question: who takes a 3 month old to a midnight movie premier?

[scheming daemons]

Even without the tragedy occurring, what is the point of bringing an infant to ANY movie, let alone a midnight premier.

At best, it will disrupt the movie for everyone else.


It is a tragedy that a 3 month old is a victim... but I am wondering what a 3 month old is doing at a freaking midnight batman movie ....

[onehandle]

1. Because of home video, people think that movie theaters are their living rooms. nt

[Scootaloo]

2. Providing internet commenters an excuse to blame the parents, of course

It's not the gun-wielding lunatic's fault. No the real evil here is those fucking assholes who brought their kid to a theater!

NOBODY UNDER THIRTY SHOULD EVER BE IN PUBLIC!

[scheming daemons]

4. Not even close

My question is why bring an infant to any movie.

At best, you will disrupt the movie for everyone sitting around you.

There is no good reason to take an infant to a midnight movie premier. None.

And it has nothing to do with the extremely small risk if tragedy occurring.

[Scootaloo]

5. Well, I'm glad you chimed in

Master of the universe has spoken folks, let's pack it in.

[scheming daemons]

6. Simply asked a question.

Your two snarky responses still haven't answered it

[rateyes]

48. spoken like someone who has probably taken an infant to a movie

without concern for the other moviegoers.

[leftynyc]

17. Could still be breastfeeding

I've seen plenty of infants at movies that you would never know were there. Slept the entire time. Infants aren't a problem...toddlers are.

[SheilaT]

24. Bingo. My oldest was ideal to take to movies

for nearly six months, because he'd usually sleep. At around six months, no longer. The younger one wasn't good to take as an infant at all. The bigger problem can be why anyone would take a young child to a PG-13 movie. When my kids were young I took the ratings seriously, and didn't take my kids to a PG-13 movie until they actually were 13. And didn't take them to R movies until age 16 or so. More than once I'd get into a conversation with another mom who'd taken her six year old to a PG-13 movie and then was complaining about how awful it was, how violent, or that the language was totally inappropriate. I'd point out that PG13 does NOT mean, Pretty Good movie, your 13 year old recommends it.

I was very well known to the other mothers my kids knew about this little issue, that if my kid was at their house, and they wanted to show a movie, they'd always call me up and ask it it was okay if they showed it. I always said yes, because number one, I'm not going to try to control what others do, and number two, my kid then got to see the forbidden fruit on occasion, which made them pretty happy.

[leftynyc]

30. You sound like a terrific parent

And I'm sure if your infant had woken up and caused a fuss, you would have gotten up and left the theatre. It's the parents of toddlers that let them run around, scream and then go crying to their indifferent parents when others take it upon themselves to try and get them to be quiet. I've just seen too many really quiet infants at the movies to get up in arms about that.

[SheilaT]

44. Yep. I got up. I clearly recall the last time I took

oldest son to a movie when he was a baby. I wound up watching most of the movie by peaking through the window of the door at the back. It was actually a crappy movie, and there were only about six other patrons there, but I wasn't going to add to the crappiness nor ruin it for the others. Heck, for them it might have been a wonderful movie.

[soccer1]

39. Because a 3 month old is probably sleeping and

and easier to take to a theater than a toddler? I wouldn't do that.....but I can understand why parents might take a child of that age to a theater.

[Voice for Peace]

52. most babies that age sleep through movies.

[Skinner]

3. Not defending it. But I will say that some newborns are extremely portable.

Sleep well, never fuss.

When our first child was an infant we would take him out to dinner with us. He would just sleep the whole time.

Those were the days.

[The Wielding Truth]

8. Yes, most infants sleep well between 3 hour feedings. It's not that odd to take an infant shopping

visiting or even to a late movie where they would be close to you. If they awake it would not be too difficult to take a walk out to the lobby or restroom.

[ret5hd]

7. Well i, for one, am glad someone is willing to tackle the big issues of the day.

[CBGLuthier]

9. ANSWER: People who expect to make it through the day without getting shot.

A conceit we may all want to abandon.

WTF is the point of complaining about poor parenting decisions in this case?

[woo me with science]

54. Best answer in the thread. nt

[Brickbat]

10. Many infants sleep right through all sorts of things. If new parents feel they can get out and

manage their baby at a movie, more power to them. I took my infants (0-6 months) many places because they were generally quiet, easygoing babies. And if they made a peep, I was out of there.

