I've been seeing a lot of posts on social media asking about when it is appropriate to take your kids to the movie theater. Here is my Coles notes answer; whenever you think they are ready! You know your kids best. I will say though, don't be upset if you get there and it does not go well because really until you try you aren't going to know how it will end. The good thing is that you don't have to pay for your child to go to the movies until they are 3 so if the end up hating it and you have to leave at least you didn't spend money on a ticket for them.
We started taking Lily to the movies when she was 2 years old. The first movie we went to see was the Grinch. She had seen advertisements for it on TV and kept asking Chris and I to watch it. We explained we would have to go to a big movie theatre with a "big TV screen" if she wanted to watch it and she got all excited. So off we went and it went AMAZING! She did so well, watched the entire movie and loved every minute of it. It was all she talked about for days. Since then we've gone back 3 more times to the movies and seen Paw Patrol, Life of Pets 2 and Toy Story 4. Each time we had so much fun and she always leaves asking when we can go back again. It is a fun family outing for Chris, Lily and I and we can't wait for Mason to be able to join in on the fun with us.
Here are some of my go to tips for taking my kids to the movies:
choose a movie that they are going to enjoy - if I tried to take Lily to see a movie that was for me she would be bored and driving me crazy within 5 minutes and I wouldn't blame her. We've only taken her to the movies when it was for her.
pick a movie time that works well for your child's schedule - try not to go during their nap times. We find it best to go right after Lily has had a nap or early in the day so she isn't irritable or dozing off during it
if you go to a later movie let them wear their pj's to the theater and then they can go to bed when they get home
bring snacks - we usually treat Lily to popcorn but I always bring extra snacks from home in case she gets hungry and her water bottle
grab a booster seat before you head inside the theater - sometimes they are hard to come by if it is a popular kids movie out so you may want to bring one from home if you are concerned about not getting one
if you are considering taking an infant to a movie so you can watch something you've been dying to see I recommend going to the movies during the Stars and Strollers program. It is not offered at every Cineplex Theater so make sure to check your local theater to see if it is available. However, they use lower sound, provide more lighting, stroller parking and change tables inside of the theater to make it more convenient for parents. You will also be surrounded by other parents so if you baby has a meltdown it is a judgement free zone! :)
I also recommend if you haven't already getting a Scene Card. We love collecting Scene Points and you can use them to redeem free movies or at the concession stand to get certain amounts off your total. Its great way to save some money if you go to the movies often. Or if you bank with Scotia Bank they also have a program where you can collect Scene points with every purchase you make on your Visa.
