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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Babies in cinemas

53 replies

chocchipbrioche · 19/10/2021 12:27

Couldn't see what category to put this on so stuck it on here for parents with kids opinions.
I went to the cinema the other night with some friends. 9.30pm showing of the new Venom film. As the adverts were starting in walk a couple with a baby (3 months at the most) and sat at the front. The baby immediately started crying and the parents made no attempt to take the baby out to the foyer. It eventually settled but after 3 more times of it crying, now during the actual film, a guy stood up and had a go at the parents.
The father got into a shouting match with this guy and eventually the parents did take their baby outside.
Just wondering what people's views on this are.
Mine is that it's completely inappropriate to bring a small child to an evening performance that will disrupt others enjoying the film.
I think it shows a very selfish attitude and if you are now parents you can't expect to do the same sorts of things you did before kids.
There are plenty of family friendly screenings if you don't want or can't pay for a sitter and I think the cinema should have a rule about it.
I also feel sorry for the baby's poor ears as it was a very loud film.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

MrsFin · 19/10/2021 12:28

Completely inappropriate and also technically illegal unless the film is U rated, or PG.

Lottapianos · 19/10/2021 12:29

'Mine is that it's completely inappropriate to bring a small child to an evening performance that will disrupt others enjoying the film.'

Very much agree. Some people think they can do what they want, when they want, and that attitude only intensifies after they have a baby. Well done that bloke for challenging them

Brollywasntneededafterall · 19/10/2021 12:29

Please complain to the cinema. I did and got free tickets... A couple and 3 x dc.. A new baby. Surely 1 dp could have stayed bloody home?

NatMoz · 19/10/2021 12:31

I was expecting you to say a kids film in the afternoon not that!!

I would only really expect to see babies at midday weekday screenings specifically for mums and babies, otherwise I wouldn't bother taking a child to the cinema until they were 3 or 4 where they can somewhat sit still during an age appropriate Disney type film.

Definitely not 9:30pm or Venom!!

WickedWitchOfTheTrent · 19/10/2021 12:31

What a ridiculous thing to do - the parents of the 3 yr old.

Kids in cinemas is fine for age appropriate films, if you're sat watching frozen on a Sunday afternoon you expect lots of kid noise. Venom in a Saturday night, I wouldn't expect any children to be there

Thesearmsofmine · 19/10/2021 12:31

Well they sound stupid for not leaving if baby wasn’t settled but I did occasionally take my dc to the cinema as very young babies, I put them in a sling and they slept right through. If they had woken up I would have left.

OldScrappyAndHungry · 19/10/2021 12:32

This has become more and more of a thing at cinemas and theatres sadly - behaviour in audiences has become atrocious and bringing babies to shows is one example. It happened to us at the Edinburgh Festival a couple of years ago - mum glaring daggers at anyone who dared to look at her in exasperation as her baby disrupted an entire performance .

TurnUpTurnip · 19/10/2021 12:32

I’ve taken my baby to the cinema but it was a kids film and I would have left if she cried which she didn’t, I wouldn’t have gone to an adults film

SylvanasWindrunner · 19/10/2021 12:34

Bonkers. We did Cinebabies a couple of times when DD was tiny. That way you can watch new films but no one cares if a baby cries or if someone is walking up and down the aisle to settle them. It was like 10.30 on a Saturday so not exactly prime viewing time but you're up at the crack of the dawn with a baby anyway

BrumBirth · 19/10/2021 12:46

I don’t think whet the parents on your description did was right but cinemas aren’t running their baby screenings anymore. They haven’t restarted after covid. They don’t exist anywhere.

So the option of seeing an adult film but with the lights up and volume lowered during the day is no longer an option for parents.

Odeon also have on their website that babies are welcomes in any screenings up to 12A

TheBitchOfTheVicar · 19/10/2021 12:48

@MrsFin

Completely inappropriate and also technically illegal unless the film is U rated, or PG.

BBFC don't apply until babies are 12 months, I think

MissBattleaxe · 19/10/2021 12:49

Venom is a 15. It's very noisy and violent. They should have either gone separately or waited a bit and streamed it at home. When you have a baby you have to make a few sacrifices.

