Janepie33 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Just got back from seeing 'The Wizard of Oz' at the London Palladium with my sister and DD. The show was excellent and thoroughly enjoyed by all. It was rather spoilt however by a couple of VERY young children around us who spoke - at normal volume - throughout the ENTIRE performance!! My natural inclination was to turn round and look when the children's volume was rather loud through the quietest bits of dialogue. The main culprit was a small girl of no more than 3 years old sitting 2 rows behind us. As we got up during the interval I noticed a boy of around 5 years sitting just behind me and mentally noted how well he'd been behaving as I hadn't even noticed him during the performance. During the second half, I turned again to the noise of a child talking and a woman directly behind me thrust her head next to mine and in an angry stage whisper announced "It's a kid's show, they are going to talk so stop turning round!!!" I was quite alarmed, especially as she appeared, ironically, to be the mother of the well behaved boy who was now asking incessantly when the show would be finishing. Just before the end, she actually took him out of the theatre. It must have been far too confusing for the little lad and way past his bed time! Just a bit cross that an expensive night out was marred by misguided mothers. I have to add that I have been taking my (now 19 and 20 year old ) children to the theatre for many years and they certainly did NOT talk throughout the performances. I taught them to consider others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Sadly such people are everywhere these days... I've seen similar and it's worrying for the future of Britain. Were we the only ones who had parents that made us be quiet in such circumstances? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I've only had this happen once and it was whilst seeing The Railway Children. The child sitting behind me constantly kicked the back of my seat and talked the whole way through the first half. I turned round a couple of times but the mother did nothing and the kicking carried on then I did have to ask her to stop him from kicking the seat. There were empty seats around and she sat further away in the second half. I understand it is hard sometimes with young children but you do have to make them aware that they shouldn't be talking. We've also taken our kid to the theater from young although usually only pantomimes or Postman Pat type shows until we were sure that they would be quiet. In fact my YS gets really annoyed if he hears anyone talking through shows or films. I know people want to see shows with their children but they should respect the fact that it is an expensive night out and that not everyone appreciates a running commentary through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 totally agree with you both! if mine had misbehaved like that they'd have been straight outside, no questions asked, but I never had to, because I drilled into them the facts that sitting quietly and not annoying others are the basics of good behaviour in a cinema or theatre. and besides how can they enjoy the performance if they are talking all the way through it? and dont start me on people who rustle popcorn/sweet wrappers. why do people have to EAT all the time?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Don't get me started on behaviour in restaurants....................... Running around, hiding under tables, screaming and shouting My daughter was taken to restaurants, predominantly our favourite family Italian where they were wonderful, from an early age. I remember my sister joining me one day with her two boys then 6 and 7 perhaps and they scrambled about under the table.......My sister was even passing food down to them. We had quite a punch-up about it I remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I hate inconsiderate people at the theatre especially, but the cinema as well, and that includes the parents of children who are just not ready to sit through a whole show. Theatre is not cheap - why waste money paying for children to go if they are unlikely to sit through it? If they are talking/kicking/eating etc they are getting nothing from the experience. Get a babysitter and just the parents go if they want to see something. (NB - I don't include parents who are trying to control their offspring, and said offspring are just having a bad day - thats life! Just the ones that think mucking about and ruining other peoples enjoyment is fine...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janepie33 Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 Glad it's not just me! I have been working with children for over 25 years and I have observed the gradual decline in children's behaviour over the years due mainly, I would say to - not bad, but ineffectual parenting. The words 'NO' and 'STOP' seem to have disappeared from some households! Sadly such people are everywhere these days... I've seen similar and it's worrying for the future of Britain. Indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I agree - our recent viewing of the new Harry Potter was almost spoiled by yabbering children,kicking chairs & running up & down the aisle. It was obvious they were too young for the movie & bored. Restaurants too. I remember going to quite a nice place (Pizza Express I think) with a friend & her two who were the same age as mine. Mine sat & ate. One of hers stood...yes STOOD on the table & ate To their credit,my children were horrified by this other childs behaviour. Can I just add that mine are were angels,& I am well aware of their shortcomings as both children & now young adults. But we made a point of taking them out to eat on an almost weekly basis from day 1, & we taught them the correct way to behave in company. I suspect a lot of parents are either too lazy or too self absorbed to do this,or to even care about the effect their spawn have on the people around them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I remember taking Little Miss Webmuppet to the ballet at the Royal Opera House ( we went to see the Nutcracker) a few years ago and thinking is this such a good idea etc ..............................she sat