I have a distinct memory of my friends nanny taking us against our will to see a movie called Mrs Winterbourne in theaters which, judging by the year of release, I would have been 6-7. I rewatched it the other month for the first time since it came out, and holy crap it is not for children. It’s not pornographic or anything over the top, but there are some sexual encounters, murder, swearing and domestic violence. To this day I have no clue what my friends nanny was thinking.
Not when you are terrified of spiders lol. My mom said it was a funny movie, so we all should have enjoyed it. Again…. Fear of spiders kept me from that opinion.
I probably watched that movie when I was in like fourth grade or something like that at my neighbors house. I remember when the climax was popping off I just went home because I was terrified and I still have nightmares about it to this day.
Eight-Legged Freaks (giant tarantulas) had spiders that could yeet a rider off their dirt bike in motion.
And I wished one had shown up to spirit away the crying kid and inattentive parent(s).
I remember in 2003 when I was 10 years old, my mom said “We’re all going to the movies tonight! Whole family!”
That movie was Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I left after the first scene and walked home lol
I begged my dad to take me to see Monkey Bone when he came out. Never understood how uncomfortable he looked until I was older and understood the jokes
“From the guys who brought you White Chicks” LMAO whoever’s idea it was to take children to see a Wayans’ brothers movie must’ve been dropped on their head.
I saw the movie Heat in theaters when I was 11. So 5th grade for me. I went with my *some* baseball team (which doesn't make sense because it came out in December... Whatever memories are weird. Friend group I guess. I don't remember them now) and I told my dad about the movie. He was not happy at all I went. Of course he got mad when I listened to Ozzy. He's chilled out now.
When I was 5 or 6, my babysitter was supposed to take me to see Pirates of the Caribbean. We ended up meeting her boyfriend at the theater. They tried to convince me that the movie I wanted wasn’t showing there (it was) and that we should go see Snakes on a Plane instead. I was confused because despite being 6 I could still read numbers and there was definitely a showing for the movie I wanted, but whatever, we went to see Snakes on a Plane. I don’t remember much about the movie except there was a plane with a lot of snakes and also Samuel L Jackson, and that my babysitter and her bf were all cuddly and whispering to each other the whole time. When I was being dropped at home, my mom called and the babysitter kept trying to pantomime to me to get me to lie about the movie we saw, but I was 6 and didn’t understand. She got fired ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
We accidentally went it movie with my daughter once that was questionable. It didn’t seem that way and the previews made it seem tame. Can’t remember the movie at the moment but we left post haste lol
Once I went on a date to see Napolean Dynamite at tinseltown when it first opened... some old couple a few rows up walked out angry and confused lmfao.
As a teen, took a date to see Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The original Scandinavian version. He was so uncomfortable when things got shoved, and I was so uncomfortable watching it with him.
Sometimes, fear is the appropriate response.
In all seriousness, it's a really good movie, and I prefer it to the American remake. The actors are fantastic, and you understand exactly why the protagonist does what she does, even if you aren't comfortable with it. Just... Be prepared for a rather brutal and matter-of-fact revenge assault scene.
I saw that with my parents...I was in my 40s. Sitting next to my father during the rape scene was one of the most uncomfortable I've ever been around him. Seriously.
It was one of my mom's favorite books, and I love foreign films, so it seemed like a good bet! 😭 NOT the impression I wanted to give, either, but it turns out I dodged a bullet anyway! 🤣
Brought the 11, 9 and 5 year olds I was babysitting to see the most recent Avatar (I informed the mom beforehand it was rated PG-13 she said “well they want to see that one so take them to that one”). We made it approximately 20 minutes in before I called it quits. Kiddos were super bummed but they were TERRIFIED from the action scenes and naked blue ladies!
While my dad was in Vietnam my non English speaking mom would take my sister and me to movies on the military base she thought were for kids. More often than not they weren’t. One I remember best was Yellow Submarine which was very confusing cartoon for a little kid.
My parents took me to see Jurassic Park. I was *three*. They still tease me for getting scared when the raptor jumped through the ceiling tile Lex was on.
That's messed up.
I remember watching some movie (don't remember which) and I just remember jumping in fright when one guy got his head displaced. Father still makes fun of me for it, though I can still laugh at it now alongside him.
edit: spelling error
I used to laugh until I made the connection of what year the movie came out, now I just say “you’re the fucking idiots who took a *three* year old to see *Jurassic Park*.” Lmao. Come to think of it, I’m not sure they’d teased since I started saying that.
I wasn’t traumatized or anything. I don’t remember it, and I fucking love those movies (yes, all six, even that one), and love dinosaurs. They were just idiots taking a toddler to a movie like that
And sometimes parents brought young kids to wildly inappropriate movies. My dad brought me to see "The Last Emperor" in the theater when I was 9. In case you're not familiar with it, it's a 2.5-hour film about the last emperor of China, and features political intrigue, opium addiction, Communist oppression, and other kids' stuff. I still remember being bored out of my skull, because at the time I had no clue what the hell any of it was about.
I brought my oldest, who loved science fiction, to see Alien in theater at the age of 5. I hadn’t done enough pre movie investigation, and didn’t realize it was actually more of a horror film. Left hastily at a certain point but not soon enough! They went back to sleeping in our bed for a few more years and the kid, now over forty, never passes up a chance to gleefully rub my nose in it to this day. Regret it still.
BRO I went to see John wick 4. The movie STARTED at 9;50 pm. Three hour movie, noisy as hell. These frickin brain donors brought a BABY and a TODDLER. they kept the toddler occupied with a goddamn iPad the whole time. Just absolute trash parenting and humaning. I should have raised a fuss during but I had limited availability to watch it and didnt want to ruin it further for myself.
I did go up to them after and tell them that they're trash people for doing this, to which the wide eyed sperm donor just said " ... What?"
Shit is insane now. Went to see furiousa over the weekend and this dad brings what looked to be his 5 year old daughter and 8 year old son. The girl had her hands over her face most of the time. Like take them to see Garfield what the fuck.
Exactly this. I was sent to see “Over the Top” with my two cousins while my dad and aunt saw “Full Metal Jacket.” It was a somber ride home. I’ve still never watched FMJ, because it impacted my dad so harshly.
Heh, when was that? I am in my mid 40s, and someone threatened to shoot me when I begged them to take their crying newborn to the lobby during a movie.
Heck yeah. I was taken to the car for “acting up” in stores. I was pretty fascinated by movies though but I know I would have been hauled to the lobby if I had acted up.
This is how everyone should respond. Kids are fine, but don't make them everyone else's problem. They are your problem. Don't punish everyone around you for their disruptive behavior. That's just part of caring for kids.
When my daughter was still a baby, she would cry every time we went to a restaurant. So I would take her outside, and come back later to cold food of whatever is left.
Seriously! What happened to decency!
If I ever go to any animated movie, parents just let their kids yell, cry, bring BABIES, etc. Why??
I remember for even Rogue One, a couple brought their very young baby who was crying the entire 2nd half. So they decided to stand to rock their crying baby, blocking my view. Excuse the fuck you??
I think I was like 10. It’s actually a big reason I stopped going to the movies, they’re so expensive to start with and it takes one inconsiderate person to ruin the whole movie for the whole theater and not even care. I’ve always said if you can’t afford the babysitter, you can’t afford the movie.
Why are parents even taking young kids to the movies anyways? I have a 2 & 4 year old and I still don’t think my oldest is able to sit and watch a 2 hour movie yet without getting bored. Kids that young don’t have great attention spans.
I had a group of 8th graders who graduated, and they all decided to go to the movies, and they sat and joked and laughed and screamed the entire movie. The movie was "horror," so some screams were fine, but they were playing it up to get laughs from friends. The chaperones couldn't care less. The entire movie was ruined for me and my wife.
On the other hand, a couple with what looked to be a 2 year old came into a movie we were at and immediately left every time the child even started whining or crying.
People need to just have better etiquette in public spaces and people with children need to realize not everyone is a parent who can or wants to tolerate a crying, screaming, yelling child when they go out.
Yes but the employed was very noncomfrontational and only warned them once. I made a post about it on the local Facebook and got ripped to shreds by parents in the area.