If cinemas aren't doing baby friendly showings it still doesn't mean you can take your baby to the cinema the rest of the time.

audweb · 19/10/2021 12:52

@MrsFin

Completely inappropriate and also technically illegal unless the film is U rated, or PG.

I mean it’s not, I used to go to special baby screenings for kids under one so adults could watch grown up movies on a weekday morning, and everyone had babies there.

But I wouldn’t have taken my baby to a normal showing or if I did I would have gone out to settle them the minute they cried.

Luckytattie · 19/10/2021 12:52

I'd be so concerned at the decibel level of the sound for the babies hearing.

Some people are shit parents.
I happened across a tik tok live and it's a couple with a 4 or 5yr old. They were driving around the city (why the fuck they were on live doing nothing beats me) but anyway the music in the car was soooo loud.
I commented saying I think it's too loud for the little ones ears and the mother read my comment out to the father, who was driving.
As if to say "look at what this person has said...how dare they" and yet when she told him my comment he actually said "what?" And turned the music down because he couldn't fucking hear what she was saying!!!
I think it proved my point but they continued to play it loud anyway and the boy in the back is just like pretending to enjoy it to keep his parents happy but wasn't really

There will be so much stuff like this going on and it makes me sad for these little helpless kids that just have to put up with it.

Bizarre

DifficultBloodyWoman · 19/10/2021 12:56

Completely inappropriate.

I would have walked out and complained to management and demanded a refund but I don’t blame the other customer for addressing it directly.

Greytminds · 19/10/2021 12:58

@BrumBirth

I don’t think whet the parents on your description did was right but cinemas aren’t running their baby screenings anymore. They haven’t restarted after covid. They don’t exist anywhere.

So the option of seeing an adult film but with the lights up and volume lowered during the day is no longer an option for parents.

Odeon also have on their website that babies are welcomes in any screenings up to 12A

Actually that’s not true - I went with my baby last week to the local baby club showing of the new bond film, and could have gone to see Venom this morning if I’d fancied it. This is at a cinema chain so baby club is likely to have restarted across their venues, not just in our city too.

Wildly inappropriate to take a baby to any other film screening, except perhaps a daytime children’s film showing.

DifficultBloodyWoman · 19/10/2021 12:59

Some people are shit parents.

Yes. This.

But nowadays people think you can be a good parent if you love your child enough. WRONG. A good parent does a fuck ton more than just love a child. Love is definitely not enough.

This post modern crap where feelings are more important that deeds is exactly that - crap.

OP, apparently, I have strong opinions on this. Apologies - I didn’t intend for this to be a rant but it turned into one.

BlusteryLake · 19/10/2021 13:00

At a 15 film, I would not expect anyone younger than teenagers there. Having a baby entails sacrifices. Hopefully their experience this time will make them realise this.

Nightmanagerfan · 19/10/2021 13:02

That’s not true, I’m going to baby cinema to see the Bond film tomorrow. How can you know they don’t exist anywhere?

Leftbutcameback · 19/10/2021 13:06

That's very very poor. I agree, complain to the cinema and ask what their policy is. If they don't have one they should do, so it's not up to the usher or ticket sales to make the decision and say no.

Leftbutcameback · 19/10/2021 13:07

On a related note I think it would benefit us all if the volume was just a bit lower

EdgeOfTheSky · 19/10/2021 13:08

Lots of cinemas now have screenings for parents with babies. I think they are called 'Big Scream' showings at our cinema.

They are in the day, not the evening.

The cinema staff should not have allowed the baby in.

And the guy who complained should have gone and asked for the staff to deal with it, not 'had a go' repeatedly.

Complain.

Thesearmsofmine · 19/10/2021 13:10

Lol I must be a shit parent because I took a fast asleep content baby to the cinema a couple of times. They are older now and don’t seem too scarred by the experience so I’m not going to be worrying about it too much.

Luckytattie · 19/10/2021 13:13

@Leftbutcameback

On a related note I think it would benefit us all if the volume was just a bit lower

Definitely. I went to see the bond film and Ron's gone wrong and both were too loud. I actually should have taken a decibel reader in there to check!

People really aren't aware how damaging it can be.

tiffanyshoes · 19/10/2021 13:13

Not acceptable. very very very selfish behaviour

The cinema not cheap. Id have been livid.

Its one of those (many) things you can no longer do once you have a baby.

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