[cbdo2007]

15. And many infants wake up and scream the whole time

One of the reasons I rarely go to the movies.

[FedUpWithIt All]

26. I don't know where you go to see movies but i have never, in 39 years,

been to a movie where an infant was left to scream during the entire film. A few minutes, tops, before parents exit the theater. And this background of experience takes into account that i really enjoy going to the theater and go as often as possible.

Also, I am no more disturbed by an infant crying for two minutes, before their parents remove them, than i am by a couple of adults running loudly whispered commentary to each other for 90 minutes, or getting up and down to run for snacks, which make a ridiculous amount of noise when they are unwrapped btw, throughout.

[adigal]

71. Yeah, but I can throw popcorn at the talking adults

And I have.

Many parents let their kids scream, at least at dinner out. But the biggest question is what kind of a society are we that has mass murder after mass murder and we do nothing, nothing about it??? What the hell is wrong with us???

There have been so many mass shootings recently that I barely register them anymore. How orrible is that?

[jberryhill]

29. Not at three months

Babies change A LOT during the first year.

When they newborn to just a few months, that's a great time for the parents to get out, do things, and yes, take the baby along.

[cbdo2007]

47. depends on the baby....our 4 month old cries all the time, especially in public.

There's no way we coudl take her to a movie in a million years.

We did go to a movie recently with my brother-in-law and his wife and their 3 month old. True, the baby only woke up and cried 2 times during the movie, so sis-in-law had to spend 2 minutes getting baby out of car seat and running him outside each time, and would come back 10 minutes later, to have it happen again. They should have left him at the grandparents like we did.

There is plenty of time in our lives to go out and do fun stuff, but people need to be respectful of other people. Both people with kids and people who talk on the phone and people who are chatty the whole time.

[yardwork]

58. I think you're probably thinking of older babies. Three month olds are usually pretty quiet.

Unless they're colicky, and then all bets are off. And nobody would tolerate a colicky baby in a movie theater. It wouldn't happen.

I think you're probably thinking of older babies and toddlers, who can be very disruptive.

[patrice]

11. Some parents need to get out & can't get child-care. Some babies aren't a nuisance to anyone.

[theaocp]

31. Really? "Need to get out"?

It's a midnight showing. Put a couple thoughts behind it.

[Fawke Em]

33. Right... a NIGHTTIME showing...

You know... that time when most humans, including well-fed infants, naturally sleep.

[theaocp]

41. Fine, then treat your child's crib as a crib.

Not the movie theater. Someone decided to be a parent; they should act like it. Bed, made, lie.

[etherealtruth]

73. Wow, your post is incredibly offensive

"Someone decided to be a parent; they should act like it. Bed, made, lie."

Though I wish tragedy upon no one... if horrific tragedy ever befalls you I do hope that you are met with far more compassion, grace and humanity than you have displayed here.

[theaocp]

87. Nice inference.

I don't think of becoming a parent as a "tragedy," but I have massive contempt for those who like to put their own desires above those of their dependents. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have sick animals to attend to. Sunshine and lollipops to you and yours.

[pnwmom]

80. In many cultures around the world, small babies sleep in slings against their mothers

off and on all day, and in bed with them at night.

There isn't a single way to be a parent.

Brain, use it, please.

[theaocp]

86. And in our culture, babies don't enjoy midnight showings of anything

quite as much as snuggling in their swaddling best in. their. own. safe. home. Use your own grey matter.

[pnwmom]

90. You don't speak for all babies, or for "our culture."

I don't judge other parents of nursing babies who take their babies with them everywhere. I know many small infants are happy sleeping anywhere, as long as they're with their mother.

As long as a baby isn't crying, s/he is welcome in an theater. And I can't remember ever hearing one cry, so parents are pretty good at self-selecting.

[uppityperson]

60. "well-fed infants" sleep at night? HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA

"naturally"? HAhSHAHAHAHHAHHHHHHHAHAAA

[Fawke Em]

74. Mine did.

If yours didn't, then you probably wouldn't take them to a movie theater.

FWIW, neither of my kids ever went to a movie theater until they were 4 years old. Ironically, both their first movies was a Harry Potter flick.

My point is that some infants could sleep through a movie, some could not. If the parent anticipated they could, then, so what?