perfectly still for the whole performance and never uttered a sound..........totally engrossed. We were lucky enough to go to a pre-performance talk as well and she was totally spellbound (anyone who knows LMW will know this was just short of a miracle). Some parents though just don't seem to bother to discipline their children. Whatever happened to sitting still at the table. We have been taking LMW to restaurants since she was tiny and she soon learnt that good behaviour was expected of her ....................and charmed a lot of waiters and waitresses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I recently went to see transformers 3 - a 12A so young boys were to be expected - what I did not expect was 7 children ranging between 3 and 9 to waltz in and take up almost the entire front row (small local cinema). Now this would be fine, normally, but anyone who knew anything about this film would know it's pushing 3 hours long and MOST of those children would probably not be able to sit through it without getting bored and fidgetty. About two thirds of the way through the film (as to be expected), the youngest of the group started running around in front of the screen, popcorn boxes and clothing were thrown from one end of the row to another and they too were talking at normal volume, the youngest child was even shouting - I know this because the soundsystem in the cinema was VERY loud and impressive, and I could hear him over it, despite being a good 10 rows back. He also began standing up in his seat. I was so annoyed, I couldn't understand why children so young had been let into the cinema without an adult to see a 12A, and then at the end of the film I saw a man and a woman lead the children out (quick sharp!) - and was appalled at how little discipline they had over their children that their presence hadn't even been known! No doubt they left quickly to avoid being reprimanded by staff at the behest of an entire cinema of annoyed theatre goers - I also got a child in front of me who kept stretching his arms up in the air and then putting them behind his head, completely blocking my view. Grrr. I'm 22, so if I'm already having grumpy old woman moments - there is no hope for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 What a shame for you, it really spoils your own enjoyment I went to see Dirty Dancing for a friend's hen night. I could hear talking and cackling most of the way through it, the 'women' in question (also on a hen night) were quite a way from me but were sat directly behind one of my friends, I thought they were loud, goodness knows how she put up with them. I would agree that if you go to the cinema to see a kids cartoon you would accept that their are going to be noisy children there. I think the theatre is very different though and I certainly wouldn't have said that all of the many fans of the Wizard of Oz are children Silly woman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 My friends and I regularly rant about children's behaviour these days. I think it has to do with modern thinking that children should be allowed to behave anyway they chose to. In nursery and early school a lot of the teaching is child led with them selecting what they want to do and lessons planned round that and I think this is happening within the home too with children being the boss! In my day it was almost 'children should be seen but not heard' and we had to respect adults and if we were told off by an adult we were ashamed. Now children are allowed by parents to barge in front of you in supermarkets etc without any apology. (Mine would definitely have had to apologise!) I have witnessed mums chatting while children rampage round shops, swinging on changing room curtains etc. There have to be some rules in life and thought for others! Sorry for the rant...I am not really a ancient dragon...I have 3 children, with one still at school...but they were taught manners. I did take them to shows when the were little but they were children's ones until they were about to sit without chatting all the way through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 We also get badly behaved children at work. One incident stands out. We have these green tokens that you can post into aone of 3 charity boxes - the charities then all get a share of £1000,split up as to which charity has the most tokens in their pot. we give one token per transaction (people always try to take handfuls of the things,if they support a particular charity,but thats a different rant ) Anyhow,this child takes a handful & I say sorry,but you may only have one token. His Mum says to me 'But that's terrible,now he will have to decide which charity to give it to,& I don't want him to have to make a decision' Heaven forbid the child ever has to make a decision in his life!!! Add this sort of thing to children screaming because they want sweets,children roller skating/running in the aisles & ,my pet hate,children riding in the main part of the trolley because they don't want to walk,& you can imagine that I often come home with a pounding head! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 We also get badly behaved children at work. One incident stands out. We have these green tokens that you can post into aone of 3 charity boxes - the charities then all get a share of £1000,split up as to which charity has the most tokens in their pot. we give one token per transaction (people always try to take handfuls of the things,if they support a particular charity,but thats a different rant ) Anyhow,this child takes a handful & I say sorry,but you may only have one token. His Mum says to me 'But that's terrible,now he will have to decide which charity to give it to,& I don't want him to have to make a decision' Heaven forbid the child ever has to make a decision in his life!!! Add this sort of thing to children screaming because they want sweets,children roller skating/running in the aisles & ,my pet hate,children riding in the main part of the trolley because they don't want to walk,& you can imagine that I often come home with a pounding head! People walk round my local supermarket in their pyjamas with their children barefoot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 my pet hate,children riding in the main part