Maybe it’s my age—aren’t old people supposed to be grumpy?—or maybe it’s the economy. Maybe both. But whatever the reason, it seems to me there are a lot more people bringing babies and toddlers to places they shouldn’t be.
(And, just to nip some of the outrage I know is coming in the bud: I have missed many movies when my son was little because I couldn’t find or afford a sitter and wouldn’t insert him into a situation that was adults-only.)
Does a two-year old who is terrified of the noise and violence of Crank or The Haunting In Connecticut need to see it just because his parents want to?
Do people who pay a hefty sum for a concert or play have the right to hear what they paid for without the treble notes of a little voice floating through the auditorium? (“What’s happening, Mommy? Why’s that man on top of the lady?” Oh boy.)
Do let’s be clear: I’ve sat through plenty of movies where there are lots of loud little voices oohing and aahing at Monsters, Inc, Shrek and myriad “instant” Disney classics. That’s how it should be, and it’s part of the delight of the experience.
I’m not so delighted when I’m trying to follow the plot line of, say, Slumdog Millionaire and the person two rows ahead of me refuses to walk her cranky baby out into the lobby because she doesn’t want to miss anything. (Some movie theaters have begun to offer Bring the Baby hours during the week, to encourage baby-toting parents to see a film without having to leave their tiny children home.)
Yes, babysitters are expensive, and the cost of one has to be factored into an adult evening out. If that’s too much, some of us have traded off with friends over the years, so that our child has gone to their house for the evening while we have a child-free dinner and movie, and we’ve returned the favor. If grandma or auntie lives close by (and the privilege isn’t abused), there’s another possibility.
But please, if the movie is rated R or NC-17 for violence and/or sex, even if it’s PG-13 for simulated violence, do leave the children home—or take them to a movie or a restaurant that’s age-appropriate. And when it’s time to go see The Frog Princess, your little darling can point, exclaim, and step over me on her way to the bathroom ten times if she wants, and you won’t hear nary a peep from me. Promise.
Karen Grigsby Bates is a Los Angeles-based correspondent for NPR News and co-author, with Karen Elyse Hudson, of The New Basic Black: Home Training For Modern Times (Doubleday).
is a Los Angeles-based correspondent for NPR News and co-author, with Karen Elyse Hudson, of The New Basic Black: Home Training For Modern Times (Doubleday).