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Parenting

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Original poster

When was your toddler old enough to sit through an entire film?

28 replies

DitaVonCheese · 29/10/2011 21:03

We have family movie night on a Saturday night but 3 yo DD still finds a full-length film far too long and will get up and start playing partway through so we've been watching the (27 min long) Gruffalo for the past however many months. Someone I know took her twins to see Toy Story 3 at the cinema for their 2nd birthday so just wondering when it's usual for a toddler to be able to sit through a whole film, not that we're in any particular rush. She will sit through several hours of CBeebies/Charlie & Lola um I imagine

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purplewerepidj · 29/10/2011 21:07

4yo DNephew doesn't sit through films, although he'll sit still while the film's on playing intermittently with something else. We tried him out when he visited over the summer because DP is desperate to take him to Cars II Mind you, DN's idea of a good film is Karate Kid or Ghostbusters

exexpat · 29/10/2011 21:13

She might be more likely to sit through a film at the cinema than at home - dark, different atmosphere, no toys around, popcorn... I think I started taking mine to the cinema when they were about three, though there was a certain amount of fidgeting, and at least one mid-film trip to the loo every time.

But I wouldn't expect the same level of concentration at home, where they aren't used to sitting still for 1.5-2 hours, and with all the distractions around. DD is 9, and still tends to multitask while watching films at home - she may also be drawing, or fiddling with dolls or lego or whatever.

mummyosaurus · 29/10/2011 21:14

Both mine sat through Kids AM films at about 2 1/2.

Vue cinema, kids AM, is just 1.25 each (plus booking fee if you book on line), so if they won't sit through you haven't lost a fortune.

www.myvue.com/offers-savings/kids-am

A cartoon type film would be best I'd think.

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jamandposterpaint · 29/10/2011 21:24

Dd1 was 3 (it was Monsters Inc )

Dd2 and 3 were younger, but probably because the films were on anyway.

cat64 · 29/10/2011 21:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Iggly · 29/10/2011 21:38

3 seems quite young TBH. can she have some toys etc to play with while the rest of you watch?

WhatsWrongWithYou · 29/10/2011 21:44

I hated my DCs watching telly when they were little - I'd be pleased she won't sit and stare at a screen for long periods of time at her age. Shows a normal level of activity and interest in the world around her, rather than passively consuming someone else's manufactured idea of how the world is.

Sitting on her arse will take up a big enough portion of her day when she starts school. Can't see any reason why you'd want to bring forward the state of lethargy most of us end up living in. Sorry.

WhatsWrongWithYou · 29/10/2011 21:45

Sitting on her arse will take up a big enough portion of her day when she starts school. Can't see any reason why you'd want to bring forward the state of lethargy most of us end up living in. Sorry.

WhatsWrongWithYou · 29/10/2011 21:46

Sorry again. I really didn't mean to post that twice .

Meglet · 29/10/2011 21:48

My 5yo only sat through his first film (Disney's Tigger Movie) last week, and he was feeling a bit poorly so not 100%. He usually gets bored after 20 mins, even with Disney films.

His 3yo sister still runs riot when I put a film on to have some peace and quiet.

Original poster

DitaVonCheese · 29/10/2011 22:36

Thanks for the replies. Iggly we only really do movie night for DD (DS is 14 weeks) so if she's not watching then there's not a lot of point tbh (though it does get a bit frustrating watching the first 20 minutes of something then having to turn off). She loves the idea of movie night and all snuggling up under a blanket with a bowl of popcorn to watch something together, but as I mentioned, it's generally family Gruffalo night atm :)

WhatsWrong If I'm honest, I am slightly pleased that she won't sit and watch a whole film but veer between smuggery and wondering whether there's something wrong with her concentration levels if 2 yos can take a whole film, hence wondering what's the norm. She didn't watch any telly at all until she was 2 and it still isn't a big part of her day most of the time but it's just a fun family thing we try to do each week.

