How do you feel about taking a child to a movie theater? Is there a minimum age (for the child) where it is rude or unacceptable (babies, toddlers, school aged, etc)? Should parents have the right to bring their child(ren) to any movie they want to? Or should movie theaters have rules in place such as what times children can attend movies, what ages are acceptable, etc? What are your experiences with children in movie theaters?

I don't believe in taking young children to a movie theater. I don't think there should be a set age necessarily because all kids behave differently but I think it's rude for people to do if thier child will not sit and be quiet through the entire movie. I would not even take Alex to a movie yet unless it's at the cinema cafe which is mostly designed for that because I know he wouldn't be still and quiet througout a entire movie.

If the children are quiet I dont mind if they are there. If the movie is in appropriate for children then I'm pissed the parents brought them no matter how quiet they are. If its a childrens movie then the noise doesnt bother me because its for them.

Now if a mother brings her breastfeeding new born I really dont mind. She needs to get out too and little babies dont cry very loudly anyway. However, if it wont stop within minute or so then she needs to leave, I'm sure the people she is sitting behind is annoyed. But I usually dont even realize they are there until the movie is over :hehe

If the children are quiet I dont mind if they are there. If the movie is in appropriate for children then I'm pissed the parents brought them no matter how quiet they are. If its a childrens movie then the noise doesnt bother me because its for them.

Now if a mother brings her breastfeeding new born I really dont mind. She needs to get out too and little babies dont cry very loudly anyway. However, if it wont stop within minute or so then she needs to leave, I'm sure the people she is sitting behind is annoyed. But I usually dont even realize they are there until the movie is over :hehe

I agree :yes

I think it depends on the kid. My daughter will sit throgh an entire movie and not make a peep. But if she starts talking I get up and leave. I don't have a problem with it I have done it before and am sure that I will have to do it again.

I don't care if kids go as long as I can't hear them. We haven't been going to the base theatre because I get annoyed at kids and babies too much. Sometimes parents don't make them keep quiet. Sometimes I don't even see parents with the kids. I don't mind some kid making a comment about the movie once in awhile, but sometimes they just don't shut up. Last time we went to the base theatre, we moved to a quieter spot.
When we went to the Ice Age 2 matinee, some woman behind us just kept making comments throughout the movie. Her kid kept asking what the person on the screen said, so she was doing that alot. I guess some people do that by habit, but I can't stand it. I like it quiet!

I don't think that there should be an age limit, but perhaps a behavior limit ;) If you can't keep them quiet then they shouldn't be there. DH and I took DD to the base movie theater last summer, she was less than a year old and she fell asleep LOL. It was a trial run on our part, because it was free so if we had to leave we weren't out any money. I don't mind seeing your child at the movies, I just don't want to hear them.

If its not rated G, and sometimes PG(depending on the movie) I don't think young kids should be in there. I take my son (who is almost 5 yrs old) to the movies, but we only go see the cartoon movies and such.

I've been to rated R movies where people have their babies in there...That pisses me off so bad! Its not my fault you can't or won't get a babysitter for your kid...I should not have to suffer through the movie that I paid to see by having to listen to screaming/crying/cranky children.

IMO, if its rated PG-13 or higher, then absolutely no children, including babies should be allowed.

With that said...sometimes the adults are worse than the kids though!!

I think it just depends on the kid. We started taking mine when they were 3 & 4, but they only go to rated G. I would leave if my kids were acting up. I like it to be quit when I go to the movies. I wouldn't take them to anything that isn't age appropriate for them.

I don't think kids in the theater is a good thing unless they are old enough to sit and watch the movie....My daughter is now old enough to sit and watch a kid movie. I have 2 friends that have little babies ( under 2 ) and they still go see movies, but they go to the drive in movies which i think is a great idea b/c they are in their car and if their child gets upset it doesn't bother anyone else watching the movie.

I have no problem with kids in a theater. We have always taken our since birth. usually it is a kids movie. have never taken my kids to an R rated movie though cause if it won't interest them no point in taking them cause I won't get to see it either. But we have taken them to Star wars, Charlie, etc....
As for hearing kids, Here the adults are as bad if not worse than the kids are. I get beyond pissed to hear an adult constantly run their mouth during a movie more so than a kid

I will not take my children unless they are able to sit through a movie a few times at home first. It all really depends on the attention span the child has. I did take my dd to Piglet's Big Movie in Coranado. She was 18 months and granted she did not act any worse then the other kids (most who were older) but I did not take her again until she was almost 3 to another theater. Now she does very well and only says things that in my opinion are appropriate.

ie: I took her to see Wallace and Gromits and she was yelling at the bunny to run.

