Would I be absolutely nuts.......????

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2001
Would I be absolutely nuts.......????
11
Fri, 02-17-2006 - 9:46pm
To try and take Bobby to see Curious George?

 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 02-17-2006 - 10:16pm

What the heck. You don't know if you don't try. My DH took both Cait and Mike to thier first movies probably around 3-4. I have no idea how it went. He took them 1:1 and I was home with the other kids. It definitely went better 1:1. He also took them to the matinees when it would be less crowded. It is likely he wasn't as concerned about them making noise as I would have been.

I would suggest taking him to a matinee when it is less crowded. During the week is great if you can if he has a day off from school or gets off early. Take snacks in your purse or other things to occupy him while waiting. Get there just before the lights go down so you don't have to wait long and be prepared to leave without seeing the whole movie with out getting upset about wasting your money.

Go and just have fun being with your little guy and don't stress. Take your cues from him, leave if you have to and hopefully you won't have to. But you don't know if you don't give it a try.

Currently, after LOADS of practice, movies are one social outing our kids do well. We have a new theatre (couple years old) just down the street that is gorgeous so we go regularly. We have a routine down for it and it is a very structured thing where they don't have to do alot of movement or deal with alot of socializing and bumping into people. In fact just saw Nanny McPhee today and I loved it. Had a great time other than Dave squirming the whole time.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2005
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 12:00am
Tina,
I was just talking about this with my sister the other day. She had taken her daughter to the movies about a year ago when she turned 3 and it was not a good experience.They only stayed in the movie for about 15 minutes because as soon as it started my niece covered her ears and said she wanted to leave because it was too loud. My sisters little girl is NT but I think she has some sensory issues that have gone untreated.She is now 4 and about a week ago my sister took her to see Red Riding Hood during the week when there were less people and she did really well. I have never taken Jake or Ella and to be honest it might be a while because I can't imagine Jake sitting still long enough to watch anything that didn't have to do with Thomas The Tank Engine or Trains of some kind.Let us know how you do if you decide to take Bobby.
Teresa
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 12:11am

I remember taking Malcolm when he was three to see "The Wiard of Oz" and he was bored and unable to sit still through lots of the talking but LOVED the musical numbers, danced up and down the aisles. When the talking got too much for him, we went out and explored the lobby then came back in evertime he heard the music again!!!

Malcolm loves movies. We often go with his pals. Now the stories affect him much more, and for awhile suspence just made him SO uncomfortable, but now he goes under my coat and sits quietly until I tap him to come out. He can still hear the story, but when there is suspence he can't hear AND watch.

Also, the big screen IS different and much more completely engaging on a sensory level than the TV, so you may find that the experience is more mesmerizing and involving than a long movie on your TV set. In other words, you may be surprised by the attention your son can pay in a blackened theatre watching a great big screen in sensurround.

yours,

Sara
ilovemalcolm

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-09-2005
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 9:18am

I think we took Ryan to his first movie around 3 or 4, and we were surprised at his attention span, given our experience at home with him then!

I agree with the others, give it a try. Like Renee said, try to go when it is less crowded. I would add, sit on the aisle and maybe toward the back so you can make a quick exit to the lobby for a break if you need to.

Sara, like Malcolm, Ryan also gets uncomfortable during suspenseful parts of movies, sometimes VERY uncomfortable. Once the music starts to change, the way it does when those parts are coming, I can see him getting a little anxious. I like your idea about the coat and the tap signal, I'll have to try it. Sometimes we just take a break and go out to the lobby. But that is why I recommend sitting on the aisle. You wouldn't think they would have many suspenseful or scary parts in kids movies, but you'd be surprised. And Bobby may not be scared at all.

I think our first movie was Ice Age. It did have a few scary parts, so we took a few trips out to the lobby for a break, then came back. I also love Curious George, so I'm also looking forward to seeing it. We've read alot of the book, and we will probably go
to see it.

