YOU DON'T take a small child to the theatre, people. YOU JUST DON'T!! If you know they can't sit still for more than 15 minutes, there is no point. and you DON'T give them a GAMEBOY to keep them entertained. You don't let them hack and cough over other people in front and of the sides of you. or let them hit other people with their lollipop.
GET A FRIGGIN BABYSITTER!!! if not--DON'T BRING A CHILD to the THEATRE!!
thanks for ruining my evening you selfish, pretentious twit.
It sounds like you just gave Ken Davenport a new idea! Gameboy seats and daycare centers so children can play on their electronic devices while their parents take in a performance. Brilliant!
There are a lot of child friendly shows but it does not always keep them totally entertained for long enough. I agree they just shouldn't come to theatre.
It depends on the age and maturity of the child. I've been taking my granddaughter to appropriate shows and concerts since she was five and never had a problem. She is fully engrossed by the shows she attends. We had dinner together last night and she was asking when we'd be going into the city for another show. She's also been watching operas from my DVD collection (Yes, I have to sit beside her and explain what's happening)
I think it's important for children to be exposed to the arts at an early age.
But it is different when the child is taught how to behave and act responsibly. This was a nightmare. The mother didn't care what the kid did, and the kid took over the section. It truly was a daycare center.
And there was no point in even getting an usher, because sadly, ushers care less.
Was with my little sweetheart last evening and she became very annoyed when she learned that I'm going up to Boston this week for the Opening of the Pops season. She wanted to know why she couldn't come with me.
Well, I have no problem with her joining me for a Pops concert (she's on a first-name basis with Keith Lockhart!). I am, however, a retired school teacher and feel that attending school is very important. We can go to Boston at some point when her school is on holiday--maybe Memorial Day weekend.
I've taken my 8 year old to the Philharmonic many times. He is mesmerized by it! Although he's getting to an age now where it's not as cool as it was when he was 6 or so.
I remember when I saw the Greenberg play "Take Me Out" which had some locker room nudity, there were ten year old girls wandering around at intermission. Thought it was inappropriate to have kids at that show.
Levels of appropriateness are relative to the maturity of the child. When I was younger, I saw shows that would probably have been deemed "inappropriate," but my parents knew I could handle it.
Unfortunately, as others have said, parenting today too often comes down to "I want to do this, kids be damned." I saw having dinner the other night at a very expensive, very adult restaurant, and seated two tables down was a couple relatively close in age to me and their two young children. This is not the sort of place where most children would be taken. The kids were glued to iPads, gameboys, etc throughout the entire meal. The parents didn't even acknowledge them. They obviously wanted to go out to a fancy dinner, no matter what the kids would have wanted.
As far as the theatre goes, as long as the kids are quiet and engaged (and not in diapers--another pet peeve of mine that I've unfortunately experienced firsthand) of course they should be taken to the theatre. But if not, they should be kept home until they're ready.
My kids have been going to the theater since they were approx 5. I bring them becaue they love it, and they are mesmorized by the stage. Both my kids have remarked at times, how awful other children's behavior is, which always makes me laugh.
I find behavior at the movies to be even worse. Just the other day, I took my son to see Chimpanzee, and kids were allowed to kick seats, run up and down the aisle and continuously talk. I just don't get it. WHY is that acceptable? Because the theater has mostly children at it?
Mama's kids would not be "mesmerized" by live theater if she didn't give them the opportunity to experience it first-hand.
I started taking Elizabeth to children's theater out here on the Island (and some of it was absolutely dreadful!). Her first show in NYC was IMAGINOCEAN (excellent!), followed by THE GAZILLION BUBBLE SHOW (also excellent). Eventually she worked her way up to PETER PAN, ANYTHING GOES and GODSPELL. In the near future she'll join me for THE FANTASTICKS.
We also go to Matinees at the local summer theater. She really wanted to see SWEENEY TODD last summer but I put the nix on that.
As far as concerts are concerned, she's been going to the Boston Pops Holiday Concerts at the Tilles Center and Carnegie Hall.
Throughout all this she's learned how to behave in the theater (EX: going to the bathroom BEFORE the show), how to sit in the theater, how to find her seat and how to respectfully speak to an usher. Afterwards, she's learned how to behave and eat in a restaurant-- all of these are important aspects of living a civilized life.
I think this December she'll be ready for her first NUTCRACKER at Lincoln Center.
I took my son to a local production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat when he was still little enough to sit on my lap the whole time, and he was MESMERIZED.
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joined:5/27/05
Posted: 5/1/12 at 10:58pm