of the trolley because they don't want to walk I also HATE this with a passion... it's unhygienic for a start! I have also seen many a toddler running up and down in a trolley rather than safely in the child seat, and see several manage to tip themselves out and fall. My Mum once saw an air ambulance carry away a child in a French supermarket who had done this and landed head first on the hard floor. I have a few times tried to speak to parents of little ones allowed to stand in the main part of the trolley, to warn them - but I've given up, I either got filthy 'how dare you tell me what to do' looks, or they looked at me as if I was mad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Who was it on here that once pretended she was a witch? I thought that was brilliant! She was on a plane where some child was kicking the back of her seat. She had a frog keyring & stood up to talk to the child behind. She'd heard the mother address the child by it's name...so said " Jonathan, I am a witch & this is what I did to the last little boy who kicked my seat". She showed him the frog keyring. The little boy was silent the rest of the flight & I think the mother thanked her. I always think of this story it really tickled me. When we were little, we could be taken anywhere & literally not move or speak! Such angels! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 mine are certainly not angels either, but all the things we are talking about here are just basic good manners arent they. my oldest was a demon toddler, her terrible twos lasted a veeeeerrrrrryyy looooooooooooong time, and I can remember her having a major tantrum about being strapped in the supermarket trolley seat once. I couldnt stop her screaming, but I could certainly make her stay in that seat - and every old biddy in the place said things like "ah, poor little thing, why dont you let her walk?" erm, because I didnt want her charging about, throwing herself in front of other people's trolleys, etc etc etc. so sometimes you cant win either way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 totally agree with you both! if mine had misbehaved like that they'd have been straight outside, no questions asked, but I never had to, because I drilled into them the facts that sitting quietly and not annoying others are the basics of good behaviour in a cinema or theatre. and besides how can they enjoy the performance if they are talking all the way through it?and dont start me on people who rustle popcorn/sweet wrappers. why do people have to EAT all the time?? and Don't get me started on behaviour in restaurants.......................Running around, hiding under tables, screaming and shouting My daughter was taken to restaurants, predominantly our favourite family Italian where they were wonderful, from an early age. I remember my sister joining me one day with her two boys then 6 and 7 perhaps and they scrambled about under the table.......My sister was even passing food down to them. We had quite a punch-up about it I remember. Me three My sister also has two badly behaved children, and she refuses to be responsible for their behaviour, so on the odd occasion when we have a family gathering, I end up taking them out if they mis-behave. I wouldn't mind but they are 12 and 8, so ought to be able to go anywhere and be depended upon to behave appropriately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Dont get me started on seats - as you know I,m in spain and on the way over on the plane I reclined the seat only to have it violently pushed forward by the silly moo behind who said" you´ve trapped my arm" quite what her arm was doing there I dont know. I went to loo and came back and reclined it again and thought if she says a word I getting the steward. I said nothing when she yanked the top of the seat back violently several times. Honestly some folk - tuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'm not being funny but I HATE it when people recline the seats on an aeroplane, as if the legroom wasn't cramped enough. I wouldn't yank the seat though, I'd just tell them to stop doing it, please. I like being able to use my tray to eat from, put my drink on, put my things on, anything, the space on a plane is limited, and someone in front of me reclining is them taking up not only their space, but my space too. I don't know WHY aeroplanes even have a recline function on their seating, it's absolutely pointless and just annoys everyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'm afraid that I'm inclined (pun not intended) to agree, we went away recently with my folks and the seats were so packed in that even I (a trim size 10) found it cramped, when the woman in front of me reclined her seat I couldn't actually get out of my seat. In those circumstances I think it would be politic either to not recline the seat, or to ask first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I just don't see who can afford to take their children to places only for them to run around causing mayhem, we have only ever taken ours to places that they want to go to on the strict understanding that they act in an appropriate way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I just don't see who can afford to take their children to places only for them to run around causing mayhem, we have only ever taken ours to places that they want to go to on the strict understanding that they act in an appropriate way. Too right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'm not being funny but I HATE it when people recline the seats on an aeroplane, as if the legroom wasn't cramped enough. I have one of those gizmos that prevent the seat in front being pushed back. BIG GRIN I've never been found out...EVEN BIGGER GRIN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 'But that's terrible,now he will have to decide which charity to give it to,& I don't want him to have to make a decision' Heaven forbid the child ever has to make a decision in his life!!! My grandson's sports day has prizes for all so that the children do not have to cope with not winning. Heaven's sake...shouldn't all this be a rehearsal for real life. Shouldn't children be taught to cope with losing as well as winning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
