N2IF related: movie theaters?

KC1212

When / how old was LO when you took them to see a kiddie movie?

Has anyone done this before? I would love to take DS (he will be 2 next month) but I'm afraid it is probably too early (although he did well at a circus at 18 months)

So I don't know :-/

Has anyone braved this adventure already?

Just wondering

tuscanbride2007

My MIL took my DD to her first movie in a theater when she was 3. It was also a movie that she had seen before, but she didn't really sit and watch the entire thing. I waited until she was almost 4 to take her to see a movie she hadn't seen. I knew once she could sit and watch almost an entire movie at home, then she could do it in a theater.

pettycrocker

Errrr... It depends on your kid. I know just turning 2, mine was NOT ready, she's 2.5 now, and I *want* to take to her to see Frozen, but my plan is to take her on a Tues morning because honestly, I have no idea what to expect. I know she just now is to the point where she will sit on the couch and watch a movie that she is really into (which is ONLY The Lorax) so these are things to consider- 

Will he sit quietly at home and watch a movie? 

Will he freak out being in a huge dark theater? 

Have you brought him to anything like a theater before? 

Does he even care about movies?

How annoyed would you be at wasting $15 (or more) and having to get up and leave after 12 minutes?

Will you get popcorn?

mmmm popcorn

We went to see The Wiggles over the summer, so that was right after she turned 2, and it was ok, but it was still pretty annoying. She didn't want to sit, she wanted to stand, which would have been fine, but I was worried about her falling in the gap on the ground where the seats in front of us are, you know? It was stadium seating.

Honestly.. I don't know if I will even bring her for Frozen, it depends on how brave I am feeling 

KC1212

Thanks ladies - all great points! My cousin took her 2 year old and he made it through the whole thing and fell asleep the last 15 mins! But he is a very very CHILLED OUT KID it amazes me.

I don't know if we would be so lucky. He did well at the circus at 18 months (but he lasted only about 1.5 hours and that was after we saw the animals and did a bunch of pre-shit)


Can you give a 2 yo popcorn :-/ ?

pettycrocker

You're probably not supposed to KC, but we live on the wild side, so my answer is yes. 

pettycrocker

It's probably up there with hotdogs and grapes.. OOPS, she's had those too. Bad Mom over here 

:-S

KC1212

@ticketTuesday no, I don't. But- I'm a SAHM so I could take him in mornings/ afternoons which are generally cheaper than evening pricing (if I'm not mistaken)

We also have a "dollar theater" that plays slightly older titles, not new releases.

Like you, I'm embarrassed to say he loves the tv! And sat through "cars" yesterday.

Edit- he also does well at toddler story times. Generally he is better behaved OUT than he is at home. I guess that's a good thing?

CheesyPeas

I don't think my DS is ready for it yet.  We have a projector and screen in our basement, and he has sat for a while watching a movie but it's usually only about 20 minutes and he's done.  Heck, he won't even watch a half hour of Daniel Tiger or Super Why after he makes an explicit request to watch it.  So yeah, I'm about 98% confident that a trip to a movie theater would be a giant waste of money for us. 

Oh, and we just recently started giving popcorn to our 2 year old.  It's definitely one of the biggest no-no foods out there but I make sure there are no unpopped or partially popped kernels in what he eats.  When I can, I try to break off the hulls before I give him a popped piece too but this is becoming increasingly difficult with a demanding toddler.  I think pediatricians recommend waiting until the age of 4.  With the frequency that my DH makes popcorn though, that would mean a whole lot of melt-downs in the next 2 years.

lcloffredo

Some theaters have movies that you can bring babies to. Don't know what kind of movies there are because there is not one around me but it's worth looking into.

Jen071407

We love going to movies! But mine are a little older now, DD2 is 3, but did well at 2.5 if you don't mind getting up 2-3 times for potty breaks

LuckyJuJu

Ok I took my dd1 to alien resurrection when she was like 6 weeks old. She slept deepily through the whole thing she was swaddled with ear covers and didn't make a peep!!

After that her next movie was around 2. She was fussing and they asked us to move in the back. Then someone complained she was still making noise and they asked us to leave. She wasn't screaming or throwing fits. Mostly that sniffly whiny mama every 10 minutes or so. She didn't go back until after she was 3.

CeCe8579

I took DD when she was two but it was during the day and the place had a small theater for kids movies so it was okay.