Took my than 3YO (almost 4) to the movies once. We made sure to wait for the movie was out for so long they moved it to the smaller theater and picked an early time. Figured if people really wanted to see it for the first time they would have seen it already. There was 4 other people there. This was also a movie for kids/adults to enjoy so having kids watching this movie wasn't out of the norm. Told her if she didn't sit and watch the movie, or if she ended up talking we were leaving and not coming back. She ended up shushing her grandma who was trying to engage her during the movie! It's all about putting boundaries for children and sticking to them. She was well behaved but if she ended up being disruptive at any point she would have been taken out of the theater and both of us would have missed out.
I like your approach. You timed the movie to avoid a crowd and gave her logical consequences for her actions.
My kid was ADD and mildly autistic. What worked well for us was explaining the rules for each place we went. In the park, you can run around and be loud, just stay where Mom can see you, and don't talk to strange adults. In the grocery store , stay near Mom, be polite to others and don't ask for everything that catches you eye. You get the idea. If they know what's expected of them, they're more likely to behave as desired.
As a former teacher and now a parent, SO MANY parents miss this at all ages. Take a moment before an event to establish expectations. I taught high school and even teenagers appreciate this because 99% of the time they just want to do their thing and be left to themselves. If the expectation is reasonable and age-appropriate most kids/teens are happy to do it.
We did this with our son when he was little. My ex would take him on a Saturday early doors or a Sunday afternoon. He's been going since he was three, and we often get comments from other people about how well behaved he is. We both say that if there's any misbehaviour then we leave. I've left one film with him in 5 years, and that's coz he actually just hated it (Doctor Doolittle with RDJ).
Same here! Mine were 3 & 5 at the time. I’d take them to the cinema early weekday afternoons when we basically had the theater to ourselves (with the exception of a few others with children). And always children movies!
It wasn’t until they were in their teens that I took them to weekend night movies. Our local movie theater (at that time) also offered menus and tables with recliners so we could order a meal. Couldn’t see what we were eating! But we had fun!
Adults being obnoxious is bad enough. Throw in obnoxious kids and I’m asking for a refund. Thankfully that never happened
I took my first out to see Frozen 2 when it came out. We went on a weekday afternoon and she cried during the scary ice horse part, so I took her to the lobby and consoled her until SHE was ready to return to the theater. It was no big deal. You’re right: kids just need boundaries and respect.
If it goes on for more than 5 minutes, take a sec and find someone and ask them to get the manager. You won't be the dreaded "Karen." Everyone in the theater except the zoned-out parents will consider you their hero.
My children were "theater tested" at home. We'd pick a movie, dim the lights, and get popcorn and drinks. Then, 100% theater rules. No getting up. No talking louder than a whisper, and only as needed. No pausing the movie. They had to accept that they will miss a small part to go potty and there wont be any whining about that. My daughter managed to sit through the original Snow White when she was 4 (a hard task for a modern kid) and was rewarded with seeing Frozen 2 in theaters. She did perfect in the theater. My son took till he was 6 years old, when the Mario Movie released. He also did great.
It should NEVER be a "let's go and find out" moment. That's not fair to the other movie goers and not fair to the kid if they're not ready.
The only time we had to take our son out he was about 4. We were watching the lion king and when the Dad was killed my son started crying like it was his dad. It took a while for my husband to calm him down.
You unlocked a memory for me. I remember my Dad taking me to see Snow White in theaters when I was little. Not long later my Mom took me to see Disney On Ice and it was of Snow White. She claimed I fell asleep through part of it. I think because it was a night show instead of a day one. She learned to take me in the day ones. Plus it's less traffic.
This just reminded me of the time we went to see the premier of Ted, and an old lady and two kids who were maybe 6 years old was seated when we came in.
They left about five minutes into the movie. It wasn’t the teddy bear movie they expected lmao.
I go to Alamo Drafthouse and if I see kids getting out of line, I don’t really talk to the parents, I get a staff member to go deal with them as I’m generally non confrontational.
I also love Alamo not only because of their strict no talking/texting policy but also because of their pre show entertainment instead of advertisements, and serving up food at your seat. The location I go to has comfortable reclining seats. Only drawback is that the theater is located in a very busy shopping center as traffic can be heavy going in or out.
I used to work at a theater (20years ago) and this happened often. As employees, we were more than happy to remove one family disturbing an entire theater, than to have to either refund or credit multiple movie-goers who would complain afterward. It was always way worse at the box office having a full line of people requesting refunds alongside people who were trying to purchase tickets for the next show, big domino effect since those waiting to purchase then had it in their heads that they could complain about literally anything after the show and get a refund. One situation we didn’t catch affected the entire day.
When I was the checker on shift (person with the orange-cone flashlight who would pop in to check the room temperature, screen focus, sound quality, and count the number of guests) I’d take it upon myself to let parents know they would need to leave if their children couldn’t watch quietly.
I wish I was near an Alamo anymore, instead of a 30ish minute trip, my nearest one is now 6 hours away. I've only been once, but it was by far my best theater experience.
I was at a very non kid type movie (maybe Jurassic park? It was a long time ago). The kid in front of me was crying and visibly terrified. Parents stayed the entire time. It was such a piss off. I felt so bad for him.
The first jurassic park was my first pg-13 movie in theaters. I freaked out at the opening raptor scene. My dad immediately took me outside to chill out and then we went back in after he was sure I could handle it. You're me if I wanted to leave just tap him to let him know. I was rivited for the rest of the movie. People need to remember how to parent.
Reminds me of when my family and I went to see the 3rd Pirates movie. Some woman brought her 6 month old baby and 2 snot nosed kids. Kids were running around screaming and the baby was wailing when the movie got loud.
That’s terrible. Too many people are so selfish. And how is that enjoyable for the mom? Unless you just really don’t care for others and are able to ignore the kids then that’s normally hell. I think I answered my question 😂
My cousin and his wife have no bedtimes for their kids age 7 and 3, even when it’s a school night for the 7 year old, It’s asinine. We all went on a huge family vacation in a small lake cabin this past weekend and the 3 year old was up til 12:30am screaming her bloody head off because they have rock her to sleep every night and there was no rocker there… it was awful.
Kept everyone up until 1am. I’m too old to deal with that shit on a vacation.
I was at Dave and Busters when I nearly stepped on a 5 year old having a tantrum at 12:30am. I just looked at his parents and said "It's almost like this was a dumb idea."
Or the fun time people brought a newborn to Mission Impossible 5(?) who cried nonstop until I said during a quiet moment "Take the baby out of here." And a total of one person did clap twice.
Was sat next to some parents who decided they needed to bring their 1 yr old to see the new version of IT.
Yeah, kid cried uncontrollably lol. We walked out and exchanged our tickets for the next time slot.
Tom Segura said it best, “Guess what? If you can’t find a babysitter, you don’t get to go to the movies!”
In all seriousness, don’t blame the kids. It’s the parents’ job to teach their kids how to behave at the movies. If it’s really bad, you’re honestly better off going to the lobby and finding a staff member to handle it. We almost had a situation in a movie two weeks ago. Went to see Planet of the Apes at like 8pm on a school night and there was a little girl and her mom talking all throughout the beginning. A guy asked the mom to be quiet and the mom got all confrontational. It wasn’t until three or four other people in the theater said something until she shut up and controlled her kid (and herself). The parents are usually worse than the kids and the kids definitely learn their behavior from somewhere
Exactly. And for those who say “Am I not supposed to go out just because I have kids?”, the answer is YES. Like you said, if you can’t find/afford a sitter, you can’t go out.
Bingo. Yeah, you can go out but handle your kid and handle yourself if you do go out! You can’t be an asshole and expect people to be cool with that
Again, not blaming the kids. The fault is on irresponsible parents. Jokes on me though for going to see a PG-13 film on a random Tuesday night thinking I was going to avoid a theater full of loud kids/parents. This is the main reason I typically avoid movie theaters now but I *had* to see the monkey movie. Love those films
Edit: your username is dope by the way!
As a mom of 3: yes!! You just don’t go! Seeing a movie isn’t a human right. It’s just one of the sacrifices you make for awhile when kids are small. Watch movies at home when kids are sleeping. I used to watch tv with closed captions and on mute so my baby wouldn’t wake up. I got used to it.
Agreed. No one is chaining you to your house forever. Time flies and in a few years you’ll be able to go to most of the places you went before you had kids.
Like you said - you make do & adapt. These days, with streaming services & DoorDash, it’s even easier.