[uppityperson]

91. I agree with your point and apologize for the snark. Mine didn't

Well, he did sleep for a few hours here and there during the night. You were lucky. And again, apologies for the snark.

[patrice]

37. Guilty unless proven innocent? We don't KNOW very much about these parents. It is just as likely

that one or the other or both of them work evening hours, so midnight would fit their work schedule(s).

[Occulus]

43. Lots of people work until 10pm.

[pnwmom]

79. Babies can't tell time. And some of them can sleep anywhere. n/t

[msanthrope]

12. My daughter, who would have simply slept in her sling, and woken to quietly nurse,

would have been just fine.

At three months, she was at Opening Day, Yankee Stadium.

[AsahinaKimi]

13. KUSA Reporting the 3 month old has been released

http://www.9news.com/video/65071045001/1/KUSA-Livestream-Red-18287

[FedUpWithIt All]

28. Excellent news.

I'm surprised they'd release such a young child who had been shot at "point blank" range but i am glad to hear that the child was well enough for it.

[FedUpWithIt All]

14. I took my infants to movies.

I would keep cotton muffs or a little hat over their ears and quietly nurse them if they started shifting. We never had a problem with them being a disturbance.

Those moments "out" can be real sanity savers for young parents.

[LanternWaste]

16. I imagine the parents of three month old who really want to see a movie...

I imagine the parents of three month old who really want to see a movie...

For all its irrelevancy, that is.

[jpljr77]

18. Fwiw, I was three months old when Star Wars came out, and my parents took me.

I hear that story all the time. According to my mom, I slept during the day between feedings, and they wanted to see the movie, so they took me along to an afternoon show. (I was terrible at night, according to legend).

So if the kid in question is a good night sleeper, why not take him/her along if they're going to be sleeping anyway?

People -- on both extremes -- get way too hung up on babies and what parents should and shouldn't do. They're just little people, the next generation, etc. They're not exalted pedestal sitters nor the bane of polite society. It's, you know, in between.

[shanti]

36. ha!

my son was an infant at the star wars opening night too! it was a 'must see' movie at the time, baby or not. we weren't the only ones either.

[LynneSin]

19. I know there are theaters that won't allow children that young in after 9pm

that's bullshit that the child was let in.

[uppityperson]

61. What is "bullshit" that an infant was let in? You do know the difference between "children" and a 3

month old infant, right? Have you a clue why they might limit "children" yet allow a sleeping or nursing 3 month old infant in?

[LynneSin]

63. Children meaning anyone under a certain age

please no yelling

[uppityperson]

68. Most places allow infants so long as they are quiet.

[cali]

20. why not?

I see nothing wrong with it as long as you're fairly sure the baby won't cry and disrupt the movie experience for others. If that happens than you should be prepared to exit with the baby. Oh, and lots of babies will simply sleep the entire time- or nurse.

I find your criticism bizarre and disturbing.

[Renew Deal]

21. I've seen people bring infants to baseball games

There is no way that is going to be positive for an infant. It's too big and too noisy. Considering most of the games are at bed time, it can't be good. Some parents don't understand that their lives have to change a little when they have a kid. If they want to go to the movie, let the kids sleep at the grand parents house or get a babysitter. Otherwise, don't go.

[ellenfl]

22. someone who doesn't want to leave a newborn with a babysitter?

are new parents to be locked away until the kid is 16?

sheesh.

ellen fl

[LynneSin]

23. This is my 2 cents and I'm sure there are people who won't like it

Yes the infant probably would have slept thru the movie so what's the big deal?

Well the big deal is this - the baby may not sleep thru it and I've been to late movies where there were screaming babies and the parents decided this was the time to ignore their kids screaming.

This was not the only showing of the movie. I could see them doing this if this was a 'One time Only and then gone forever' type show but it wasn't. It'll be in the theater for the next several months. They could have easily waited for an afternoon showing or maybe a few weeks when the movie wasn't as packed.

[rateyes]

50. bingo

[uppityperson]

62. How many late movies have you been to where there were sleeping infants?

Do you have any clue? How about having instead a rule that "screaming babies" must be removed?

And yes, this was a "one time only" since it was the MIDNIGHT OPENING.

[LynneSin]

66. ALthough not midnight movies they were late movies

and at least 3 times I've dealt with that.

