Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: What Age Can Children Start Attending Movies?

This is topic What Age Can Children Start Attending Movies? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 04-29-2010, 11:48 AM:

I get a weekly e-mail from babycenter.com that follows the progress of my child's age and what to expect as far as development. This past week they had this article posted about when kids are ready to go to the movies.

Some of the users posted comments about their local theaters having "mom shows" during the week where the house lights are brighter, the sound is lower and it is kid friendly. I was just wondering if any of you work at a theater that participates in anything like this. Being the father of a two year, I can tell you it sounds like a great idea. I can't wait to take my son to experience the magic of a cinema and have him be able to sit through an entire movie. He is not ready for that quite yet but I know being able to take him without worrying about how loud he is or anything would be helpful. Just wondering how popular this is and when some of you first took your children to see a movie and how it went. Thanks.

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 04-29-2010, 12:22 PM:

Many children are old enough around age 2 or 3 to enjoy a trip to the movies, however their attention spam is rather limited at that age. Somewhere around age 6 they are old enough to sit though and enjoy a complete film.

Decades ago, some theatres had "crying rooms", small glass fronted balcony seating rooms with separate sound where mothers or families could bring very young children to the movies without spoiling the show for everyone else. I had read about this, and finally got to see them at The Senator theatre in Baltimore a few years ago. They now use those rooms for VIP screenings.

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 04-29-2010, 03:11 PM:

I have a 2-year-old daughter. We have taken her to 3 films at the theatres. In two cases it was a plex here I had worked and I know the management.

The first film when she was one was Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. It was a Wednesday Matinee and there were 7 people in the room and most had babies with them. She made it an hour before loosing her mind. So we left the theatre and went home.

The second film was The Princess and the Frog. Again it was a weekday matinee. This time she made it all the way through, no problem.

The third time was The Princess and the Frog again with her friend. The friend didn't make it and was taken home. But Olivia made it through again. She now watches it every day on Blue Ray.

She watches Disney, Pixar and Miazaki films on video and usually sits quietly all the way through. I don't know if I am raising a smart cinema afficianto or a couch potato.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-29-2010, 05:47 PM:

quote: Joshua Waaland
I can't wait to take my son to experience the magic of a cinema and have him be able to sit through an entire movie.

If you do like Ian did and pick child-appropriate movies (IE: Short films with a lot of bright colors and/or action) then you'll do fine.

What really gets me irritated is people who bring little kids to movies that aren't MEANT for little kids. The little one fidgeting about and asking a million questions may not bother the parents because they're used to it, but it definitely drives the non-kid-toting other audience members nuts.

Another tip: Cultivate a "movie voice" (AKA a whisper) in your child, to go along with the "outdoor voice" and the "indoor voice."

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 04-30-2010, 12:39 PM:

quote: Joshua Waaland
theaters having "mom shows" during the week where the house lights are brighter, the sound is lower and it is kid friendly. I was just wondering if any of you work at a theater that participates in anything like this.

Yeah, I've actually worked with two different chains that did that (at the same location though, oddly enough). With one chain it was one title, one show (I think a Tuesday matinee) that was advertised specifically as such, for the other chain it's all titles for the first show on Tuesday. For both it's more geared to the parents of infants than the parents of toddlers (though of course all are welcome) and all patrons are informed before they buy their tickets so there won't be any surprise about the sound being too low or the lights being too bright ... or somebody walking around the auditorium with an infant. We seemed* to do better "mommy" business back when it was a specific one-off show advertised as such than we do with all first shows on Tuesday.

* I'm not the regular Tuesday opener, and don't have any hard data to back it up... this is just what I've noticed over the five or so years I've been at this location.

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 04-30-2010, 08:44 PM:

We do the Tuesday morning mother and baby shows. The sound is lower and the house lights are halfway up during the feature. The screenings are usually recent releases. We do reasonably well on them but maybe it's more about providing the option I guess.

Kids under four shouldn't be in a cinema unless it's a kids film. I think it's actually irresponsible to have infants in a normal show, the experience can't be fun for them.

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 05-01-2010, 02:10 AM:

Well not sure if this is an answer but I am sure that there will be several newborns in attendence for late screening of "Nightmare on Elm Street" this weekend. Happens all the time...

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 05-01-2010, 06:54 PM:

Both my step children did really well as toddlers in short, animated features, but my step son was better at enjoying films such as Spiderman and Scooby Doo than his little sister.

Neither of my biological children are as good as their half-siblings. Although my wife has taken them to see a few films such as Disney's Up, we had to leave during the first scene of Shrek II. Everybody in the family agreed Where the Wild Things Are was absolutely terrible so we all just walked out.

Strangely enough, my biological children actually want to come to work with me to help maintenance the equipment more so than watch movies.

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 05-02-2010, 11:20 AM:

Thanks for all of your comments. My wife and I don't get to the cinema much unless we drive 45 minutes south to Canton and leave our son with her parents. Then we end up having to spend the night, since he is already asleep, and it becomes a two day thing just to see a movie. Hoping to get to a point soon where we can take him with us to a short kids film at least.

Hey Aaron, I was just in New Castle on Friday to see a customer for work. What theater do you work at there? It was a short drive from Cleveland.

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 05-03-2010, 07:52 PM:

We do Parent and baby show on a tuesday morning. (one showing of something recent that is advertised as such). I don't think we do great business but were are open any way since at the same time in another auditorim we are doing a senior citizen show (which does good business for us).