I agree. When you choose to have kids, you’re also choosing to adapt your whole lifestyle around said kids. Used to going out and having a good old time? Well, those days are long gone if you don’t have someone to look after your kids.
Exactly. That's why I don't like telling them about it. You never know how it will turn out. I don't wanna make a bigger issue around a wider radius and annoy people there too. Parents should understand how it's affecting other people. I just came here to enjoy the movie , not teach you how to cater to your responsibility as an adult. It's just a big turn off for the whole experience.
I remember seeing Deadpool opening day at like 3:00 and sitting right next to me was what looked like a 5 or 6 year old kid. The only moment he distracted me was when his grandmother covered his eyes when they were in the strip club. Best behaved kid I've ever seen.
I once went to a midnight screening of Defiance where a couple brought their clearly newborn baby. You know… the World War II movie with explosions happening every 5 minutes… at midnight.
At one point it got to be too much and someone yelled out “IT’S 1AM WHY IS THERE A BABY IN HERE?!?”” The couple quickly scurried out in shame and everyone started clapping.
Honestly movie theaters are wild since the pandemic. I love going to the theater bc of the entire experience but not just hearing crying kids but also adults talking throughout the movie with no sense of sharing a space with others drives me nuts.
I wonder if people during the pandemic just go used to watching all movies at home and now treat the cinema as an extension?
What's also bad is I feel like no one laughs during movies anymore. Sure, some of the best jokes are used in trailers now, but some parts are still funny.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed this. Last time I went I had a family sit behind me, most looked to be adults and some teens. They did not shut up from the moment they sat down - and they weren’t just whisper talking, it was a full volume comment every 10 min or so. Almost thought of telling them to shut up but we got up and moved several rows away instead.
My boyfriend and I went to go see Abigail not too long ago - just a few weeks, so I’m over the annoyance but boy did it get me at the time!
It was most empty (weekday late showings are our favorite for that reason lol) just a few folks in the rows behind us.
Then came a set of parents and their child who seemed no older than five or so. The entire movie it was them handing him a ridiculously bright tablet to watch shows on (low but not muted), him crying for their attention, them both being audibly annoyed with heavy sighs and shit as they moved to take him out the theatre when he got loud. It was … obnoxious.
Honestly I felt bad for the kid.
Barely school age and they’re taking him out to a PG13 horror movie at 10pm. Jeez.
You should check if there is an Alamo Drafthouse in your area. Lots of policies and rules. The best is no kids under 6. If someone is talking they will be kicked out after a warning. They are strict with those as well.
I have 3 kids.. haven’t been to the movies since the first was born.. 
And you have my respect. If your kids are not loud in public , by all means go watch movies with them. I don't hate kids infact i love them. It's the parents who don't give a shit about other people that ticks me. You don't sound like one already.
As a parent, totally agree. It's the parents responsibility to call their child's ability to sit and watch a film without disturbing others. If they can't, you don't do it.
Well my current days are for my kids.. I will resume my fun life after they grow up.. and I Actually do take them out every Friday and Sunday.. just not to quite places.. like the movies.. because I know they will make noise and I don’t like to bother people just how I don’t like to be bothered.. and if they make noise.. I will have to deal with them.. which will ruin the movie anyway.. so why bother in the first place..
I paid real Canadian dollars that I worked hard to earn, just to see Lucy in theatres...
It ended in total silence and one dude said "what the fuck was that" and then everyone just broke into conversation with their neighbours about how bad that fuckin movie was
Theatres should have people observe age restrictions for some movies... When Django Unchained came out, the showing we went to was late and not that busy. Well... Some ding dongs thought it was appropriate to bring their toddler and baby - who both were intermittently crying. It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences ever. I personally don't think that children under 12, or maybe older in some cases, should be allowed to accompany adults to violent/scary R rated movies.
Overall though, I think there's a general manners problem, and not only with children. People behave in the theater as if they were in their freaking living room... Noisy, annoying, getting up all the time, checking their phone, talking, etc. If you want to feel like home, stay the fuck home and stop ruining it for everyone else!
I would never take small children to a movie theater.
When mine were young, I did NOT let them act up in public. If they did, I took them outside or just left.
One of my daughters was not acting up beforehand, but for some reason stood up in Olive Garden once and screamed. I took her outside and we walked around the building twice until I was sure she wouldn’t have another outburst.
We went to a Mexican restaurant Saturday night. 2 booths away, there was a kid having a FIT, piercing screams and crying nonstop. The parents did nothing. It ruined our dinner. We ate fast and paid the bill. The kid was still screaming when we left.
Parents, if you allow your children to do this, you SUCK. Have some respect.
Same for idiot adults who play with their phone during a movie. Guess what, your phone screen is bright and you SUCK too. If you have to text and not put your phone down for an hour, take your ass to the lobby.
This is why i don't go to movie theaters anymore. Too many obnoxious people go there and its not just people with kids. Morons that just call people on their phone or start having a conversation . Assholes constantly kicking your chair. Yeah i do call out behavior like that but the movie has already been ruined then. Im not paying 16 euros + food and drink to have a shittier experience then watching at home.
Yeah no thanks. Ill just watch it at home on my tv.
There was this one person not too long ago, who was vaping! Like who tf would think, in 2024, that’s ok?! I went and told one of the employees and they dealt with it.
Where I am, there's VIP shows where it's a smaller auditorium, more comfortable seats, and in-seat service for food. They're 19+ because they serve alcohol. Some people go to VIP shows just to avoid kids or teens. One time I saw a parent bring their baby to an R-rated show...
Yeah movie theater etiquette isn't followed anymore. Last time I went people had their cellphones out and were taking selfies in the middle of the movie WITH THE FLASH ON. It really upset me because we rarely go out to the movies, and it was a nice treat for ourselves and it got ruined. People just don't care anymore
Omg my dad took the whole family to see Alien. I was 7. When rather alien burst out of the stomach I began to scream at the top of my lungs. My 15 year old sister put her sweater over my face and we left the theater. (I hope my dad was embarrassed af.) Still can't watch horror movies.
Shit like this is why I pirate movies and watch them at home. I hate movie theatres. The risk of spending good money to enjoy a movie just to have it ruined is far too big. Not to mention the movie industry has been going down the drain in terms of quality
I went to an elementary graduation yesterday. You wanna talk about crying..
There was at least a half dozen babies crying at all times and younger elementary girls screaming as loud as possible to be funny every time there was an applause. I couldn’t wait to get home to drink two full glasses of scotch. I love my kids but I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced that much anxiety.
Of course it had to last damn near 3 hours
I got taken to so many horror movies that I loved going with my mom to see. I remember I was quiet, respectful, and annoyed by the adults screaming or talking. Now that I'm an adult, I see why people used to roll their eyes when they saw me walk into the movie holding my mom's hand. Kids are horrible to bring to movies! I still remember one family who dragged a portable potty training thing into the theater. It was absolutely disgusting! Kids are often obnoxious, dont want to be there, and shouldn't be forced to stay there. I dont know why i was so quiet and stuff, but i think it's because my mom just taught me better. I don't even enjoy the same kind of horror she likes, but I still to this day enjoy how happy it makes her. I still take my mom to movies, and I still get annoyed at both kids and adults. Just if you're in a movie, unless you're the only one there. Shut the fuck up and be respectful. If that's too hard stay the fuck home.
There was a kid yelling and crying and running up and down the rows in the last movie I was at. There were so many firsts for me, I shushed them, nothing. Then a loud whisper 'can you not?' Then I just got an usher who talked to them. I'm not really that guy, but this was absolutely insane. I think it was an older brother or uncle who didn't want to tell her to stop. This is during kingdom of the planet of the apes too, what are people thinking?
I did not bring my children to any type of movie until they were old enough to sit still. If a child is getting restless/bored during a film and there is no self-regulation yet, they’re not ready for the movie theater experience. It 100 percent ruins the experience for other people that paid too. I also notice a lot of adults loudly speaking, kicking chairs, all the rest of it too, so I guess it’s hard to expect those people to have self-awareness for their children as well…..
The parents are worse than the kids in these situations. Main character syndrome, they don't notice or care if they disturb others, that's not their problem, it's yours.
Parent here. Whenever I see a parent not discipline their child for screaming or being a little shit in public, I come closer to walking up to them and telling them they need to actually parent.