The other thing I do to keep the peace and not be embarrassed by behavior is wait for a movie to have been out for a week or so first and go during the week. Usually the theater is empty that way.

I really think adults now a days are very self centered and feel that everyone elses comfort should revolve around them. JMO

in one of the movie theaters out here in katy there is a rule that no one under the age of 6 is allowed into a movie that begins after 6. i think that parents need to evaluate what movies they take their kids to. i saw fucking 5 year olds in Saw II. Plus in movies that start after 8 your 3 4 or 5 year old does not need to be out. there is no reason that a 3 year old needs to be out until 10 or 1030 because the parents are to damn cheap to get a babysitter. when df and i have kids we will only take them to early evening shows and that will be only when and if they can behave.

P.S. if your damn kid is crying or screaming take them out of the f-ing theater. why should you ruin the movie for me because you decided to bring your child to a 10pm movie and they are tired and cranky?

in one of the movie theaters out here in katy there is a rule that no one under the age of 6 is allowed into a movie that begins after 6. i think that parents need to evaluate what movies they take their kids to. i saw fucking 5 year olds in Saw II. Plus in movies that start after 8 your 3 4 or 5 year old does not need to be out. there is no reason that a 3 year old needs to be out until 10 or 1030 because the parents are to damn cheap to get a babysitter. when df and i have kids we will only take them to early evening shows and that will be only when and if they can behave.

P.S. if your damn kid is crying or screaming take them out of the f-ing theater. why should you ruin the movie for me because you decided to bring your child to a 10pm movie and they are tired and cranky?


not to get off topic, and I thought about this for a long time, but calling a child a fucking 5 year old or damn kid is totally uncalled for:no

I think children should only be taken to the theater for movies that are appropriate for their age group. Also, I don't think parents should take them to the late showings. And if the child is being disruptive then the parent should warn the child and then leave if it continues. I know the movie theatres are not cheap but I don't think it is right to ruin it for everyone else. We took Breanna to see Shrek 2 when it came out and she did really well. Later I took her with a friend and her son to see Shark Tale. The kids wouldn't sit down and they were really loud. I told Breanna to sit and be quiet. She wouldn't so we got up and left. I didn't just take her to the bathroom. I left the theater. She was so mad but she had to learn that isn't polite.

I take my daughter to Monday Morning Mommy Movies here in Hawaii, but that is designed for parents to take thier kids and go see a movie. I would never take my daughter to a regular movie because she just can't sit still or be quiet long enough and I know how much I hate it when there are kids in the theater that are running around and making all sorts of noise.

not to get off topic, and I thought about this for a long time, but calling a child a fucking 5 year old or damn kid is totally uncalled for:no
Yeah I agree....And had been chewing on it too....:sigh

Back to the debate. Its my personal view that children do not need to be out at r rated movies. BUT...That is the parents discretion. It is under 17 not permitted without parent. PERSONALLY I havent taken E to a movie and do not plan on it for awhile. If I want to go to a movie I will get a babysitter. I will take him to a movie he can enjoy when he is old enough. But thats just me

Also....It isn;t being "cheap" not finding a babysitter. Movies alone are QUITE pricey and childcare is not the cheapest thing in the world. Plus you gotta find someone who you trust etc etc....If the parents decide to take their child to a movie then so be it. I do agree tho if they are screaming the parent should leave the theater with the child...

if it's a kids movie it doesn't bother me at all to see kids at a movie theater, of any age. after all the movie was made for kids to see. i don't like to see very young babies in there because the volume of the movie is generally too loud for their young ears but i do know that at most places they don't have the volume quite as loud during a kid's movie.

what i hate seeing is people who bring their infants/toddlers to a rated R show at 10pm. those kids need to be in bed and definately don't need to be at a rated R movie, especially if it's a violent and loud one. i paid good money to go see a movie in a theater and i don't want to hear someone's kid screaming their head off because the movie is scary for them or their tired, etc.

i would love for theaters to be able to enforce some sort of rule about this but honestly, it's not that easy. there's only so much the theater can do.

