Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I live in a small town. When I go to concerts, there are always people with little children as if there is no such thing as babysitters. Kids are getting bored by symphony, they cry, or ask questions, or unwrap their snacks (usually during pizzicatos) while they parents "enjoy music" and sometimes try to explain to these small children what is going on and why they should be quiet (in a loud whisper). Often, kids disagree (they don't bother to whisper). Sometimes, they simply want to be nursed because they are just couple months old.
I almost stopped going to concerts there.
In Benaroya Hall, in Seattle, I saw a sign that kids under 8 are not allowed. It's such a pleasure to know that all people who are present chose to go there, not have been brought there by parents.
Two questions:
- Do people in big cities tend to drag their small children everywhere even if kids will not be interested and will interfere with performance? Do you, lucky metro folks, have signs prohibiting kids to enter the concert halls before certain age?
- Why, oh why people do not understand that others go to concerts to listen to the music, not to someone's brats' cries?
People DO understand... and your mention of Seattle is evidence of that. The Pittsburgh Symphony and Heinz Hall also have age restrictions.... and I am sure there are many, many others.
Instead of making broad generalizations, you should be asking...
Why does MY little theater allow small children?
And only THEY know the answer to that! Why not talk to someone in the front office about it?
- Do people in big cities tend to drag their small children everywhere even if kids will not be interested and will interfere with performance?
In general, no. Logic would support the idea of: the smaller the town means fewer singles/adults without small kids (and more families) coupled with few opportunities for concerts like you mentioned because said town is small, means kids are more likely to be present, more often.
If concerts and other cultured arts (where children usually are not a primary audience) are a priority for you, consider moving.
If a child is being generally disruptive during a performance, you should simply go find an usher who can go to the parent(s) and ask that they remove themselves until the child quietens down.
That is what I would do.
I started taking my son to symphony concerts and the ballet at age four. He never made a peep because he loved it. I also made sure that these events were at an hour that meant he was not going to be tired/hungry (so that usually meant a matinee). But there were occasions we went to an evening performance and stayed only part way through b/c I knew he needed to get to bed. Not everyone is willing to pay for a ticket and then leave b/f the concert is over.
It seems a shame to limit admittance across the board b/c some folks allow their children to interfere with the audience's enjoyment. However, I can surely see why organizations do it.
I would expect parents to remove themselves and their children if a child is being distracting.
I've lived primarily in big metro areas, but I did go to college in a relatively small town, and my husband's extended family mostly lives in a small town as well, so I feel sorta-semi-kinda-qualified to answer this question.
To answer your question -- People in bigger cities are generally less likely to bring their kids to these events, but it does happen. In bigger cities, it's not unheard of to have "kid friendly matinee" orchestra concerts/musicals/plays. This lets the kid get exposed to these things (which I think we'll all agree is important) but can also help alleviate the presence of young children at the other shows.
In smaller towns/cities, there does seem to be more of an emphasis on the whole family going to a concert/cultural event -- perhaps because the opportunities to do so are fewer and far between, or perhaps it is due to a different mentality in smaller towns. I can't really speak to that, but I have observed more kids at more events in small towns.
As I said above, I think it's incredibly important that kids get exposed to cultural events at a young age, but I think there's a time and place to do it without being disruptive to others. I have no objection to kids at these events, but I have every objection to parents who will not remove a misbehaving child. It's not my problem that little Tommy is tired, or hungry, or scared by the loud music -- it is the parent's problem, and I understand the parent paid good money for the tickets, but so did I.
My Mom took me to a lot of cultural events as a kid (but left me at home for a lot of them too), and she always has told me that there were things that they had to leave early because I was hungry/tired/cranky...and while it hurt to feel like they were "wasting" money, she wasn't going to inflict my crying/whining on other people.
A couple suggestions:
If you're going to matinee shows, consider going at night. It's not unheard of for parents to bring their baby/toddler to an 8pm show, but your chances of it happening in large numbers are slimmer.
Spring for the closest tickets you can afford -- now, this won't really prevent you from hearing things like a child crying, but it should somewhat dull the sounds of immediate noise -- snacks opening, loud whisper/talking from parent to child. In my observations and in talking to my friends, parents of small children don't usually purchase the more expensive seats unless it's a more child-friendly show.
..I have every objection to parents who will not remove a misbehaving child. It's not my problem that little Tommy is tired, or hungry, or scared by the loud music -- it is the parent's problem, and I understand the parent paid good money for the tickets, but so did I.
My Mom took me to a lot of cultural events as a kid (but left me at home for a lot of them too), and she always has told me that there were things that they had to leave early because I was hungry/tired/cranky...and while it hurt to feel like they were "wasting" money, she wasn't going to inflict my crying/whining on other people.
Yes!
I sometimes see tons of empty places after the first act of a ballet in big cities, and during the intermission I see many people leaving with well-dressed kids 4 to 8 (usually).
If we have a performance or a concert, it's usually performed/played just once (excluding local amateur performances). So people with kids have only one chance to visit the event, and I understand their desire not to get completely cut out of all cultural events. But I can't go and seek an usher in the middle of, say, Devil's Thrill! It will be even more disruptive. Besides, it's usually not malignantly disruptive behavior, it's just people come to listen to the music, not to kids' conversations with their parents. It is important to be able to concentrate during symphony concerts, it is important to hear every note! Why people put their own convenience (or, rather, desire to save 20 bucks on a babysitter) ahead of interests of so many people around?
My pet peeve at the Symphony one season was a nearby patron on an oxygen concentrator. whhosh - pause - whoosh - pause - whoosh. all night long. ushers couldn't do anything - disability access. ruined that season for me.
Dude, i was just about to start a thread about this. Im actually eating right now and this lady's kid just keep crying. He will not shutup. I had a hard week amd i dont feel like listening to this. I mean, am i asking too much for parents to discipline their children?
Dude, i was just about to start a thread about this. Im actually eating right now and this lady's kid just keep crying. He will not shutup. I had a hard week amd i dont feel like listening to this. I mean, am i asking too much for parents to discipline their children?
that sucks, I hurried up and ate my food as quick as I could, and it didn't help that the wait staff was not good either. I probably won't be going back to that place again!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