Last time I checked the movie isn't going to change after the midnight opening. Isn't it better to say 'I'm a responsible parent' than 'ooo I went to a midnight opening'

[uppityperson]

69. So you have no idea how many sleeping infants were at late movies and realize your complaint this

showing wasn't "special" was wrong.

Thank you for acknowleding that. It takes a strong person to admit they were wrong and learned something.

Now you are saying a parent who takes an infant to a midnight opening isn't "responsible"? Oh kay.

[redqueen]

67. Yep. And even if the baby slept, it wouldn't he good sleep.

Movies are LOUD. Good sleep requires quiet.

The parents are selfish. Simple as that.

[Romulox]

25. Infants shouldn't be allowed in theaters. They are one of the reasons I don't go. nt

[jberryhill]

27. You don't know much about infants

3 month old babies spent most of their time sleeping.

The "whiny crying babies in public places" are quite a few months older than that.

The "kind of people" who take their small infants to public places are people whose social life has been limited by a pregnancy for several months.

Just after having a child is the best time to get out and do things, because younger infants are surprisingly easy to take care of, relative to ones 6 months and beyond.

[rateyes]

53. I raised three daughters. They all were sound sleepers. And, i still disagree

with you. Babies dont belong in a movie theater, especially from midnight til 2:30 am. The next day, mom and dad wont be alert when baby wakes up and needs them.

[connecticut yankee]

32. It all depends

We took our second son to dinner in an informal family restaurant when he was two weeks old. He slept the whole time in a portable crib.

We always took both boys to restaurants and never had any trouble with them. If you bring along something to amuse them, they'll be quiet. My younger one could chew happily on the heel of a piece of bread for hours. We always brought the older one's "blankie."

I'm sure we could have taken them to a movie when they were infants, but we never tried.

[tilsammans]

34. The noise?

I don't have kids, so I'm no expert. But I'd think that the loud noises and strong vibrations would be harmful to an infant.

[ecstatic]

45. My thought too nt

[wickerwoman]

78. Yep, my thought as well.

There are movies where I worry about *my* hearing and kids' ears are more sensitive. The Batman movies have a lot of squealing car chases, gunfire, screaming, thumping music, etc. Why expose a baby to that (independant of the possibility of the baby crying and disturbing other people)?

[shanti]

35. hey, people make stupid decisions, that's life

i recall me and my husband doing this ourselves when we were young and dumb and absolutely had to see the latest new movie in 1977, which at the time was star wars. i was nursing the baby, and we were so excited to see star wars that we took turns watching it, each of us taking the baby in the lobby for a break. most 3 month olds sleep pretty soundly. my son didn't cry, but i never did that again, it was a one off, before the days of dvds.

[kestrel91316]

38. I dunno, but the parents apparently didn't care about causing a disruption for

other moviegoers. Because that's about all a 3 mo old is good for at the movies.

[nadinbrzezinski]

40. No child care

Of the things to get outraged over, this is not one of them.

That said, some movie theaters are now making it policy not to allow anybody under a certain age into these kinds of movies, regardless of the hour.

[Catherine Vincent]

42. I wondered the same

Was the movie that important if you couldn't find a babysitter?

[Comrade Grumpy]

46. Good Lord, people, give it a rest!

Of all the things to focus on in the wake of a mass murder...

[uppityperson]

64. Seriously. Thank you.

[Bluerthanblue]

49. a nursing mother? a parent?

someone who wants to see the premire of a movie that matters to them?

I took my newborn to 'terms of endearment' years and years ago. I was a new to nursing, and he was very clingy. We sat quitely in the theater and it was only when I started crying during the scene where Emma was talking to Tommy in the hospital that my son started fussing. I got up and went out into the lobby till he quieted back down.

Babies are people too-

Yes, it IS a tragedy that this little person was involved. No less a tragedy than any of the others though.

I don't judge the parent of that child as anything but worthy of my compassion and sympathy.

Be angry if you must- but put your anger somewhere other than on the people who have been hurt enough by this sad situation.

[Zyzafyx]

51. Agreed

At best, the child won't understand. But, more probably, s/he'll be traumatized by the loud explosions in the film.