I don't have kids so I might make a statement that some won't like, LOL, but when I hear kids crying at a movie I just paid 10$ to watch, I get so pissed and I just want to scream, SHUT THAT KID UP OR GET THE HELL OUT!

If the children are quiet I dont mind if they are there. If the movie is in appropriate for children then I'm pissed the parents brought them no matter how quiet they are. If its a childrens movie then the noise doesnt bother me because its for them.

Now if a mother brings her breastfeeding new born I really dont mind. She needs to get out too and little babies dont cry very loudly anyway. However, if it wont stop within minute or so then she needs to leave, I'm sure the people she is sitting behind is annoyed. But I usually dont even realize they are there until the movie is over :hehe

I feel the same way :yes

in one of the movie theaters out here in katy there is a rule that no one under the age of 6 is allowed into a movie that begins after 6. i think that parents need to evaluate what movies they take their kids to. i saw fucking 5 year olds in Saw II. Plus in movies that start after 8 your 3 4 or 5 year old does not need to be out. there is no reason that a 3 year old needs to be out until 10 or 1030 because the parents are to damn cheap to get a babysitter. when df and i have kids we will only take them to early evening shows and that will be only when and if they can behave.

P.S. if your damn kid is crying or screaming take them out of the f-ing theater. why should you ruin the movie for me because you decided to bring your child to a 10pm movie and they are tired and cranky?


That remark was completely inappropriate and uncouth.

We have taken our kids to see 'The Incredibles" when it came out and jOhn took Cory to see "Spiderman 2", I took both my kids to see "Narnia" I don't mind kids in the theater. I just don't want to hear them. I think for R rated movies its up to the parents but I don't think its a good idea

not to get off topic, and I thought about this for a long time, but calling a child a fucking 5 year old or damn kid is totally uncalled for:no

the part where i refered to a fucking 5 year old was more referring to the situation. it wasn't to imply that the child inherently is a fucking 5 year old but more to refer to the fact that a 5 year old has no business being in a movie theater that is showing an R-rated movie or be out to the point of 10pm because the parents are to damn cheap to pay for a babysitter. also in the case of the ...damn kid..." i don't think that that was inaccurate. i'm sure all of us have been in the movies where a kid has been crying and we would like nothing more than to go over to the parents and tell them to get their kid out of the theater. as i'm sure any of ya'll with kids out there have thought "crap my kid is crying and in order to be curteous to other people in the theater i should take them out." but at the same time thinking "i paid 5.50 for this damn movie and i want to watch it".

the words "fucking" and "5 yr old" or any child for that matter don't belong in a coherent sentence. That was just rude.

what i said offended some if not many of ya'll but this is the news/debate forum so this was my opinion...i was offering it out there just like ya'll offered yours. this is one topic that pisses me off greatly. what i said may have been uncalled for and i apologize to those who it offended but i will not change the language because those are my feelings and my opinions.

what i said offended some if not many of ya'll but this is the news/debate forum so this was my opinion...i was offering it out there just like ya'll offered yours. this is one topic that pisses me off greatly. what i said may have been uncalled for and i apologize to those who it offended but i will not change the language because those are my feelings and my opinions.
You ropinion is not what I had a problem with. It is in the context you said what you said. Instead of referring to the kids as "damn kids or fucking 5 year olds" Could you not of just said kids? Sorry....But if ANYONE were to say that to me about my kid I would probably haul off and smack them. Irregardless of the context. Some things are just uncalled for. Your opinion does matter for the debate. The context of how you worded it was just rude IMHO...

like i said i may have been wrong in the terminology and in the wordage but i was angry just thinking about it...one reason i get so angry about it is because its not just small children its older children too...i would NEVER actually say it to a parents face in the terminology i used on here...the most i would say to a parent is ask them to remove their child if they were screaming or pitching a temper tantrum in the theater and that would only be if they were next to me or directly in the rows behind or in front of me. in my opinion i just think that if a child is allowed to get away with it when they are younger (being rude in a theater) when they get older and start going to the movies on their own or with groups of friends they have that learned behavior that they will not get in trouble and will continue to be loud. the only thing you can do once they get older and don't go to the movies with their parents anymore is tell a movie theater employee that they are being loud and disrespectful. another reason this topic hits a nerve was because i was at the gym yesterday and there were a bunch of like 7+ kids upstairs (i'm assuming their parents were working out also but i don't know for sure...the rule is no one allowed under the age of 12 w/o a parent supervising) and they were jumping all over the weight equipment and making it uncomfortable for me and others to workout and no one not even the employees who are supposed to monitor that kind of thing said anything to them...not even "please don't do that"

i am sorry that i offended anyone with my verbage and i will try and be more rationale when i type and think things through before i post them. to everyone on here who i offended please accept the fact that i acted hastily and my apology for offending you.

