Booster seats for Kennedy Center?

[Anonymous]

Respectfully, I didn't imply anything. People jumped to conclusions all by themselves and I didn't bother to correct them. Someone posted that they sure hoped I was going to a matinee. I asked on what basis that should make any difference? Because in my mind, it shouldn't make any difference. Either the kids are well-behaved or they aren't. Evening patrons have no more rights to an uninterrupted performance than the daytime ones. The ticket costs are the same.

[Anonymous]

Evil Child Hating Matinee poster here...Don't you think that most children would be better behaved at a daytime performance than one that starts at their bedtime? My kid does great at matinee's but I wouldn't bring him to an evening performance or one that will probably scare the shit out of him. Just seems like common sense to me.

[Anonymous]

OP doesn't have any common sense so I don't know why you would expect that of her now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Respectfully, I didn't imply anything. People jumped to conclusions all by themselves and I didn't bother to correct them. Someone posted that they sure hoped I was going to a matinee. I asked on what basis that should make any difference? Because in my mind, it shouldn't make any difference. Either the kids are well-behaved or they aren't. Evening patrons have no more rights to an uninterrupted performance than the daytime ones. The ticket costs are the same.

It does make a difference. Evening performances are not for children. If I were to sit next to a child in the evening, I would be annoyed because I'm having a night away from my kids and I don't want to be around children (even if they were well behaved).

I'm done with this post. Bring your booster seats to your matinee. Thanks for the time waster.

[Anonymous]

OP, I hope your entire family enjoys the show. I plan to bring my children (8.5 and almost 7) to see Wicked and Les Miserables when it comes in the fall. My children have enjoyed plays and musicals in the past. I make sure they are familiar with the music, watch the performances on tv or you tube, and understand the storyline prior to the performance. They sit beautifully through the performances, both matinee and evening.

For some of the other posters, are you saying that you and other adults at these performances never utter a word during the show, never shift in your seats, never leave to use the restroom except during intermission, never sneak gum or a mint (I hear the rustling), never forget to turn off your devices, never take out your phones to check an email, shoot off a quick text, never make a comment to others during the show or whisper a question, never accidentally kick the seat in front of you, never fall asleep... I can go on and on. If you can forgive other adults (and yourselves) for these "interruptions," there is no reason to be malicious towards a child who may do the same. Hopefully parents will know if their child is able to sit through these performances and will plan accordingly, but some of these reactions to the mere mention of a child is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Respectfully, I didn't imply anything. People jumped to conclusions all by themselves and I didn't bother to correct them. Someone posted that they sure hoped I was going to a matinee. I asked on what basis that should make any difference? Because in my mind, it shouldn't make any difference. Either the kids are well-behaved or they aren't. Evening patrons have no more rights to an uninterrupted performance than the daytime ones. The ticket costs are the same.

It does make a difference. Evening performances are not for children. If I were to sit next to a child in the evening, I would be annoyed because I'm having a night away from my kids and I don't want to be around children (even if they were well behaved).

I'm done with this post. Bring your booster seats to your matinee. Thanks for the time waster.

What do you have against children that you cannot possibly be in their well-behaved presence? Why did you even have kids if you cant stand to be around them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I hope your entire family enjoys the show. I plan to bring my children (8.5 and almost 7) to see Wicked and Les Miserables when it comes in the fall. My children have enjoyed plays and musicals in the past. I make sure they are familiar with the music, watch the performances on tv or you tube, and understand the storyline prior to the performance. They sit beautifully through the performances, both matinee and evening.

OP's kids are 5 and 6. Different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I hope your entire family enjoys the show. I plan to bring my children (8.5 and almost 7) to see Wicked and Les Miserables when it comes in the fall. My children have enjoyed plays and musicals in the past. I make sure they are familiar with the music, watch the performances on tv or you tube, and understand the storyline prior to the performance. They sit beautifully through the performances, both matinee and evening.

OP's kids are 5 and 6. Different.

