If I were in the situation, I'd just tell them that my husband can't sit through a movie. It's completely true. He has no interest in going to the movies and only rarely will watch one at home. It cuts into his smoking cigars and reading the Economist time. Seriously, we would never accept an invite like that because it would bore my husband to tears.

Anonymous wrote:They're swingers. That's how it starts.

I'm with you OP. it just doesn't sound like fun. Maybe it's because I am not that into movies, but I don't really consider watching a movie as a great way to socialize, especially with people that you are only getting to know. And I would NEVER pay a sitter so I could go to someone else's house to watch a movie, no way.

Swingers again...

Watching a movie in a basement can mean a million different things. It could be an old TV standing on a rickety crate while you sit on a musty couch surrounded by cobwebs. Or they could have a state-of-the-art home theater they have the basement for lighting reasons. This latter thing is fairly common around here. Then there's the middle ground of a normal finished basement with a TV room there, no big deal.

So that part doesn't bother me. Having said that, esp. if you don't know them well already, I dont' get why watching a movie together is very fun. You can do that on your own, it's not really socializing time, and it's not fun trying to watch something "adult" while your 5 year old is there. I wouldn't be very interested.

I'm guessing they're clueless or weird and they think their invitation is the next-best-thing to going out to the movies for parents of 1 year olds. Or they're swingers.

I wish I had a neighbor who would invite us over for movies. It sounds fun. Not sure I understand what difference it makes whether it is in the basement or not. Some people don't have room for a big TV on their main floor. If the issue is that you don't know what to do with your child, that makes sense, and you just need to explain it. But I don't see why the "basement" should have anything to do with this.

Anonymous wrote:Can you say you need to ask your parents first? That will be more difficult for them to monitor, plus, you can use it every time!

I like this one, OP!

LOL!! We usually put a movie on for the KIDS in the basement while the adults stay upstairs drink wine and eat good food. "Don't come up unless someone is bleeding!"

Anonymous wrote:Do you think maybe it's you OP? Do you think it's normal that you can't figure out what to do with your kid so you can hang out with other adults at night?

What if she does not want to hangout with them except as families? Hiring a baby sitter so you can go to your neighbor's basement is absurd.

I had a similar request OP, and I told them that it's really hard for me to sit through a whole movie because I have such a short attention span (true). Now we just do an occasional brunch or cook out.

They have a one year old, so they don't know what it's like to have an active 5 year old. Different places in life. Move on.

They just want to socialize in a laid-back way! If that is wrong, I am never going to keep any friends when I have kids. You can bring your kid with you and he can conk out on the floor.

That was a good joke!

Anonymous wrote:They're swingers. That's how it starts.

Oh please.

Anonymous wrote:They're swingers. That's how it starts.

My first reaction was that...but there are kids involved.