Winter concerts and your toddler.

bigorangesplotmpwd said:

drummerboy said:

No one is "beating parents up for wanting to take their kids to an event like this". They are beating up parents who don't know how to raise their kids and thereby ruin an experience for everyone else.

This is not hard to follow.

So taking kids to a family friendly Xmas sing along and trying to keep their kids quiet so as not to annoy others means they don’t know how to raise their kids?  Hmm, that’s a bit much. 

 Yup. That's exactly what I said. You got it.


A bit over the top. You’re better than this.


Who's better than what?


drummerboy said:

bigorangesplotmpwd said:

drummerboy said:

No one is "beating parents up for wanting to take their kids to an event like this". They are beating up parents who don't know how to raise their kids and thereby ruin an experience for everyone else.

This is not hard to follow.

So taking kids to a family friendly Xmas sing along and trying to keep their kids quiet so as not to annoy others means they don’t know how to raise their kids?   Hmm, that’s a bit much. 

 Yup. That's exactly what I said. You got it.

 I think you are completely on target.  Just get them out rapidly  if they can't be quiet!  It's more rude to the performers in my opinion than it is to the rest of the audience but only by a smidge!

Ron  Carter


rcarter31 said:

Just get them out rapidly  if they can't be quiet!  It's more rude to the performers in my opinion than it is to the rest of the audience but only by a smidge!

Or, as Joan put it, “I agree with the above statements that disruptive children should be removed from the room ASAP so others can enjoy the concert.”


bigorangesplotmpwd said:

drummerboy said:

No one is "beating parents up for wanting to take their kids to an event like this". They are beating up parents who don't know how to raise their kids and thereby ruin an experience for everyone else.

This is not hard to follow.

So taking kids to a family friendly Xmas sing along and trying to keep their kids quiet so as not to annoy others means they don’t know how to raise their kids?  Hmm, that’s a bit much. 

 It would have been much if you had gotten your facts straight...

In the example I gave the the dude was having a full voice conversation with his toddler THROUGHOUT THE SHOW.  

And when I say full voice I mean I could hear it all the way on the other side of the aisle...

That is just rude.  It was a concert for us to LISTEN to.


My family and I were attending The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center a few years ago. Behind us was sitting a couple with a baby in a Bjorn carrier. The baby would babble or squeak periodically. We spent the entire first act on the edge of our seats anticipating a noise from the baby that would startle and distract us from the ballet which meant we were distracted from the ballet. I found an usher and explained what was going on but nothing was done. They came back in the middle of the second act and the baby was asleep. We were still on edge.



I disagree with the advice not to bring the kids at all to an event like this, especially one billed as family-friendly.  But take a cue from others and be prepared to take the child out of the room if it isn't working out well.  Sometimes all that is needed is to pick the child up and hold them in the back of the room or outside in the hall/vestibule and sway or rock to the music (or with a slightly older child, maybe "dance" with them in that back hall area if it doesn't create a disturbance.)  It doesn't always mean that you have to bail completely on the event.


I still don't see where anyone has advised never to bring children to an event like this.

Did I miss something?


drummerboy said:

Did I miss something?

 The OP?


DaveSchmidt said:

drummerboy said:

Did I miss something?

 The OP?

 Oh yeah. I forgot that guy.

ETA: to be fair (to me) he was talking about toddlers, which is a pretty small subset of children. He's not saying leave all children at home.


Even babies and toddlers should not be banned from a so-called 'family friendly' community event, unless some age guideline is specified in advance.


drummerboy said:

Oh yeah. I forgot that guy.

It could happen to any reasonably intelligent reader. That’s why parents who teach their children a little bit of humility are a blessing.

ETA: To be fair, it’s pretty clear the whole discussion is about toddler age and younger.


DaveSchmidt said:

drummerboy said:

Oh yeah. I forgot that guy.

It could happen to any reasonably intelligent reader. That’s why parents who teach their children a little bit of humility are a blessing.

...

Yes, and I am very proud to be among the most humble here on MOL.


finnegan said:

Please, you people need to get over yourselves – okay, boomer? Sorry but the Maplewood Glee Club is not opera at the MET - and the ticket price reflects that, as well as the performance space - which is the exceptionally child-friendly space of St. Joseph Church. Part of the performance includes audience participation in terms of clapping or snapping of fingers, and there’s even a sing-a long. Again, this is not the MET. This is a community event, and the community shows up and pays to be there. These concerts are the perfect place to teach children how to attend concerts. There will always be one or two parents who take their noisy children out of the sanctuary space a little less quickly than the curmudgeons want them to but seriously, just suck it up. 

There was a huge crowd at the concert yesterday – and I’m sure the Glee Club made a pretty penny with ticket sales – so think really hard before you suggest banning young children - and maybe talk it over with the Glee Club. I observed many parents of young children working very hard for the entire concert to keep their children quiet and as engaged as possible just so they could with watch grandpa, or uncle whatever sing. The appropriate attitude towards these parent should be gratitude – grateful that they value their relatives enough to take their kids, grateful that they value music enough to teach their kids to sit through concerts, and grateful that they value our community enough to pay to bring their children it this concert.

And for the record, the Glee Club's FaceBook page describes them thus: "Our group is about fun, fellowship, good singing, and community."  What kind of community does not include children?   

If you want a pristine recording of their singing art, book a studio.  

This type of attitude is exactly why we have a bunch of entitled little brats running around.


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