Kate

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 12:03pm

Go for it! My guy was around 3.5 when he first went to the movies - Monsters Inc. He did much better than expected. He sat for about 15 minutes in his own chair and then spent the majority of the rest of the movie in my lap - which was fine. Toward the end, he was bouncing in the aisle - but so what. Movies work best if they are not crowded and no one is around us. He likes to kick the seat in front of him. He also talks through the whole movie.

Good luck!
Christie

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2004
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 12:06pm

Nathan's first movie was Monsters Inc. I think he was 3 at the time. He did ok. He got restless about the last 40min, and basically bopped back and forth from my lap to dh's lap to his own chair. But Nathan is pretty quiet in general anyway, so we didn't have any tantrums or anything.

Surprisingly, the noise didn't bother Nathan. But I also suggest that you go during a matinee, when it's not so crowded. I have learned that Nathan will only enjoy the movie if it's something HE wants to see. He has to be really interested in it....or we don't go. He'll spend the whole time badgering me about how much longer!!! lol

The only way to see if it works....is to take him!! With Nathan...we never know, we always have to just dive right in, and see what happens!!! I usually take dh with me though...just incase something goes wrong!! lol

BTW...Nathan REALLY WANTS TO SEE CURIOUS GEORGE TOO!!!!! We're planning on Wed..dh's day off from work, boys get out of school early that day!!

michelle

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-09-2005
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 1:07pm

Liam was 4 when I took him to Shrek 2.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-19-2005
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 7:04pm

My son is about the same age as yours (3.5) and we took him to see the Wallace and Grommit halloween movie, which was his first, last October. He is loves W & G and really wanted to go.

I guess our experience is different from everyone else's. Renee's advice is great and you never know until you try. We did bring snacks, go to a matinee etc. Eric did enjoy the movie and could tell you the entire plot. I'm not sorry we tried.

However, the sound was too much for him. He went into total hyper stim mode, flapping, jumping, humming. Not upset or afraid, just TOTALLY overstimulated. I have hardly ever seen him like this. Actually, it was probably more upsetting to us than him. It didn't bother anyone, as there was maybe only one other family there and they had kids, but it was obviously too much auditory input. Aftwards he did say he liked it, but that it was too loud.

We haven't tried since then. If we do, I will take Renee's suggestion of bringing earplugs next time. He did have a good attention span for the movie, that wasn't the problem. I also think he liked the big screen.

Give it a go! It sounds like for most people it was fine except for the need to move around a bit.

Let us know how it goes!

Katherine

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 7:38pm

You know, a while ago I was thinking I'd love to take Sylvia to a movie... but DH and I have a home theater system in our basement, and we brought Sylvia down to see a bit of Fantasia 2000, and it was so overwhelming for her -- the sound, the largeness of the screen, the darkness of the rest of the room -- that she immediately ran upstairs and refused to go back into the basement for a good 4 months. Literally -- she finally started playing in the basement again just last week, for the first time since September. So I think we'll hold off on the movies for a while!

But my advice would be, give it a try, and just be ready to bail if it looks like he's not handling it well, even if that means leaving during the previews. It sounds like most people have had a really great experience at the movies, so hopefully Bobby will love it!

Jennifer :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 10:20pm

DH took Peter to see "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" when he was about 2.5 or so. They had to leave after about 20 minutes, beacuse Peter became disruptive during any scenes which did not incluse a train. (and was transfixed whenever one of the trains was onscreen).

I can't remember the next movie we went to see. I think it was over a year later, and he did great. He loves the movies now. We go often, and like Renee., we have the routine down. Both kids have a tough time with the volume level -especially during the adverts and previews, but always settle down. Peter sits motionless and glued through the entire movie.

Siobhan used to spend movie times playing with the chair, but now is mostly well behaved. When she does actually watch the movies, she gets much more emotionally involved than her brother. She cried through almost the entire pengiuin movie. At home, I have had to hide all the DVDs in which someone dies.

I agree with the advice which was given already: Give it a go, and have a plan B worked out. -just in case.

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com

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