Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Never again will I take a 3 yr old to...

26 replies

wheelsonthebus · 31/12/2007 16:43

the ballet. How stupid was I to think she would sit goggle eyed throughout The Nutcracker (tho she was brilliant when we went to The Snowman last year). Huge apologies to anyone who may have been watching the English National Ballet on the 28th in the stalls, when my dd single handedly talked and then squealed her way thru the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. agh - the embarrassment. I wriggle in my seat as I remember it. Talk about motherhood being a learning curve. After my dd said in full volume 'I want a wee' and we were stuck in mid row in the stalls, I am afraid I lost the will to live. Pass the Nurofen Plus...

OP posts:
twinsetandpearls · 31/12/2007 16:48

We took dd to the nutcarcker when she was I think 4, it was a perfomance when you got one free child ticket with every adult one. DD took a friend and they chatted quietly and danced all the way through but it was OK as it was full of other little girls doing the same.

THe funniest part was going in as it was full of overly coiffed mums dressed from Monsoon or perhaps a more expensive equivalent and little girls all also dressed from monsoon.

THere was one couple there without children and I felt for them as it must have been very annoying to be surrounded by a room full of tiny pre maddonnas.

hunkermunker · 31/12/2007 16:49

Why did you not leave?

Original poster
wheelsonthebus · 31/12/2007 16:52

cos we were sitting in the middle of a row and i thought she wd quieten down. i didn't want everyone to stand up while one ballerina was trying to dance her heart out.

OP posts:
HonoriaGlossop · 31/12/2007 17:19

I think the thirty seconds distruption of people standing would have been better for the dancers than the noise from your dd all through the dance, though.

I do think you should have left, it can't have been a pleasure for anyone - you, dd, the dancers, other people in the audience!

Good for you for taking her though, and at least attempting to give her those experiences. Funny you should post this today, as we haven't had the funds to take ds to the theatre this christmas and I had a guilty moment, but then I was thinking that whenever I've read anything about anyone who was inspired by a trip to the theatre, they mention being about 7 or older. So I shall take the guilt away for this year, ds being only 5....I don't remember any theatre trips before I was about 6 or 7.

So I think my point is try again in a couple of years

Original poster
wheelsonthebus · 31/12/2007 17:23

the tickets were a gift, well intentioned definitely. think we will stick to the snowman until she is about six though!

OP posts:
twinsetandpearls · 31/12/2007 18:12

What about the angelina ballerina perfomances, they were on tour near us a while back and dd loved it. Again not surprisingly full of children so much less presuure.

twinsetandpearls · 31/12/2007 18:13

link here although I think it is over now

colditz · 31/12/2007 18:15

I hate to say this, really I do, but what were you thinking? Why on Earth did you think a three year old would sit down and be quiet for an hour and a half through anything?

TsarChasm · 31/12/2007 18:17

Oh dear...never mind, you tried.

My dd ran off and vanished into a thick crowd of people during a Bananas in Pyjamas show. I was heavily pregnant and feeling horrendously sick at the time. Awful awful awful.

blueshoes · 31/12/2007 19:08

Hi wheels, my sympathies. My dd 4 had tickets to the High School Musical performance at the London O2 as a Christmas present. Dd lasted all of 1 min. We had no choice but to leave, together with her cousin, a much more mature 4 year old who then kicked off because she DID want to watch.

maggiethecat · 31/12/2007 21:42

That's being a bit harsh Colditz - my 3 year old would and I know friends of hers that would. I think you simply have to know your child enough to know what they will//will not endure.

colditz · 31/12/2007 23:50

Perhaps, however having tried the experiment and failed, the OP should have left.

Original poster
wheelsonthebus · 01/01/2008 12:42

Colditz - er happy new year to you too. I think I do say I was stupid. What is it about mumsnet that makes every thread turn into a slagging off fest? It's depressing and reminds me to keep my new year resolution of staying away from negative places like this one.

OP posts:
lottiejenkins · 01/01/2008 12:48

I agree with WOTB i dont think the slagging off was needed. Each child is different and from what i read the lady who posted must have thought her dd would sit still again............

wessexgirl · 01/01/2008 12:52

Never mind, wheels - chalk it up to experience! I was wondering whether to take dd1 (4) because she's ballet mad at the mo, but I think I'll leave it a year or two. Thanks for the warning .

cat64 · 01/01/2008 13:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

colditz · 01/01/2008 13:36

Good grief, if you think that's a slagging off, you have led a distressingly sheltered life. Try Babycentre if you aren't able to cope with conflicting opinions. I was polite, did not swear, call anyone a name, and I didn't even call their intelligence, sexual preferences or parentage into question. That was NOT a slagging off.

DumbledoreWithBoughsOfHolly · 01/01/2008 13:43

Being taken to the ballet as a child has put me off ballet for life, I have to say, but then, on the other hand, we took my 4 year old ds3 to see Joseph not so long ago and he sat entranced throughout so it is not so incredible that pre-schoolers might be able to sit through a performance of The Nutcracker. Come to think of it, dd went to the theatre to see a musical when she was 3 and she was no trouble either. So I don't think the mere fact that the OP's dd is only 3 is entirely to blame.

Nightynight · 01/01/2008 13:49

My 4 year old didnt last 30 seconds at the school concert, but it was VERY boring.
Unfortunately, we were sitting just behind dd's teacher who I particularly want to suck up to, and the school social worker, so I removed dd2 promptly, and spent an hour outside with her.

I dont know why the school puts on such a boring program, why cant they just do a nice nativity play!!

Countingthegreyhairs · 01/01/2008 14:00

Sorry Colditz but your comment
"I hate to say this, really I do, but what were you thinking? Why on Earth did you think a three year old would sit down and be quiet for an hour and a half through anything?"

may not be slagging off but it's not exactly a generous-hearted comment when the OP is already beating herself up is it??

My 4.5 yr old dd sat through one theatre performance happily transfixed and quiet, and another distracted, squirming and whining so you have my sympathies Wheelsonthebus!! At one of the performances another child threw up so I guess it could have been worse!!!

Nightynight · 01/01/2008 14:01

come on give it a rest, it was a mild comment!

needmorecoffee · 01/01/2008 14:03

my nearly 4 yo starts shrieking if we have to pause at the pedestrian crossing. Can't imagine taking her anywhere public where she has to be quiet!

Countingthegreyhairs · 01/01/2008 14:04

just pointing out that op's intelligence WAS called in to question

Gladly give it a rest now though Happy New Year everyone!

cat64 · 01/01/2008 20:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Countingthegreyhairs · 01/01/2008 21:26

No but spirit of thread was "I've made a silly mistake, motherhood is a learning curve, am still feeling bad about it"

so - in that context - is a bit of sisterly solidarity too much to ask ???

(OK I said I'd give it a rest but one of my NY resolutions is to "speak" my mind ....)

... oh and I can understand frustration of others at having performances interrupted etc especially if tickets expensive but sometimes parents can't afford a baby-sitter for younger siblings and cost of theatre too ...and I've known 7 and 8 year olds to be disruptive in these situations so not always a black and white argument ...