Enter......young mom with a baby. Both Paul and I looked at each other and sighed.
Now I have nothing against babies. I have a baby. I really like him. But I didn't pay for a babysitter for my kids so I could listen to YOUR baby cry during the movie.
About 20 minutes into the movie, the baby started fussing. The mom tried to comfort the kid but no go. She kept on trying and still no go. After about 10 minutes (which felt REALLY long!) she took the baby to the back of the theater. Where the baby STILL kept fussing. And fussing. And fussing. After another 10 minutes, she finally left.
I understand that this young mother probably needed a break, which is why she went to the theater. However, I don't think she got a very good break. And she disturbed the entire theater for a good chunk of the movie. I also don't know why she picked a Friday night showing. If you want to bring your baby to a movie you could try an afternoon showing where there would be hardly anyone there. Your crying baby is just fine in church. A quiet movie theater? Not so much. And I SWEAR that this is a Utah thing, because in the 7 years we lived in England we NEVER saw a baby in a movie theater, unless it was a kid show.
I would love to know your thoughts on this. Do babies belong in movie theaters? Yay or Nay?
NO, NO, NO! If talking on your cell phone is rude in a theatre, then so is a crying baby. I've had babies. I've even had crying babies. I've also had babysitters!
ReplyDeleteI did not raise my children in Utah. Where I come from, I would have had people give me harsh stares and they would have complained at the theatre manager. Some would have boldly told me to take the kid out.
Because this is Utah, the land of non-judgments, kindness, and tolerance, it sounds like people take advantage of that.
If your baby will well drugged or sedated, by all means, bring them to the theater. But parents who do so should be willing to give up that 10 dollar movie ticket if their child even begins to cry. I don't have children, so maybe I don't have a say in this, but when you bring your baby to a theater, you have to be considerate of the fact that others have paid for this time away in order to be fully engaged in the movie. Theaters aren't cheap, so going there means you want to have an entertainment experience different from that of a movie night at home, where you would expect distractions or interruptions.
ReplyDeleteWell there are a lot of babies in Utah... but I don't think they belong in a movie theater. So it looks like she paid $10 to see 1/2 a movie... by the time she finishes it she could have bought it on DVD. Having a baby there is almost as bad as people on their cell phones or the random person that comes by themselves to the movie and laughs and talks to themselves the entire time. That's why I like private screenings of movies... then you know what people are coming. I did that when Harry Potter 5 came out... rented a theater in Lehi. No phones, no babies, no crazy people.
ReplyDeleteThis seriously drives me crazy!!! I saw Exodus last night and there were a few babies in the theater. It doesn't even make sense. Babies should not be viewing any media, let alone an extremely violent and loud film!
ReplyDeleteI also remember seeing the final Harry Potter movie and there was a baby in there-it totally ruined the experience for me!
It must be a Utah thing. Just get a babysitter if you want to see a movie that bad.
I feel for the moms who can't find or afford a babysitter, or maybe can't find anyone who is willing to babysitter their terrorizing kids or maybe is too clingy to allow anyone else to watch their kids...whatever the reason, I feel for them. And I am totally cool with them bringing their baby to the theater if the baby is sleeping or quiet, whether or not it's good for the baby is another matter. However, the moment the baby becomes vocal I think out of courtesy to the other movie goers the baby should be taken out and quieted. If that doesn't work out than maybe it would be good to exchange the tickets for another showing sans baby.
ReplyDeleteAs an avid movie lover, I say nay. I go absolutely crazy when a crying baby comes into a movie. One time, I was in a theater and a baby started crying. This went on for about 10 minutes before someone else in the theater said loudly, "Take the kid out!" Not the best way to go about it, but it's what we were all thinking....
ReplyDeleteI understand that all mothers need a break every once in a while from their babies....so get a babysitter. I feel like a mom would be even more stressed after taking a baby to a movie. Intersteller doesn't sound like a quality movie for a baby anyway...or anything PG13.
So, should this be an unwritten rule or should movie theaters enforce this?....
I am really torn here. I would say I probably agree with Rebecca. Babies are okay, until they disrupt. There are a few theaters in Utah that actually have a place for mothers to sit with their babies. So, maybe look for those theaters mom!
ReplyDeleteIn Korea, No Kids Zones have become more numerous. Not only fancy restaurants, VIP lounges of department stores, but also small cafes in alleys, and even movie theater are banning kids. Because of that I never had an experience like that. Luckily(?) here in Utah too. I have hard time to understand those who come to theater with their babies. Maybe it is because I am not mother yet...?
ReplyDeleteNay, always nay.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! I whole-heartedly agree with you! I understand that having a baby is exhausting work, but it was a job that you, hopefully, chose and if that is the case you should probably accept the many things that come along with that. If you need a break you have other options... maybe not many, but you do have some. So please choose an option that does not put others' breaks at risk!
ReplyDeleteYeah no...there is nothing I hate more than a mother trying to calm a baby in the movie theater. At the beginning of the movie there is a clip played asking that phones be put away because they are distracting for others around you, how is a fussing baby any different than a cell phone?
ReplyDeleteI understand the desire of the mother to go see a movie even if she has a baby, but it does seem like an inappropriate move to bring her baby into a packed theater. It might be worth it to pay a babysitter to sit out in the lobby and watch the baby so she can be close if baby needs something and still get to see a movie. But as a general rule, I think it's a bad idea to bring a baby into a theater. But who knows, maybe I'll think differently when I'm a mom! ... Probably not, though.
ReplyDeleteNay! First of all, that poor mother.. I think she just made her Friday night more stressful than it would have been if she didn't try to bring her baby to the theatre. Also, is this a Utah thing because there are so many babies that parents assume that everyone should be accepting of small children in non friendly-smaill-children locations? (After all, they're keeping the commandments, so you better not complain if their babies are crying during the movie?!!?) Crazy. Someone get her digits and I'll babysit for her next time.
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