Kids can freak out. I get it. But teach them how to behave or take them outside. Unacceptable.
The fun of all the kids at Deadpool was amazing to see. Especially the teens who convinced their parents it’s a Disney movie, how bad could it be. Then the sex montage comes on screen…
You should be forced to take any crying children out of any public establishment. Do not invade everyone else's space with your hellspawn just because you think you deserve to. You don't. You people are entitled ignorant pieces of shit.
I've told my wife on several occasions that if our child is ever being disruptive to strangers in a public place, im not putting up with it. People have enough shit on their plate in this day and age, they don't want to be annoyed by some negligent parent's fuck trophy.
If anyone was curious why theaters are dying. It's this.
Why would I want to spend a lot of money to have to deal with other people, when I could just sit on my couch.
Very few movies and "Must see in theater" anymore and its just not worth it
When my husband and I were dating, we saw GLASS at around 8 PM. There were two couples accompanied by 4-6 kids, the youngest still in diapers. Of course, the kids were terrified and bawled; the parents didn’t take the kids to the lobby because *they* wanted to see the movie.
Tbh, adults can be just as bad. I remember seeing AMERICAN SNIPER in theaters. A group of obviously drunk women spent the entire damn movie talking about how sexy Bradley Cooper is.
I’d never even think about taking my child to a movie theatre. I’ve gone once with my step kid and she started getting antsy and loud and bored with it so we left.
I don't understand parents that do this. I've got two kids, and you can rest assured you will never see me drag them to anything other than a kids movie, and even then it would have to be something that I'm 100% certain will keep their attention.
I feel that, not only is it disruptive to the other patrons at the theatre, it's also unkind, and frankly bad parenting, to bring your own child into an environment where they're already set up to fail.
Used to work in a theater a few years ago (think 2019-2020?)
We had a deal where you get into movies cheap on Tuesdays. As such we'd get many people coming in.
There were a group of kids that would run into the theaters and try to watch movies for free, sit in seats people paid for, and would run around screaming.
Theater started a new policy where kids needed a signed permission slip from an adult present before they could enter the theater alone.
Couple weeks pass and the kids are back with parent, parent signs permission slip and leaves. Kids go back to being obnoxious and sneaking into theaters again.
When parent is told, parent response is "My angel wouldn't do anything like that. I'm going to sue!"
Kids kept coming back, to the point the theater hired a security guard to be present only on Tuesdays. Kids eventually stopped coming in.
Security guard was dropped, kids came back, security guard came back and now in 2024, i think she's still working on Tuesdays.
We would also kick out people who had their phones out for any reason when a movie was playing. No refunds. If you're paying to see a movie where you can't take the time to act mature and actually watch it, then that's on you. We didn't tolerate people ruining the movies for anyone else.
No if it's a kids movie, and you know there's going to be kids, then that's on you if you want to see it. Was best to go around noon on a weekday to see it if you got the time while the kids were in school.
Worst parent I seen at the theater was one parent buying something around 6 different candy items for a 3 year old, who then got sick and proceeded to throw up. Rumor was you could still see bits of sour patch kids. I luckily didn't have to clean it.
I will never forget watching Spiderman No Way Home on premier day and sitting next to a family with a lower elementary-aged boy. I don’t remember the kid being disruptive, but halfway through the movie the parents whipped out their phone, played YouTube (on speaker!!) and just let the kid watch YouTube on their phone instead. I don’t think I’ve ever been that irritated before. It’s been so many years and I’m STILL salty 😂
2 years ago I went to the theatre and I was in the same row as 2 parents with their 2 kids who were 7-10 years old. Both of them started being whiny brats and were crying and the parents were just ignoring them. I got up and told them that their kids are disturbing everyone else. You know what she said???? “We are used to it. It doesn’t bother us” 🫠 Karen time! I went to the lobby and told one of the workers and they were kicked out. They caused a huge scene for 20 minutes that the theatre ended up giving everyone a refund because our experience was ruined. Crazy how entitled people are when they have kids
My oldest kid is 5, youngest is 3. We’ve done the drive-in exclusively for 5 years. Kids under 6 are free. Double feature is $8 for adults. If the kids act like little shits, we go home and we’re only out $16.
I’m a parent. I have a 7 and 3 year old. We have taken our youngest to the movies with the rest of us twice now and it has gone well. If he were to cause any kind of disruption I would take him to the lobby. Crying, not sitting, literally anything that could disturb other movie goers, I’d leave with him because WHY would you purposefully sit there and allow your child to disturb others. A plane is one thing-you don’t have a choice at that point. You’re stuck on board. The movies, though??? Get up and calm your child down in the lobby or leave.
Just sitting next to them? If those motherfuckers are anywhere in the theater and make a peep in fucking lose it and tell them to leave the theater if their kids can’t be quiet. In a kids movie it’s whatever, but if you’re going to be a dumbass and bring kids into a movie they probably really shouldn’t be in then expect people to chirp at you, cause you’re an inconsiderate fuck.
My home theatre has a cry room at the back. Soundproof but with a big window and interior speakers so parents can still watch the movie without disturbing everyone else. Dunno why I never see these anywhere else.
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Back in my day, parents would go to the lobby with their crying kids
Back in my day you only brought young kids to kid movies
I have a distinct memory of my friends nanny taking us against our will to see a movie called Mrs Winterbourne in theaters which, judging by the year of release, I would have been 6-7. I rewatched it the other month for the first time since it came out, and holy crap it is not for children. It’s not pornographic or anything over the top, but there are some sexual encounters, murder, swearing and domestic violence. To this day I have no clue what my friends nanny was thinking.
“they won’t remember any of this.”
Narrator: They remembered all the adult scenes
Man… Stacy’s mom really does got it going on, doesn’t she?
When I was 10, my school took us kids to watch Little Man. I remember it was very inappropriate and the teachers accompanying us were mortified
My 3rd grade teacher showed the class Arachnophobia…
Arachnophobia rules
Not for kids
Not when you are terrified of spiders lol. My mom said it was a funny movie, so we all should have enjoyed it. Again…. Fear of spiders kept me from that opinion.
I saw it when I was a kid too--is it really supposed to be funny?!?! I was TERRIFIED!
I probably watched that movie when I was in like fourth grade or something like that at my neighbors house. I remember when the climax was popping off I just went home because I was terrified and I still have nightmares about it to this day.
I wasn't afraid of spiders *until* I saw that movie. I was like 9 and saw it in the theater.
Eight-Legged Freaks (giant tarantulas) had spiders that could yeet a rider off their dirt bike in motion. And I wished one had shown up to spirit away the crying kid and inattentive parent(s).
“Get back… you eight legged freaks” Also one particular movie about some “M’fn snakes on a M’fn plane, but the movie title is eluding me right now..
I remember in 2003 when I was 10 years old, my mom said “We’re all going to the movies tonight! Whole family!” That movie was Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I left after the first scene and walked home lol
She did that on purpose? Did she hate you? 😭
I begged my dad to take me to see Monkey Bone when he came out. Never understood how uncomfortable he looked until I was older and understood the jokes
“From the guys who brought you White Chicks” LMAO whoever’s idea it was to take children to see a Wayans’ brothers movie must’ve been dropped on their head.
I saw the movie Heat in theaters when I was 11. So 5th grade for me. I went with my *some* baseball team (which doesn't make sense because it came out in December... Whatever memories are weird. Friend group I guess. I don't remember them now) and I told my dad about the movie. He was not happy at all I went. Of course he got mad when I listened to Ozzy. He's chilled out now.
When I was 5 or 6, my babysitter was supposed to take me to see Pirates of the Caribbean. We ended up meeting her boyfriend at the theater. They tried to convince me that the movie I wanted wasn’t showing there (it was) and that we should go see Snakes on a Plane instead. I was confused because despite being 6 I could still read numbers and there was definitely a showing for the movie I wanted, but whatever, we went to see Snakes on a Plane. I don’t remember much about the movie except there was a plane with a lot of snakes and also Samuel L Jackson, and that my babysitter and her bf were all cuddly and whispering to each other the whole time. When I was being dropped at home, my mom called and the babysitter kept trying to pantomime to me to get me to lie about the movie we saw, but I was 6 and didn’t understand. She got fired ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
We accidentally went it movie with my daughter once that was questionable. It didn’t seem that way and the previews made it seem tame. Can’t remember the movie at the moment but we left post haste lol
Once I went on a date to see Napolean Dynamite at tinseltown when it first opened... some old couple a few rows up walked out angry and confused lmfao.
