Are Toddlers Ready for the Movie Theater?
Are Toddlers Ready for the Movie Theater?
I took my 2.5 year old to The Lion King 30th Anniversary Screening, here are tips from my mom group and how it went for us.
Last week, while researching some films in theaters to highlight in the newsletter, I stumbled on this re-release of The Lion King. Ever since I started trying for my son, this idea of taking my kid to the movies was one of the dreams that got me through two years of IVF. So, when I saw this opportunity, it stopped me in my tracks. Could this be the beginning of this dream? Or is it too soon, and will it make my son hate going to the movies?
Before deciding, I contacted my mom’s group, a WhatsApp group consisting of 100s of Film and TV industry moms. I posted in the toddler subgroup aptly named “The Terribles.” What came back was a mix of whether this movie will be too scary for a 2.5-year-old and a slew of great tips to set us up for success.
Skip the previews; they are too long, loud, and scary. I also heard this from guest Shannon Lee on the podcast.
A theater with food or bring a meal. Eating a meal while watching will keep the kiddo engaged.
Noise muffling headsets - to keep the sound manageable.
Be prepared to answer questions about death.
The stampede can be overwhelming.
Similarly, this movie is one I remember fondly, and I couldn’t wait to show Miles. So I decided to give it a shot. And how did it go?
It went better than I could have imagined. It could have been the movie or the bag of M&Ms, but he left and said, “I love going to the movies with you, momma!” My heart melted, and I can’t wait to do it again.
There are a few things we can work on. We need to work on remembering to whisper in the theater. Miles sometimes remembered a little too late. But also, hearing him react to the screen was pretty amazing. He clapped during the opening song!
He wanted to get up in the slower moments of the movie and talk to the other families in the theater. There were only a few others, so he couldn’t see others sitting and watching around him. I wish his next experience would be full of other moviegoers because a packed theater is part of the magic.
This seems to be the beginning of our movie theater outings. I’m curious: Would you have gone if you had known that this movie was back in theaters for a weekend? Should we start a family film club?
Let me know in the comments!