... The right time to take your kids to movies.
Experience with my son: My 4-year old boy .. I should say is adjusted to a theater/auditorium and the fact it goes dark as soon as the movie/event begins. He can stay put till the end .. happy and quiet. He was like this since he was 3 and half years. Initially, we only experimented with events like Circus, magic shows, puppet shows etc...which lasted an hour or less. His reaction to them was fun, nice and happy. Once we realized that , we were motivated to take him to Movies. Till now its all good!
Experience with my daughter : She went to a Circus when she was around 18 months old. But let me tell you... the experience was not very pleasant. The show started off with huge music and it got her attention. But it was not before long she started getting restless and was either kicking the seats in the front or trying to break-free. The worst thing was .. she didn't have a seat of her own and that made her restless. Of course I don't think she would have sat anyway. We usually keep lot of snacks handy.. and we had to keep her mouth busy. Now that she is a little over 2 yrs..that trick sometimes works. But for younger kids.. its better for the parents to be prepared to take chances .. to get up and take them out or stand near the door.
The best age : Personally, I would say 2-n-half to 3 yrs or older would be a perfect time to start.
Tips for Parents:
1. Stick to animated movies or cartoons for starters. If they have some favorite thing on TV, observe how long can they stay focused.
2. Start with small shows. May be a 15-30 minute lasting puppet shows, magic shows etc. Its important to get them get used to a dark auditorium or theater.
3. Prepare him/her up with what to expect .. a few hours/days before the show. That way they are looking forward to it and is enthusiastic. Its important to talk to the child and prepare him to what to expect. May be show a few trailers of the movie OR if anything that is close to the show theme you are planning to take him to. There are several videos on youtube.
4. Plan ahead while choosing the show timings. My kids are in their best behavior soon after their break-fast and after a lunch+ nap + snack time in the evening. Make sure they get plenty of rest and not hungry before the show.
5. Dress them up in layers. Most of the time, auditoriums/theaters especially become chilly once the show starts. If its a outdoor location .. come prepared with hats /sun glasses etc.
6. Once inside the theater, change the diapers or make the kids use the rest room if necessary.
7. Arrive early while the lights are still on and when it is not very crowded. Find your seat and get comfortable.
8. Always look for Center corner seats which are close to the exit.
9. Have a lot of snacks handy. Something that can be eaten easily with not a lot of mess. You personally want to enjoy the show as well and not spend time looking for snacks or trying to remove hard sticky wrappers or wipe off juicy/greasy stuff with little or no light around.
10. Best bet is having milk / juice / water in a sippy cup or bottle..whichever your kid is used to.. handy.
11. Do not offer any toys that would make noise or flash lights... it would be disturbing for everybody.
12. Have a clean wipe ready at all times.
13. Be prepared to wait till everybody leaves and then leave with the kids. Check for your belongings before u leave the place.
