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.

This ^ would be ok - different age and set up. In our cinema you would see most exits so if they were upset or confused or wanted something you would see them easily. Going to another screen and looking for your mum is quite a different matter.
It’s parenting for you. I bet you are not going to playground or soft play to enjoy equipment yourself, the same principle applies to a cinema visit.

Absolutely not. They might be sitting next to a paedophile at worst. At best you 6 year old might be screaming and shouting with fear. Everyone will be wondering where his mum is.
Get someone else to take them. I usually ask my sister.

So, you do realise pedophiles love kids films at the cinema and the opportunity to spot unsupervised children? It only takes the 11yo to nip to the loo because they’re desperate for your 6yo to go missing.

You’re a parent. Do your job. I regularly go to the cinema with my kids (now teens) in the spirit of ‘doing something as a family’ and if I find the film absolutely dreadful I just close my eyes and pop noise excluding earbuds in. And they rib me for it over dinner afterwards.

It was absolutely shite but I'm afraid it's one of those parenting times where you have to grin and bare it! Way too young to be leaving in the cinema op.

Lean into their interests now and they will share their interests with you when they are older.

I thought it was ok! I've sat through much much worse 😂

I saw this film the other day with my son and it's not remotely scary.

It's shockingly awful but that's a different thing.

It’s an hour and a half of your day. Just go and watch it. Ps I watched it the other day, a few laughable bits but I was more happy that my kids (who are growing up too fast) still want to be with me at the cinema.

I guess I'm lucky that I enjoy most kids films. Though I have to say I really appreciate now my youngest being 16 and enjoying the Bridget Jones films together.

This so crazy, absolutely no way. Where I live, it's a criminal offence to leave a child under 12 without proper supervision, and you're at the mercy of a Magistrate who decides what is appropriate under the circumstances. The law is this way for a reason...it's all well and good when everything is going well, but kids under 12 lack problem solving skills so when things go wrong, they can go really wrong.
Go to the movie with the kids as parents should.

I started going to the cinema on my own when I was about 11 or 12 but that was with friends and certainly with no younger siblings. I went to the cinema with DC1 last week and they are nearly 7 and there’s no way they would have been ok going alone with a group of 11 year olds. I know we all have these passing thoughts, it’s normal, but if you really sit and think sensibly about it you’ll realise it’s not a good idea.

I'd do it regardless. I'd TRY not to be next to anyone else (or next to only my children) but...

The alternative is that I'd fall asleep, and then the child isn't supervised (this has happened accidentally with me before).

Being bored out of your mind IS part of parenting.

Reading Rainbow effing Faries or Beast Quest or David Walliams books every night for a year. Freezing yourself to hypothermia at the side of a sports pitch each Sunday morning in winter. Practicing their spellings. Drinking bad coffee in noisy soft play centres for yet another birthday party.

And yes, watching shite films they are excited about.

I also think there's a bit of pearl clutching here

Not really. I’d think it obviously an unsafe place. Think about it. Kiddo’s films probably attract paedo’s. Unaccompanied kids would likely make their day. If you are happy with one coming and plonking themselves down besides your kids after the movie starts, well ……

I normally just fall asleep but Sonic 3 kept my interest

This helps. My 11 year old would feel really pleased I'd let them do something like go and see a film with a friend or her sibling. My youngest would feel a bit worried and sad, so that does show it wouldn't be at all ok, as they wouldn't be ok with it, alongside the risk concerns in my op and the others pp have added around other people.

We did this when I was an usherette in the 90s. Not a man Jack of us was DBS checked (if that was even a thing then), most of us were teenage girls with no experience of little kids, the films we showed ranged from Jurassic Park (!) to Jason and the Argonauts, and parents used to dump entire families of kids on us and then head into town, before the days of mobile phones.

I think you just go and let your children enjoy it even if you don’t. It’s not that long and you can’t send a 6 year old alone or expect your 11 year old to look after them. It doesn’t matter if the cinema is huge or small, it’s just not something someone should do. The cinema may also not allow it either.
You could try listen to a podcast or attempt to read a book.

Yes I don't really go to soft play. I do go to the park but usually enjoy the walk there. Do a bit of playing and then settle down with my book. If I had to go to soft play I'd take my book. However if it was a soft play designed for both adult and kids to use together I'd be in there playing too! I think there's way too much focus on kid centred activities and prefer to choose things to do and watch that the whole family has some interest in.

Why don't you just ask the cinema staff. If you're sticking around in the costa coffee in the lobby or something and your kids are reasonably sensible then I don't think it's exactly crime of the century. I'd suspect the cinema won't allow it though so you'll just have to suck it up.

I will leave my 11 and 8 year old home alone for up to 15 minutes. But they’re very responsible and it happened the first time by accident. It was chucking down and they asked me to drop them at the door while I went to park. I then had a parking nightmare. But these are two kids who are very responsible and it’s a short period of time.

Beyond that there’s no hard and fast answer. It depends on the kids. But even as responsible as they are an hour would be a firm no.

What about showing an interest in your children? I'm sure you do at other times, of course, but being there and 'enjoying' it with them will mean something to your children, especially the 6 year old, and you can all talk about it afterwards.

I always went with mine (I mean DH sometimes took them without me but one or both of us was always there)- I enjoyed most of the films we saw as many have adult level humour or themes in them too.

(One of mine expected me to continue going to children's films in their teens - I did draw the line there as I felt I'd done my duty.)

Yes YABU. If it would really make you scream, a podcast or a bit of day dreaming could be in order.

Just go with them. It's not a long film, and it's not too bad as kids films go. Sit at the back and use your phone if you must.
I'm all for not making kids the centre of the universe, but sometimes they should get to do what they want. One film is hardly a great demand.

6 is probably too young, would be okay next year at 7 and 12 but I think you’d need to read a book (or scroll Mumsnet) in the lobby not go into another film so that you were available if the younger one needed to find you.

I went with my child the other day - I slept through about half!

It's only a short film so not too painful.