The movie theater is no place for an infant, and taking a baby to the theater is not only inconsiderate to the people around you but to the baby as well.
A couple months ago when I went to see the horror movie “Weapons,” I heard the dreaded noise that no theater goer wants to hear: The incessant wailing of a baby in the front row.
Apart from picking on the parent for bringing their baby to an R-rated film, the movies are generally no place for a baby.
Movie theaters are notoriously loud. The average sound level for a movie theater is below 85 decibels, but can get as loud as 104.9 decibels depending on the film. To put that in layman’s terms, that’s about as loud as an industrial fire alarm.
Babies with tiny, developing ears aren’t able to handle that kind of noise and being exposed to sounds above 70 decibels can cause permanent hearing damage.
So it’s no wonder why your baby may fuss or cry at the theaters, they are uncomfortable being there.
If there is any lesson I learned from my parents it’s that having a child requires sacrifice, sacrificing the wants you have for the needs of the child. And this is one of those cases.
If you are the parent of an infant, it may have been a long time since you have last sat in a theater not tending to the needs of your baby. But if you must, here are some tips for taking your baby to the theater and having an enjoyable experience.
Bring ear protection, seat carriers, – so your baby will feel comfortable in the seats – arrive early and pick a seat near the exit so you can make a quick dash to leave if your child is fussy so you do not ruin the experience for others.
Nonetheless, I still believe not taking babies to the theater at all is still the better choice. One, your infant’s brain would not be fully developed enough to enjoy or understand what is going on in the film. Two, most of the movies being shown are not targeted to babies.
In my opinion, the best age to bring your child to the theater is around six to seven years old.
It is at that age your child has significant growth in cognitive skills, emotional understanding, attention and the ability to understand more complex topics, according to Kid Central TN. That is the best age to bring a child as they are able to understand and actively enjoy the age appropriate film being shown on the big screen.
Bringing a child who isn’t ready to tolerate the environment of a movie theater is selfish. It’s wrong for the baby and the people around you. So, for the sake of your little one and the people around you, don’t bring your baby to the movie theater.
