Our family goes to the theater–a lot. With both kids involved in drama, we sometimes see the same show 4 or 5 or 10 times. I think it’s a wonderful thing to expose young children to the world of theater. In fact, our neighbors take their three nieces to plays on a regular basis. They bring them to the show all decked out in their Sunday best, and it’s just a joy to see them fascinated by the experience. It’s cute to hear the stories about how enthralled they were at seeing KT or Nick on the stage.

Because I sit through a lot of shows, I’ve had the opportunity to experience all sorts of things. Some good, some not so good.

Here’s the good: I’ve seen well behaved children who sit and watch the show with very little squirming, talking, or bothering. I’ve seen these children do something disturbing to others and I’ve seen their parents touch a leg gently, lean down toward the child, and whisper something in their ear. I’ve seen the child stop what they are doing and continue watching the play. I’ve seen mothers of toddlers briskly walk out of a theater if their child becomes too antsy or begins to cry. I’ve seen parents remove all of the Twizzlers from the package and give them to the child instead of letting the child constantly crinkle the wrapper to get another candy out.

Here’s the not so good: I’ve seen children who talk, children who squirm, and children who kick the seats of those in front of them. I’ve seen (and heard) children who constantly crinkle their candy wrapper during the show. I’ve seen parents try to console their screaming child in the theater instead of removing them from the area. And just this last weekend I experienced something new. I sat very close to a 9 or 10-year old child who sniffed every 1.8 seconds. Not just a little sniff, but a loud, wet, nasty sniff. She also constantly cleared her throat and occasionally coughed. Mid-play she blew her nose for 2 full minutes, only pausing intermittently to inhale. Everyone in the theater kept turning to look at this poor child and maybe to clue the mother in to the disruption she was causing. But alas, her mother stared at the stage, unfazed by her daughter’s situation. The little girl obviously didn’t feel well as she kept putting her head down on the back of her seat. She’d have been more comfortable at home, and the theater goers around her would have enjoyed the play more had she not been there. As a side note, this child left several of her used tissues on and under her seat when she left the theater.

I don’t expect children to be perfect angels automatically. They need to be coached. They need to be reminded. They need to know the expectations and be gently corrected if they aren’t being courteous to other people around them.

I realize children’s theaters are meant to cater to children. Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s great when parents expose their children to the arts. But please do not get so engrossed in the play yourself that you fail to notice your children are bothering others. Prep your kids in advance and tell them the behaviors you expect: no kicking the person’s seat in front of you, only occasional whispering if necessary, no candy wrapper crinkling, etc. And for goodness sake, if your child is so sick they cannot stop sniffing or coughing, skip the play that day.

I know in my case, my kids are prepped before hand on what to expect from the play and what we expect from them during the show. And our kids rise to those expectations. I encourage all of you to find a children’s theater in your area and take in a play. But please be courteous to those around you.

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