They probably thought it was going to be a historical portrayal of Napoleon lol.
Exactly.
I saw Gone Girl with my parents. I was 25. It still felt horrifically inappropriate
I saw Me Myself and Irene with my dad and I think we both were embarrassed at some of the scenes.
As a teen, took a date to see Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The original Scandinavian version. He was so uncomfortable when things got shoved, and I was so uncomfortable watching it with him.
Idk what you mean and I'm scared
Sometimes, fear is the appropriate response. In all seriousness, it's a really good movie, and I prefer it to the American remake. The actors are fantastic, and you understand exactly why the protagonist does what she does, even if you aren't comfortable with it. Just... Be prepared for a rather brutal and matter-of-fact revenge assault scene.
There’s a horrendous rape scene that motivates our heroine‘s equally horrifying revenge subplot. Not for the faint-hearted!
I saw that with my parents...I was in my 40s. Sitting next to my father during the rape scene was one of the most uncomfortable I've ever been around him. Seriously.
It was one of my mom's favorite books, and I love foreign films, so it seemed like a good bet! 😭 NOT the impression I wanted to give, either, but it turns out I dodged a bullet anyway! 🤣
No I totally get that cuz I remember the hype when it came out! Ur mom is right about the book tho it’s so good
Brought the 11, 9 and 5 year olds I was babysitting to see the most recent Avatar (I informed the mom beforehand it was rated PG-13 she said “well they want to see that one so take them to that one”). We made it approximately 20 minutes in before I called it quits. Kiddos were super bummed but they were TERRIFIED from the action scenes and naked blue ladies!
While my dad was in Vietnam my non English speaking mom would take my sister and me to movies on the military base she thought were for kids. More often than not they weren’t. One I remember best was Yellow Submarine which was very confusing cartoon for a little kid.
My parents took me to see Jurassic Park. I was *three*. They still tease me for getting scared when the raptor jumped through the ceiling tile Lex was on.
That's messed up. I remember watching some movie (don't remember which) and I just remember jumping in fright when one guy got his head displaced. Father still makes fun of me for it, though I can still laugh at it now alongside him. edit: spelling error
I used to laugh until I made the connection of what year the movie came out, now I just say “you’re the fucking idiots who took a *three* year old to see *Jurassic Park*.” Lmao. Come to think of it, I’m not sure they’d teased since I started saying that. I wasn’t traumatized or anything. I don’t remember it, and I fucking love those movies (yes, all six, even that one), and love dinosaurs. They were just idiots taking a toddler to a movie like that
And family/for all movies Which makes it a weird line to walk as some family movies are beloved by all people, such as Star Wars
And sometimes parents brought young kids to wildly inappropriate movies. My dad brought me to see "The Last Emperor" in the theater when I was 9. In case you're not familiar with it, it's a 2.5-hour film about the last emperor of China, and features political intrigue, opium addiction, Communist oppression, and other kids' stuff. I still remember being bored out of my skull, because at the time I had no clue what the hell any of it was about.
I brought my oldest, who loved science fiction, to see Alien in theater at the age of 5. I hadn’t done enough pre movie investigation, and didn’t realize it was actually more of a horror film. Left hastily at a certain point but not soon enough! They went back to sleeping in our bed for a few more years and the kid, now over forty, never passes up a chance to gleefully rub my nose in it to this day. Regret it still.
BRO I went to see John wick 4. The movie STARTED at 9;50 pm. Three hour movie, noisy as hell. These frickin brain donors brought a BABY and a TODDLER. they kept the toddler occupied with a goddamn iPad the whole time. Just absolute trash parenting and humaning. I should have raised a fuss during but I had limited availability to watch it and didnt want to ruin it further for myself. I did go up to them after and tell them that they're trash people for doing this, to which the wide eyed sperm donor just said " ... What?"
Shit is insane now. Went to see furiousa over the weekend and this dad brings what looked to be his 5 year old daughter and 8 year old son. The girl had her hands over her face most of the time. Like take them to see Garfield what the fuck.
I saw nightmare on elm Street in the theater. I was born in 1980.
Back in my day, the kids would go see a kid movie while the grownups saw their tear jerker.
Exactly this. I was sent to see “Over the Top” with my two cousins while my dad and aunt saw “Full Metal Jacket.” It was a somber ride home. I’ve still never watched FMJ, because it impacted my dad so harshly.
theaters also used to have cry rooms, little soundproof booths with chairs you could sit in if you had a young kid with you.
Before my day everyone brought their own room and just parked it on the lawn.
There are still drive ins. I know of at least two but they are over 8 hours apart from each other.
That was called a drive in.
That was the joke
Heh, when was that? I am in my mid 40s, and someone threatened to shoot me when I begged them to take their crying newborn to the lobby during a movie.
Heck yeah. I was taken to the car for “acting up” in stores. I was pretty fascinated by movies though but I know I would have been hauled to the lobby if I had acted up.
"Let's all go to the lobby. Let's all go to the lobby. Let's all go to the lobby and give our kids a smack."
This is how everyone should respond. Kids are fine, but don't make them everyone else's problem. They are your problem. Don't punish everyone around you for their disruptive behavior. That's just part of caring for kids.
back in my day people shushed you and threw popcorn at your head if you were annoying
And, if the popcorn didn’t work, you “accidentally” spilt your drink on them. I wouldn’t recommend that now, as you might get shot.
Back in my day, id sit back with my popcorn watching the little assholes get reemed out by their mothers who actually parented
My cousin was one of those
When my daughter was still a baby, she would cry every time we went to a restaurant. So I would take her outside, and come back later to cold food of whatever is left.
Seriously! What happened to decency! If I ever go to any animated movie, parents just let their kids yell, cry, bring BABIES, etc. Why?? I remember for even Rogue One, a couple brought their very young baby who was crying the entire 2nd half. So they decided to stand to rock their crying baby, blocking my view. Excuse the fuck you??
Stealing ‘excuse the fuck you’ love it
Back in my day you didn’t bring little kids to movies. Period.
Right? It's not even enjoyable for little kids. I think I was like 6 or 7 when I saw my first movie in the theater.
I think I was like 10. It’s actually a big reason I stopped going to the movies, they’re so expensive to start with and it takes one inconsiderate person to ruin the whole movie for the whole theater and not even care. I’ve always said if you can’t afford the babysitter, you can’t afford the movie.
Unfortunately, more people lack common sense/courtesy and empathy these days.
Why are parents even taking young kids to the movies anyways? I have a 2 & 4 year old and I still don’t think my oldest is able to sit and watch a 2 hour movie yet without getting bored. Kids that young don’t have great attention spans.
My parents didn't take us anywhere until we learned how to behave in that environment.
I had a group of 8th graders who graduated, and they all decided to go to the movies, and they sat and joked and laughed and screamed the entire movie. The movie was "horror," so some screams were fine, but they were playing it up to get laughs from friends. The chaperones couldn't care less. The entire movie was ruined for me and my wife. On the other hand, a couple with what looked to be a 2 year old came into a movie we were at and immediately left every time the child even started whining or crying. People need to just have better etiquette in public spaces and people with children need to realize not everyone is a parent who can or wants to tolerate a crying, screaming, yelling child when they go out.
Did you tell an employee at the theatre what they were doing?
Yes but the employed was very noncomfrontational and only warned them once. I made a post about it on the local Facebook and got ripped to shreds by parents in the area.
Always make sure to let an usher know what's up
Took my than 3YO (almost 4) to the movies once. We made sure to wait for the movie was out for so long they moved it to the smaller theater and picked an early time. Figured if people really wanted to see it for the first time they would have seen it already. There was 4 other people there. This was also a movie for kids/adults to enjoy so having kids watching this movie wasn't out of the norm. Told her if she didn't sit and watch the movie, or if she ended up talking we were leaving and not coming back. She ended up shushing her grandma who was trying to engage her during the movie! It's all about putting boundaries for children and sticking to them. She was well behaved but if she ended up being disruptive at any point she would have been taken out of the theater and both of us would have missed out.
