are four year olds at preschool that look younger and smaller than my two year old so you may well have estimated incorrectly in this case.

A lot of places do relaxed performances especially for ND people. I don’t think it’s ok to have someone screaming throughout a standard performance, regardless of how old they are.

I found it very odd when in America that some babies were in the cinema. Can’t have been enjoyable for the parents who just stayed put despite the endless crying. There are baby matinees in one of my local cinemas, all very lovely, but I just don’t see the attraction of an evening film with babies.

When i was 4 some thought i was 2 as an adult i never grow past 4f11.
I was always tiny.
Now at 38 some find it hard to believe that i have an adult son 22 in may.
They will always be something for someone to pick at.

Was it a relaxed performance?
We went to one at ROH recently and lots of adults without children were on their phones all the time, and ushers randomly asked some to not record the performance while letting others do it. It was bizarre 😂