No difference if the OP knows her kids can behave. My kids were going to the theater at that age. Age alone is not the determining factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Respectfully, I didn't imply anything. People jumped to conclusions all by themselves and I didn't bother to correct them. Someone posted that they sure hoped I was going to a matinee. I asked on what basis that should make any difference? Because in my mind, it shouldn't make any difference. Either the kids are well-behaved or they aren't. Evening patrons have no more rights to an uninterrupted performance than the daytime ones. The ticket costs are the same.

It does make a difference. Evening performances are not for children. If I were to sit next to a child in the evening, I would be annoyed because I'm having a night away from my kids and I don't want to be around children (even if they were well behaved).

I'm done with this post. Bring your booster seats to your matinee. Thanks for the time waster.

If the mere presence of a child is enough to set you off during your adult night out, then your issue is with the KC, not with the OP. Good luck trying to get them to restrict children from all their evening performances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Uh, thanks for the link, but a lot of the "family" shows are pretty lame, and he seems to prefer the big productions. So... is the concern really that my children are going to be exposed to something that is too mature for them? Don't I (as their mother) get to make that decision? Presumably, disruptive children could be equally disruptive whether its "Mary Poppins", or "Wicked"... right? Don't patrons watching Mary Poppins have just as much right to watch the show undisturbed as patrons watching Wicked?

What is it that you think is so inappropriate for young children? Have all of you NEVER seen a well-behaved child in a theatre? Seriously. I've seen my share of kids (of all ages) who didn't belong anywhere near a theatre. But is it really so hard to fathom that there are some who can manage? I realize that a young 5 year old sitting through a long performance might be a rarity... but is it really THAT unusual? (And no, my five year old is not perfect. In many situations, he acts like a "typical" five year old. But never in a theatre. I've never seen a kid sit so still.)

(and the references to the snacks crack me up. I must be the biggest ogre of all time... but my kids somehow routinely make it from breakfast to lunch (and then sometimes all the way to dinner) without having snacks. Amazingly, child protective services has not taken them away from me yet for malnourishment. Are you the same parents who don't think your children can play soccer for 5 minutes without a water break?)

uh, thanks for making me laugh. Yes I am sure your kid is a theatre critic already.

What's the problem with NOT taking him? Why is it so hard to wait until the kids are older?

I have never seen a child sit still through a long theatre production when the child was under the age of 7 or 8. I have gone to something at the KC and found a young child sitting playing a video game (no sound) so it did appear he was "sitting still" the whole time - but what was the poing? The kid clearly was not interested.

[Anonymous]

The issue isn't that kids that age couldn't possibly sit still, the issue is the OP's attitude, which is making many of us think that she could give 2 craps whether she or her kids are being a nuisance or not. In fact, her utter lack of any sort of concern about ANYONE other than herself or her precious snowflakes makes me think that perhaps her children are nowhere near as well-behaved as she believes them to be.

Also, many posters have said they've seen Wicked and it is not appropriate for a 5 year old, and yet the OP is clearly discounting what those people say. If you don't agree with her, then you're wrong. OP is a self-centered douche, and I feel bad for her kids, growing up thinking this is how people are supposed to act.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to clarify, I happen to be taking them to a matinee... WITH my husband and a couple of other family members.

Well, when you said, "They can't (both) sit in my lap the entire time," that certainly made it sound like there was no other available adult lap.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I smell a troll, even though she claims she's not.

[Anonymous]

I think a 5 and 6 yr old are probably much better behaved than teenagers.

[Anonymous]

OP,

I will never understand the American aversion for seeing children in anything other than child-centered settings.
I congratulate you for having musical children interested in such productions!
Take them, with squeaky clean boosters, to your show.
Hopefully their good behavior will persuade the surrounding adults that children can also have taste and discipline.

Signed,
Mother of a opera-loving 5 year old.
(specifically Carmen - you really don't get less child-appropriate than that but he loves the music!)