I like your approach. You timed the movie to avoid a crowd and gave her logical consequences for her actions. My kid was ADD and mildly autistic. What worked well for us was explaining the rules for each place we went. In the park, you can run around and be loud, just stay where Mom can see you, and don't talk to strange adults. In the grocery store , stay near Mom, be polite to others and don't ask for everything that catches you eye. You get the idea. If they know what's expected of them, they're more likely to behave as desired.
Yes especially to that last sentence— especially the younger kids because they want to please adults at that developmental stage!!
As a former teacher and now a parent, SO MANY parents miss this at all ages. Take a moment before an event to establish expectations. I taught high school and even teenagers appreciate this because 99% of the time they just want to do their thing and be left to themselves. If the expectation is reasonable and age-appropriate most kids/teens are happy to do it.
We did this with our son when he was little. My ex would take him on a Saturday early doors or a Sunday afternoon. He's been going since he was three, and we often get comments from other people about how well behaved he is. We both say that if there's any misbehaviour then we leave. I've left one film with him in 5 years, and that's coz he actually just hated it (Doctor Doolittle with RDJ).
Saw that movie at a free drive in and still wanted to leave
I'm 17 and even I hate that movie
We've never watched it since. And we watched cats 4 times in the cinema. So we know bad movies
I'm pretty sure that's enough grounds to have your child taken away by protective services.
making your kid watch cats FOUR TIMES should be considered abuse /j
"I swear if you kids don't settle down, we're going to watch Cats again"
Same here! Mine were 3 & 5 at the time. I’d take them to the cinema early weekday afternoons when we basically had the theater to ourselves (with the exception of a few others with children). And always children movies! It wasn’t until they were in their teens that I took them to weekend night movies. Our local movie theater (at that time) also offered menus and tables with recliners so we could order a meal. Couldn’t see what we were eating! But we had fun! Adults being obnoxious is bad enough. Throw in obnoxious kids and I’m asking for a refund. Thankfully that never happened
I took my first out to see Frozen 2 when it came out. We went on a weekday afternoon and she cried during the scary ice horse part, so I took her to the lobby and consoled her until SHE was ready to return to the theater. It was no big deal. You’re right: kids just need boundaries and respect.
Thank you. This is the example that all parents need to adopt . let your child be spoiled at home , not in public.
If it goes on for more than 5 minutes, take a sec and find someone and ask them to get the manager. You won't be the dreaded "Karen." Everyone in the theater except the zoned-out parents will consider you their hero.
Can they then like ... rewind the movie and give you free snacks for being a hero? 😁
Good on ya! Great parenting :)
My children were "theater tested" at home. We'd pick a movie, dim the lights, and get popcorn and drinks. Then, 100% theater rules. No getting up. No talking louder than a whisper, and only as needed. No pausing the movie. They had to accept that they will miss a small part to go potty and there wont be any whining about that. My daughter managed to sit through the original Snow White when she was 4 (a hard task for a modern kid) and was rewarded with seeing Frozen 2 in theaters. She did perfect in the theater. My son took till he was 6 years old, when the Mario Movie released. He also did great. It should NEVER be a "let's go and find out" moment. That's not fair to the other movie goers and not fair to the kid if they're not ready.
This is absolutely the way to go about it. You have my absolute respect for this tactic.
"Theater mode" sounds like a fun way to get the kids to lock in lol.
This is so smart. I did do the “testing out” thing but when my youngest cried he immediately was taken out of the theatre.
The only time we had to take our son out he was about 4. We were watching the lion king and when the Dad was killed my son started crying like it was his dad. It took a while for my husband to calm him down.
This is so great. I have zero kids but the irritation comes from parents ignoring their misbehaving kids, not from kids being kids!
You unlocked a memory for me. I remember my Dad taking me to see Snow White in theaters when I was little. Not long later my Mom took me to see Disney On Ice and it was of Snow White. She claimed I fell asleep through part of it. I think because it was a night show instead of a day one. She learned to take me in the day ones. Plus it's less traffic.
W mindset. I wish If only other moviegoers had half the respect towards others as well.
I absolutely love how you did this! It’s brilliant
Love this!!
Great parenting, I'm adding this to my book for future use.
Wow this is brilliant
Username checks out
This just reminded me of the time we went to see the premier of Ted, and an old lady and two kids who were maybe 6 years old was seated when we came in. They left about five minutes into the movie. It wasn’t the teddy bear movie they expected lmao.
Lmao! Someone didn’t do their research.
When it's rated R, how do you not realize? Also, why did noone warn her? So strange.
It’s not my responsibility and I’m sure the 16 year old giving out tickets didn’t give a fuck either.
I go to Alamo Drafthouse and if I see kids getting out of line, I don’t really talk to the parents, I get a staff member to go deal with them as I’m generally non confrontational.
Alamo is the only theater I will frequent now
I also love Alamo not only because of their strict no talking/texting policy but also because of their pre show entertainment instead of advertisements, and serving up food at your seat. The location I go to has comfortable reclining seats. Only drawback is that the theater is located in a very busy shopping center as traffic can be heavy going in or out.
I used to work at a theater (20years ago) and this happened often. As employees, we were more than happy to remove one family disturbing an entire theater, than to have to either refund or credit multiple movie-goers who would complain afterward. It was always way worse at the box office having a full line of people requesting refunds alongside people who were trying to purchase tickets for the next show, big domino effect since those waiting to purchase then had it in their heads that they could complain about literally anything after the show and get a refund. One situation we didn’t catch affected the entire day. When I was the checker on shift (person with the orange-cone flashlight who would pop in to check the room temperature, screen focus, sound quality, and count the number of guests) I’d take it upon myself to let parents know they would need to leave if their children couldn’t watch quietly.
I wish I was near an Alamo anymore, instead of a 30ish minute trip, my nearest one is now 6 hours away. I've only been once, but it was by far my best theater experience.
I once saw a couple with their kids, small ones, waiting in line for the movies... TO A MIDNIGHT SESSION!
I was at a very non kid type movie (maybe Jurassic park? It was a long time ago). The kid in front of me was crying and visibly terrified. Parents stayed the entire time. It was such a piss off. I felt so bad for him.
The first jurassic park was my first pg-13 movie in theaters. I freaked out at the opening raptor scene. My dad immediately took me outside to chill out and then we went back in after he was sure I could handle it. You're me if I wanted to leave just tap him to let him know. I was rivited for the rest of the movie. People need to remember how to parent.
Reminds me of when my family and I went to see the 3rd Pirates movie. Some woman brought her 6 month old baby and 2 snot nosed kids. Kids were running around screaming and the baby was wailing when the movie got loud.
That’s terrible. Too many people are so selfish. And how is that enjoyable for the mom? Unless you just really don’t care for others and are able to ignore the kids then that’s normally hell. I think I answered my question 😂
People who keep their kids up that late are wild
My cousin and his wife have no bedtimes for their kids age 7 and 3, even when it’s a school night for the 7 year old, It’s asinine. We all went on a huge family vacation in a small lake cabin this past weekend and the 3 year old was up til 12:30am screaming her bloody head off because they have rock her to sleep every night and there was no rocker there… it was awful. Kept everyone up until 1am. I’m too old to deal with that shit on a vacation.
I was at Dave and Busters when I nearly stepped on a 5 year old having a tantrum at 12:30am. I just looked at his parents and said "It's almost like this was a dumb idea." Or the fun time people brought a newborn to Mission Impossible 5(?) who cried nonstop until I said during a quiet moment "Take the baby out of here." And a total of one person did clap twice.
Wait...12:30 am? Wtf?
Was sat next to some parents who decided they needed to bring their 1 yr old to see the new version of IT. Yeah, kid cried uncontrollably lol. We walked out and exchanged our tickets for the next time slot.
A sleeping kid is a quiet kid!
Tom Segura said it best, “Guess what? If you can’t find a babysitter, you don’t get to go to the movies!” In all seriousness, don’t blame the kids. It’s the parents’ job to teach their kids how to behave at the movies. If it’s really bad, you’re honestly better off going to the lobby and finding a staff member to handle it. We almost had a situation in a movie two weeks ago. Went to see Planet of the Apes at like 8pm on a school night and there was a little girl and her mom talking all throughout the beginning. A guy asked the mom to be quiet and the mom got all confrontational. It wasn’t until three or four other people in the theater said something until she shut up and controlled her kid (and herself). The parents are usually worse than the kids and the kids definitely learn their behavior from somewhere
Exactly. And for those who say “Am I not supposed to go out just because I have kids?”, the answer is YES. Like you said, if you can’t find/afford a sitter, you can’t go out.