well to me if the child is to young to sit still and behave for their age then no i dont think its okay to bring a child to the movies, now if the movie itself was for small children who can for the most part sit still and listen and watch and its child appropriate movies then i say let them go. Robbie has already been to 1 or 2 and he did pretty good for the most part, but i would think that the movie should not be over 1 hour as our precious ones at a younger age may not be able to keep their attention on the movie. LOL..


but yeah if someone brought a child to a movie after 6pm because they couldnt get a sitter but the child did know how to behave and the movie was appropriate enough for them to sit thru then i would say let them go. if its something way inappropriate for them to be at , i say let them stay home.

You ropinion is not what I had a problem with. It is in the context you said what you said. Instead of referring to the kids as "damn kids or fucking 5 year olds" Could you not of just said kids? Sorry....But if ANYONE were to say that to me about my kid I would probably haul off and smack them. Irregardless of the context. Some things are just uncalled for. Your opinion does matter for the debate. The context of how you worded it was just rude IMHO...


Exactly! You can have an opinion, but it was poor choice in wording.

It depends. My kids are 9 and 6 and I take them to kidds movies all the time. I will take my older child to more non cartoon movies(for kids) and she does good. My 6 year old has been going since he was 3 to cartoons and has done fine. He has sat throough all Harry Potter movies glued to the screen. If you want to try it out go to a movie during the day.

we have never took trent because i think it is too loud! i can barely handle movies sometimes. we go to the drive-in almost every weekend. we love it. i can feed trent, we bring our own food, and trent falls asleep everytime. plus it is only 6.00 for joe and I:thumbsup

the part where i refered to a fucking 5 year old was more referring to the situation. it wasn't to imply that the child inherently is a fucking 5 year old but more to refer to the fact that a 5 year old has no business being in a movie theater that is showing an R-rated movie or be out to the point of 10pm because the parents are to damn cheap to pay for a babysitter. also in the case of the ...damn kid..." i don't think that that was inaccurate. i'm sure all of us have been in the movies where a kid has been crying and we would like nothing more than to go over to the parents and tell them to get their kid out of the theater. as i'm sure any of ya'll with kids out there have thought "crap my kid is crying and in order to be curteous to other people in the theater i should take them out." but at the same time thinking "i paid 5.50 for this damn movie and i want to watch it".
My take on this is if I want my child out at 10pm whose business is it?
It isn't that I am too cheap to get a babysitter etc.. But it is my choice to do that. And usually when my kids are out that late and yes they have been they usually take a nap before we leave the house so that they are in good moods!
But it is the parents choice!

We have taken George to the movie theatre with us since he was about 2 months old. He usually sleeps through the entire movie. We have yet to have to remove him for crying, screaming etc. He doesnt do it. When he gets to the point that he does, we wont go to the movies anymore. George doesnt go to babysitters, daycare, or any other sort of childcare situation.... ever. By choice, not by cheapness. I think the rating of a movie isnt relivant as he sleeps throught them 9 times out of 10.

we have never took trent because i think it is too loud! i can barely handle movies sometimes. we go to the drive-in almost every weekend. we love it. i can feed trent, we bring our own food, and trent falls asleep everytime. plus it is only 6.00 for joe and I:thumbsup

That's what we do too! It's comfy, we can change his diapers without getting up and going to the bathroom, if he gets fussy it doesn't disturb anyone... its just a great route to go and they are so fun!

I LOVE the drive ins! :D

a drive-in is awesomness with a baby! we went with madison when she was just a month old because jason came home on leave and wanted to go to one. i love drive-ins anyhow :)

i wish they had drive-ins out here, i've never been to one. there is a difference between a child that can behave in a late movie or sleep through one and a child who's parents don't care that he is screaming and pitching a fit. if a child is quiet and not interrupting anything or anyone than by all means bring your kid out. IMO i don't think that a child under the age of 5 should be out after 10 simply because it can throw off the whole schedule for the next day, for the parents and the child. that's a different topic. once in awhile its fine but if its a repeat thing then that's not good.