For my 6 and 11 year old to watch a film at the cinema without me

[Littlebittiredoflife]

They want to watch dogman and I don't think I can face it. If it was just the 11 year old, I'm thinking this would absolutely be ok. But with the six year old I'm unsure as he might get a bit scared and there's the worry that popcorn is quite a chokeable snack. Both of them just likely to sit and watch the film though. And I'd be next door watching something that doesn't want to make me gouge my eyes out.

You can't use a phone or tablet... the lights are distracting for other people.

Leaving your 6 year old unattended is basically making all the other adults anywhere near him responsible for him. At 11, fine. But he is just too little and unpredictable.

I disagree with those saying watch something on your phone or tablet. Even if you're in the back row it will be really annoying and distracting to the people on the same row. Distracting for your kids too. Just enjoy closing your eyes for a couple of hours if the film is truly unwatchable!

I don't think anyone has said not letting your children see films they like in the cinema is harmful. Loads of kids never go to the cinema and just see films on telly/streaming/dvd etc. It's not compulsory to take them to the cinema. However, if you take them, it is compulsory to go with them. Whether you watch the film, snooze, listen to a podcast or watch something else at the back on your phone and headphones is up to you. If you don't want to do that just don't take them.

A few pp did say taking them and putting up with the film was part of being a parent and to stop being a selfish parent. However, the only resolution to them going by themselves isn't for me to go with them, it's for none of us to go at all. Which I don't believe would be a big deal, I don't have to make me going part of being a parent to resolve me not wanting to see the film.

Please don’t do this. People on their phones in cinemas is deeply obnoxious regardless of whether it’s a crap kids film or if you’re at the back.

I slept through all 8 Harry Potter movies with DC beside me.

I would never use something with lights on in the cinema. Drove me mad when we went to see a film and small child/toddler who wouldn't sit still had lights on their shoes

Your other option is to wait for the film to become available to rent/buy and then watch at home.... obviously this means the kids don't get to see the film when others might all be talking about it, but a lot of films do seem to be released a lot quicker onto other platforms these days.

I’ve seen it, wasn’t looking forward to it because I don’t love the books personally, but I do love that they exist and encourage reading etc etc.

But I thought the film was pretty good! Quite sweet. A better story than it needed to be, if you know what I mean.

However, I know someone who takes seats at the back with no one else around her, and brings headphones and watches her own movie on her phone when she takes the kids to watch stuff she’s not interested in.

This exactly. A perve sat next to me when I went to my friends to the cinema. Into the film he tried to stroke my leg and hip. I was 16 and told him to get lost. He stopped. You would leave your kids at the mercy of one of these? I have a 6 year old. No way.

I watched a film alone at the cinema aged about 6, my mum popped to work! She told the staff, mind. I’m not even 40!

I've always been of the opinion that if it's not a good film for adults, it's not really a good film for children.

Children will sit through a lot of rubbish, but as a kid I was very much aware that some stuff was a lot better than others.

I've been in the cinema recently where there were a couple of kids watching without parents, probably similar age. The kids lost interest halfway through, started talking and standing up and it turned into a bit of a bun fight, culminating in an adult man standing up and shouting at them to shut the fuck up. Not saying your kids would behave like this, but everyone in the cinema was cursing the fact that they were there unsupervised

I took my 11 and 13 year old to see Dogman. No it’s not particularly entertaining - and I’ve enjoyed a lot of kids films! But I didn’t consider leaving them alone. They like having me there and it’s hardly the worst part of parenting - I just relaxed with my coffee.

I hadn´t thought of this. I just got a pair for my daughter and will bear this in mind, thank you.

Dh did this when we endured godzilla Kong 🤣

6 is too young. Welcome to parenting sometimes you have to sit through shit films:

My DH and I actually argued about who would have to watch Pokemon the Movie. He lost.....

Wear earphones and listen to a podcast or audio book. That's how I get through movies my kids want to watch at the cinema that I have zero interest in (and my youngest is year 5!)

I'm wondering if the cinema will be light enough to read a book 😅

😂🤷‍♀️ This reminds of when some parents leave their young children to sit together on a plane, when the parents sit elsewhere (sometimes in a different class). Not shocking parenting these days, but definitely not good parenting.

Not sure where that image came from.

I’d sit in the lobby of a couple of local cinemas - the Everyman and the curzon both have big lobbies with a nice bar etc where you can see people come out the screens and you can see the loos. But I’d be worried that 6yo would take a notion to go to the loo or come and find me and would get turned around and lost etc. so I wouldn’t sit in another screen, I’d want eyes on the cinema door. I wouldn’t do it at the big odeon which has loads and loads of screens and toilets.
Having said that I think my children would find it a bit disconcerting and sad. Mum would rather literally sit outside this screen looking at her phone than in here with us. Feels a bit desolate somehow.

I think 6 years old is too young I’m afraid. But I understand where you’re coming from. I still remember a My Little Pony film that was particularly unbearable!