[Deep13]

55. I wondered that too. Especially such a violent movie. nt

[uppityperson]

65. Does a 3 month old infant care if it's Thumbelina or Batman? nt

[Deep13]

84. I don't know, but they are not oblivious to the sounds. nt

[Egalitarian Thug]

56. The same ones we see strolling down the strip @ 3AM. n/t

[Live and Learn]

57. Does a baby really care where it is sleeping?

Do attempts at blaming victims make us feel like it could never happen to us? I really don't get it.

[JoePhilly]

59. We took my 2 month old son to the opening of The Fugitive in 1993.

My wife had spent much of the last trimester in the house, and then she had an unplanned C-section birth, which kept her home longer.

And so, when my son was 2 months old, and my wife was going stir crazy, we went to see The Fugitive. During the previews, my wife breast fed our son, and he fell asleep. She covered him with a light weight baby blanket, and he slept through the entire movie.

He's 19 now, and he likes to tell his friends how the first move he ever attended was The Fugitive.

As an aside, I've been taking my kids, as toddlers, to high end restaurants. I can't count the number of times other parents came over and said that they wished they were as confident that their children would behave in that environment as our did.

And my response was always the same ... we take them everywhere we go. And they know what kind of behavior we expect.

When my son was 2, we were in a nice restaurant, and he became unreasonable. He and I left and spent an hour in the parking lot. My wife and those who were with us continued their dinner. My dinner, and his, was "take out".

He learned that you either behave in such environments, or we leave. And if we leave, we don't do something fun.

If you bring a baby to an event, you have a plan for what might happen if that baby gets upset.

The idea that you don't take babies out into the world, even to movies, is silly.

[asjr]

70. Parents couldn't find a babysitter?

[proud2BlibKansan]

72. Someone who doesn't mind damaging the 3 mo old's hearing

That's who.

[lonestarnot]

75. I thought the same thing. Interesting thread. Thanks for posting.

[Epiphany4z]

76. I took my babies to the movies

sometimes at night. They slept or ate. The theater was dark I nursed them. It was nice to get out of the house and seemed silly to hire a sitter who would only be cried at till I got home to feed the baby. baby is wrapped in a blanket snoozing or happily nursing away. We got out and it was a very nice evening.

We don't all parent the same. I think you have do what works for you and yours. I know I have some of the best adjusted smartest kids around and dam it I took them to movies at night with me.

[pnwmom]

77. Lots of parents take small babies to movies. And the fact that you were unaware of this

proves the fact that these small babies in the theater are rarely disruptive. The parents of colicky babies don't attempt this.

[riderinthestorm]

81. Breastfeeding mom. New babes are usually sleeping 12 - 3 am.

Its the rare exception that babies aren't in full sleep mode during those hours. I'd be pretty confident in saying the mom and dad knew their baby would be fast asleep and they could sneak in a "date night" without having to get babysitting.

If a baby is going to need attention its usually in those dark hours of 4 - 6 am when they need a feed, diaper change and snuggles. I'm guessing the parents knew their baby's habits and planned accordingly. Nothing unusual about this.

[Warpy]

82. Breasfeeding moms

who don't want to leave the movie to pump and don't want to leave a cranky baby who won't take a bottle with a sitter.

That's who.

My parents dragged me to all sorts of inappropriate film fare when I was little. I usually got bored by grownup movies and went to sleep.

[Kalidurga]

83. Do we really want to live in a world where we have to regulate all behavior?

If the baby isn't fussy I don't see the big deal.

[jp11]

85. I'm sure someone answered but I really think the answer to your question is so easy

you didn't need to ask it.

Someone who can't afford a sitter or doesn't have anyone to watch their child. Perhaps this person or family has limited options for when they can see a film with a partner or other family members and this is why they must do it at a midnight showing. As in one adult works the day shift and the other works the night shift and 3rd shift is the only time they have enough time to see a film together.

Now do I think they should do it, bring a 3 month old to a film, no I don't but I understand and while I understand I also don't see films in the theatre anymore.

I can't stand the tiny seats and my butt falls asleep, plus I pay for cable and a few months to a year I'll be watching the same movies on the premium channels I pay for. Then you can add in all the annoying people you get share the theatre with.

I could also just rent the movie through several mediums about a month or two after it opens. There isn't any need for me have conversations about the latest films with people but that's me.

[Phentex]

89. That sums it up without being rude...

Would I have done it? No. But I can see why some might.

[Quantess]

88. A really inconsiderate person!

I can't believe people here are saying this is somehow an okay thing to do.