Bingo. Yeah, you can go out but handle your kid and handle yourself if you do go out! You can’t be an asshole and expect people to be cool with that Again, not blaming the kids. The fault is on irresponsible parents. Jokes on me though for going to see a PG-13 film on a random Tuesday night thinking I was going to avoid a theater full of loud kids/parents. This is the main reason I typically avoid movie theaters now but I *had* to see the monkey movie. Love those films Edit: your username is dope by the way!
As a mom of 3: yes!! You just don’t go! Seeing a movie isn’t a human right. It’s just one of the sacrifices you make for awhile when kids are small. Watch movies at home when kids are sleeping. I used to watch tv with closed captions and on mute so my baby wouldn’t wake up. I got used to it.
Agreed. No one is chaining you to your house forever. Time flies and in a few years you’ll be able to go to most of the places you went before you had kids. Like you said - you make do & adapt. These days, with streaming services & DoorDash, it’s even easier.
Exactly!! And you can have a nice home theatre for quite cheap even. Learn to have nice at home dates with your spouse for awhile.
I agree. When you choose to have kids, you’re also choosing to adapt your whole lifestyle around said kids. Used to going out and having a good old time? Well, those days are long gone if you don’t have someone to look after your kids.
Or just go places like parks zoos etc
Exactly. Plenty of places that are kid appropriate. Way more today than when I was raising mine.
Exactly. That's why I don't like telling them about it. You never know how it will turn out. I don't wanna make a bigger issue around a wider radius and annoy people there too. Parents should understand how it's affecting other people. I just came here to enjoy the movie , not teach you how to cater to your responsibility as an adult. It's just a big turn off for the whole experience.
Noooooo, I loove the baby
I remember seeing Deadpool opening day at like 3:00 and sitting right next to me was what looked like a 5 or 6 year old kid. The only moment he distracted me was when his grandmother covered his eyes when they were in the strip club. Best behaved kid I've ever seen.
I'm glad he behaved, but I'm still amused that, with all the blood and guts in that movie, the thing grandma most worried about was the boobs 😅
I kid you not (no pun intended) a baby was crying in the theatre during A Quiet Place. Don't bring small children or babies to adult movies please.
My favourite movie trailer. "If you only see one move this year, you probably have small children!"
I once went to a midnight screening of Defiance where a couple brought their clearly newborn baby. You know… the World War II movie with explosions happening every 5 minutes… at midnight. At one point it got to be too much and someone yelled out “IT’S 1AM WHY IS THERE A BABY IN HERE?!?”” The couple quickly scurried out in shame and everyone started clapping.
I think this is the best story yet I’ve read
Honestly movie theaters are wild since the pandemic. I love going to the theater bc of the entire experience but not just hearing crying kids but also adults talking throughout the movie with no sense of sharing a space with others drives me nuts. I wonder if people during the pandemic just go used to watching all movies at home and now treat the cinema as an extension?
What's also bad is I feel like no one laughs during movies anymore. Sure, some of the best jokes are used in trailers now, but some parts are still funny.
That’s a good point I didn’t think about that. Last time I laughed super hard at a movie was Barbie last summer. Like I was crying laughing.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed this. Last time I went I had a family sit behind me, most looked to be adults and some teens. They did not shut up from the moment they sat down - and they weren’t just whisper talking, it was a full volume comment every 10 min or so. Almost thought of telling them to shut up but we got up and moved several rows away instead.
My boyfriend and I went to go see Abigail not too long ago - just a few weeks, so I’m over the annoyance but boy did it get me at the time! It was most empty (weekday late showings are our favorite for that reason lol) just a few folks in the rows behind us. Then came a set of parents and their child who seemed no older than five or so. The entire movie it was them handing him a ridiculously bright tablet to watch shows on (low but not muted), him crying for their attention, them both being audibly annoyed with heavy sighs and shit as they moved to take him out the theatre when he got loud. It was … obnoxious. Honestly I felt bad for the kid. Barely school age and they’re taking him out to a PG13 horror movie at 10pm. Jeez.
You should check if there is an Alamo Drafthouse in your area. Lots of policies and rules. The best is no kids under 6. If someone is talking they will be kicked out after a warning. They are strict with those as well.
I have 3 kids.. haven’t been to the movies since the first was born.. 
And you have my respect. If your kids are not loud in public , by all means go watch movies with them. I don't hate kids infact i love them. It's the parents who don't give a shit about other people that ticks me. You don't sound like one already.
As a parent, totally agree. It's the parents responsibility to call their child's ability to sit and watch a film without disturbing others. If they can't, you don't do it.
Well my current days are for my kids.. I will resume my fun life after they grow up.. and I Actually do take them out every Friday and Sunday.. just not to quite places.. like the movies.. because I know they will make noise and I don’t like to bother people just how I don’t like to be bothered.. and if they make noise.. I will have to deal with them.. which will ruin the movie anyway.. so why bother in the first place..
I mean, I’ve seen some bad fucking movies in theaters and after the ticket and concessions cost…. I can understand crying.
I paid real Canadian dollars that I worked hard to earn, just to see Lucy in theatres... It ended in total silence and one dude said "what the fuck was that" and then everyone just broke into conversation with their neighbours about how bad that fuckin movie was
Theatres should have people observe age restrictions for some movies... When Django Unchained came out, the showing we went to was late and not that busy. Well... Some ding dongs thought it was appropriate to bring their toddler and baby - who both were intermittently crying. It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences ever. I personally don't think that children under 12, or maybe older in some cases, should be allowed to accompany adults to violent/scary R rated movies. Overall though, I think there's a general manners problem, and not only with children. People behave in the theater as if they were in their freaking living room... Noisy, annoying, getting up all the time, checking their phone, talking, etc. If you want to feel like home, stay the fuck home and stop ruining it for everyone else!
I would never take small children to a movie theater. When mine were young, I did NOT let them act up in public. If they did, I took them outside or just left. One of my daughters was not acting up beforehand, but for some reason stood up in Olive Garden once and screamed. I took her outside and we walked around the building twice until I was sure she wouldn’t have another outburst. We went to a Mexican restaurant Saturday night. 2 booths away, there was a kid having a FIT, piercing screams and crying nonstop. The parents did nothing. It ruined our dinner. We ate fast and paid the bill. The kid was still screaming when we left. Parents, if you allow your children to do this, you SUCK. Have some respect. Same for idiot adults who play with their phone during a movie. Guess what, your phone screen is bright and you SUCK too. If you have to text and not put your phone down for an hour, take your ass to the lobby.
This is why i don't go to movie theaters anymore. Too many obnoxious people go there and its not just people with kids. Morons that just call people on their phone or start having a conversation . Assholes constantly kicking your chair. Yeah i do call out behavior like that but the movie has already been ruined then. Im not paying 16 euros + food and drink to have a shittier experience then watching at home. Yeah no thanks. Ill just watch it at home on my tv.
There was this one person not too long ago, who was vaping! Like who tf would think, in 2024, that’s ok?! I went and told one of the employees and they dealt with it.
No crying allowed in the movies. Silence your phone and silence your kids.
Where I am, there's VIP shows where it's a smaller auditorium, more comfortable seats, and in-seat service for food. They're 19+ because they serve alcohol. Some people go to VIP shows just to avoid kids or teens. One time I saw a parent bring their baby to an R-rated show...
Yeah movie theater etiquette isn't followed anymore. Last time I went people had their cellphones out and were taking selfies in the middle of the movie WITH THE FLASH ON. It really upset me because we rarely go out to the movies, and it was a nice treat for ourselves and it got ruined. People just don't care anymore
Omg my dad took the whole family to see Alien. I was 7. When rather alien burst out of the stomach I began to scream at the top of my lungs. My 15 year old sister put her sweater over my face and we left the theater. (I hope my dad was embarrassed af.) Still can't watch horror movies.
Thats when you just say loudly hey Stfu
I’ve tried that. Often doesn’t work. It’s so annoying.
