Ranting and Raving
Last night we hired a babysitter and headed out to the movies. This is a big event for my wife and I. We’ve never hired anyone to watch our child before and we rarely get to see a movie together. She was going to kill me if I went to see another movie with my friends, and without her. Lucky for me, her pick was The Bourne Supremacy. Hurray, no chick flick for me.
After paying for the babysitter, movie tickets, a soda and popcorn I’d already forked over two Jackson’s. We found seats in the fourth row and watched ten minutes of ads, and movie previews that should’ve been coming to cable not the big screen. A row in front of us, over to the right from where we were sitting was six kids ranging in age from 9-12 years old. A parental figure of some sort was sitting behind them shelling out money for them to head to the concessions stand.
Two of the older girls seemed to be having ADD fits periodically through the movie. Now, I don’t exactly know what these kids were doing in this movie. The Bourne Supremacy doesn’t exactly seem like the kind of movie 11 year old girls would be into but what do I know about the mind of a prepubescent girl? The parental figure didn’t say anything to them once. Even as they were squirming in their seats, giggling, and dancing every time they went to the bathroom together. Luckily, they were off to the right of my peripheral vision so I could almost tune them out.
I have a nearly three year old son, Tristan. I’m sure he can be a pain out in public. Frankly, I expect others to put up with it as much as I deem reasonable. I don’t let him make noise in place where it is supposed to be quiet. I try to have him behave in public or else we generally leave. But he’s three and how much can you expect a three year old to behave? We don’t take him to movies because we know he can’t behave well enough to be in a theater, in less it’s a kids film.
Come on though. Eleven year’s old and they still can’t contain themselves in public. Sure, have fun, but do it somewhere else, where you aren’t disturbing other people. I just don’t get it. They shouldn’t have to be told to behave, or at least act their age. I can’t help but think it has something to do with their parents.
What do I know? I’ve got a three year old. I’ll tell you this though; if he acts like them when he’s eleven he’ll never be allowed out in public. Maybe that sounds harsh but give me a break, I’m not going to let my kid get away with murder in public. He’s going to at least act his age and for now, we’re living up to that expectation nicely.