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ILoveDolly · 29/10/2011 22:43

My dd age 5 has now been to the cinema twice, this year being the first year we felt justified to do it. At home she has only been sitting through a whole film without boredom and being able to follow it for a year or so. Her concentration is pretty good and she will sit with jigsaws, colouring, books for ages. But I don't neccessarily think that very small children (ie age 2 and a half) can retain enough of a feature-length film to follow the plot. So why bother trying to subject them to one? It's not that good for them to be vegged out for hours anyway.

WhatsWrongWithYou · 29/10/2011 22:58

ILD said it much better than I did - watching a full-length film from start to finish is not an achievement for a tiny child - or any child, for that matter.

It's lovely to have a special night of cuddling under the blanket, especially if there's a new baby on the scene, but honestly your DD would have a much more stimulating and memorable (and warm) experience if you all snuggled up with a big nursery rhyme book, or a good Richard Scarry.

More like hard work for you, I know, especially with a new baby, but electronic media really doesn't touch little ones in the same way a human voice abd physical closeness does.

Original poster

DitaVonCheese · 30/10/2011 08:42

It's not either or

She gets books read to her every day. We watch a 27 minute film every week. I don't think the latter is doing her any lasting harm.

Thanks to those of you who managed to answer the question I actually asked.

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4madboys · 30/10/2011 08:52

i think mine were all about 3yrs old, we took ds4 to see cars 2 recently and he is 3 and it was his first film, he was ok, and since then he has watched films at home, the toy story ones etc, but it depends on his mood tbh.

the best thing to do would be to go to kids club on a wkend when it is only £1 so you dont loose much money and if you have to leave it doesnt really matter, plus there will belots of other toddlers, so its unlikely yours will be the only one to get fidgety! :)

TeWihara · 30/10/2011 09:08

At home, from about 2 1/4 - she loves films, and I prefer them as they're easier to turn off after an appropriate amount of time without tantrums than CBeebies. I tried her at the cinema for Cars 2 at 2 1/2 and she found that more distracting and difficult purely because of everyone else getting up and moving around!

Generally speaking if you really wanted her to watch the whole film, something she has seen before and knows really well will work better than something new.

WhatsWrongWithYou · 30/10/2011 11:40

Sorry no I didn't answer the question you asked - just chipped in with an opinion - imagine that on MN!

Original poster

DitaVonCheese · 30/10/2011 14:32

Nest of vipers

OP posts:

Iggly · 30/10/2011 14:37

Dita

DS loves the idea of snuggles (he's 2) but as soon as we try it he leaps up and wants to do something else!

Zimbah · 30/10/2011 19:31

DD1, just turned 3, watched a 1.5 hour film the other morning - it was My Neighbour Totorro. In my defence it's not something I'm proud of! I was knackered and trying repeatedly to get the baby to nap and also get stuff ready for going out without a million interruptions. She's previously watched short bits of the same film but never the whole way through, she hasn't had the concentration and I haven't given her the opportunity. But I guess she's built up her TV stamina since DD2 was born five months ago .

Thefoxsbrush · 30/10/2011 19:36

Alternatives to the gruffalo = the snowman, Halloween shrek, Disney Pixar shorts

Egg · 30/10/2011 20:23

Ds1 first went to the cinema when he was about 4.5. DTs have just started going age 3.5. Both boys will sit fairly still and concentrate but dd went to the loo three times during tintin last week as she got a bit bored. It was v long though.

At home it is the same, and dd will often wander off and do something else but the boys turn into tv zombies.

Ixia · 31/10/2011 00:03

DD, not until she was invited to a private screening (!) for a friend's birthday, she was 5.

JujyFruits · 31/10/2011 00:18

My DD is 4 and still can't sit through a whole film. We took her to see Tangled earlier this year and she asked to go to the loo several times and fidgeted and talked like mad towards the end (luckily it was a kids viewing and she wasn't the only one).

She won't watch a whole film a home, she gets bored after half an hour and wanders off to play.

rattling · 31/10/2011 21:02

Took the boys when they were 2.3 to the cinema for a collection of animated short films, total run time 1 hour which went well. Since then they have seen "Up" in 2 parts at home (concentration here was not nearly as good as at the cinema). I know their concentration for their age is pretty good - though as it has been mentioned while being assessed for their lack of language, I can assure you I am not smug about their development!!

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