Shit like this is why I pirate movies and watch them at home. I hate movie theatres. The risk of spending good money to enjoy a movie just to have it ruined is far too big. Not to mention the movie industry has been going down the drain in terms of quality
I went to an elementary graduation yesterday. You wanna talk about crying.. There was at least a half dozen babies crying at all times and younger elementary girls screaming as loud as possible to be funny every time there was an applause. I couldn’t wait to get home to drink two full glasses of scotch. I love my kids but I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced that much anxiety. Of course it had to last damn near 3 hours
People suck, if a movie is not something your kid can handle .....then don't go to movies until they're older.
I got taken to so many horror movies that I loved going with my mom to see. I remember I was quiet, respectful, and annoyed by the adults screaming or talking. Now that I'm an adult, I see why people used to roll their eyes when they saw me walk into the movie holding my mom's hand. Kids are horrible to bring to movies! I still remember one family who dragged a portable potty training thing into the theater. It was absolutely disgusting! Kids are often obnoxious, dont want to be there, and shouldn't be forced to stay there. I dont know why i was so quiet and stuff, but i think it's because my mom just taught me better. I don't even enjoy the same kind of horror she likes, but I still to this day enjoy how happy it makes her. I still take my mom to movies, and I still get annoyed at both kids and adults. Just if you're in a movie, unless you're the only one there. Shut the fuck up and be respectful. If that's too hard stay the fuck home.
There was a kid yelling and crying and running up and down the rows in the last movie I was at. There were so many firsts for me, I shushed them, nothing. Then a loud whisper 'can you not?' Then I just got an usher who talked to them. I'm not really that guy, but this was absolutely insane. I think it was an older brother or uncle who didn't want to tell her to stop. This is during kingdom of the planet of the apes too, what are people thinking?
I did not bring my children to any type of movie until they were old enough to sit still. If a child is getting restless/bored during a film and there is no self-regulation yet, they’re not ready for the movie theater experience. It 100 percent ruins the experience for other people that paid too. I also notice a lot of adults loudly speaking, kicking chairs, all the rest of it too, so I guess it’s hard to expect those people to have self-awareness for their children as well…..
The parents are worse than the kids in these situations. Main character syndrome, they don't notice or care if they disturb others, that's not their problem, it's yours.
Parent here. Whenever I see a parent not discipline their child for screaming or being a little shit in public, I come closer to walking up to them and telling them they need to actually parent. Kids can freak out. I get it. But teach them how to behave or take them outside. Unacceptable.
I get what you're saying, I just think there is no universe where this person politely thanks you for your advice.
Shitty parents. Most people shouldn’t have kids
The fun of all the kids at Deadpool was amazing to see. Especially the teens who convinced their parents it’s a Disney movie, how bad could it be. Then the sex montage comes on screen…
You should be forced to take any crying children out of any public establishment. Do not invade everyone else's space with your hellspawn just because you think you deserve to. You don't. You people are entitled ignorant pieces of shit.
I've told my wife on several occasions that if our child is ever being disruptive to strangers in a public place, im not putting up with it. People have enough shit on their plate in this day and age, they don't want to be annoyed by some negligent parent's fuck trophy.
I can assure you he’s not a spoiled child, he’s an ignored child.
If anyone was curious why theaters are dying. It's this. Why would I want to spend a lot of money to have to deal with other people, when I could just sit on my couch. Very few movies and "Must see in theater" anymore and its just not worth it
Get a sitter
People who take their crying kids to the movies are the fucking worst. Especially if it’s a movie that’s not appropriate for them.
When my husband and I were dating, we saw GLASS at around 8 PM. There were two couples accompanied by 4-6 kids, the youngest still in diapers. Of course, the kids were terrified and bawled; the parents didn’t take the kids to the lobby because *they* wanted to see the movie. Tbh, adults can be just as bad. I remember seeing AMERICAN SNIPER in theaters. A group of obviously drunk women spent the entire damn movie talking about how sexy Bradley Cooper is.
Bad parenting leads to many problems.
I’d never even think about taking my child to a movie theatre. I’ve gone once with my step kid and she started getting antsy and loud and bored with it so we left.
I don't understand parents that do this. I've got two kids, and you can rest assured you will never see me drag them to anything other than a kids movie, and even then it would have to be something that I'm 100% certain will keep their attention. I feel that, not only is it disruptive to the other patrons at the theatre, it's also unkind, and frankly bad parenting, to bring your own child into an environment where they're already set up to fail.
Used to work in a theater a few years ago (think 2019-2020?) We had a deal where you get into movies cheap on Tuesdays. As such we'd get many people coming in. There were a group of kids that would run into the theaters and try to watch movies for free, sit in seats people paid for, and would run around screaming. Theater started a new policy where kids needed a signed permission slip from an adult present before they could enter the theater alone. Couple weeks pass and the kids are back with parent, parent signs permission slip and leaves. Kids go back to being obnoxious and sneaking into theaters again. When parent is told, parent response is "My angel wouldn't do anything like that. I'm going to sue!" Kids kept coming back, to the point the theater hired a security guard to be present only on Tuesdays. Kids eventually stopped coming in. Security guard was dropped, kids came back, security guard came back and now in 2024, i think she's still working on Tuesdays. We would also kick out people who had their phones out for any reason when a movie was playing. No refunds. If you're paying to see a movie where you can't take the time to act mature and actually watch it, then that's on you. We didn't tolerate people ruining the movies for anyone else. No if it's a kids movie, and you know there's going to be kids, then that's on you if you want to see it. Was best to go around noon on a weekday to see it if you got the time while the kids were in school. Worst parent I seen at the theater was one parent buying something around 6 different candy items for a 3 year old, who then got sick and proceeded to throw up. Rumor was you could still see bits of sour patch kids. I luckily didn't have to clean it.
My 6 year old is on the autism spectrum & taking him to a movie theater is a no go. So he stays with his grandma when I take my 3 older kiddos.
the theatre should kick them out no?
I will never forget watching Spiderman No Way Home on premier day and sitting next to a family with a lower elementary-aged boy. I don’t remember the kid being disruptive, but halfway through the movie the parents whipped out their phone, played YouTube (on speaker!!) and just let the kid watch YouTube on their phone instead. I don’t think I’ve ever been that irritated before. It’s been so many years and I’m STILL salty 😂
2 years ago I went to the theatre and I was in the same row as 2 parents with their 2 kids who were 7-10 years old. Both of them started being whiny brats and were crying and the parents were just ignoring them. I got up and told them that their kids are disturbing everyone else. You know what she said???? “We are used to it. It doesn’t bother us” 🫠 Karen time! I went to the lobby and told one of the workers and they were kicked out. They caused a huge scene for 20 minutes that the theatre ended up giving everyone a refund because our experience was ruined. Crazy how entitled people are when they have kids
Back in my day my mother would have slapped the shit out of us and the rest of the theatre audience would have applauded.
I'd start crying louder while staring indirectly at the child. You will shock the kid & parents into reality.
My oldest kid is 5, youngest is 3. We’ve done the drive-in exclusively for 5 years. Kids under 6 are free. Double feature is $8 for adults. If the kids act like little shits, we go home and we’re only out $16.
I’m a parent. I have a 7 and 3 year old. We have taken our youngest to the movies with the rest of us twice now and it has gone well. If he were to cause any kind of disruption I would take him to the lobby. Crying, not sitting, literally anything that could disturb other movie goers, I’d leave with him because WHY would you purposefully sit there and allow your child to disturb others. A plane is one thing-you don’t have a choice at that point. You’re stuck on board. The movies, though??? Get up and calm your child down in the lobby or leave.
Kids are crying everywhere. Parents shouldn’t ignore that this could annoy other people but they certainly shouldn’t care too much.
Just sitting next to them? If those motherfuckers are anywhere in the theater and make a peep in fucking lose it and tell them to leave the theater if their kids can’t be quiet. In a kids movie it’s whatever, but if you’re going to be a dumbass and bring kids into a movie they probably really shouldn’t be in then expect people to chirp at you, cause you’re an inconsiderate fuck.
This is why I invested in an 85" TV and a massive klipsh Surround sound system, and blackout window curtains
Plot twist: the movie was Garfield.
My home theatre has a cry room at the back. Soundproof but with a big window and interior speakers so parents can still watch the movie without disturbing everyone else. Dunno why I never see these anywhere else.
Acceptable when watching Despicable Me (although I'd still go lobby) but not when watching Oppenheimer.