Earlier this week I wrote about taking four kids, including our 15 week old twins, to the movies last Sunday. While this may seem like an impossibly crazy idea at worst, and ill-advised at best, it worked out pretty well for us (and for the other patrons in the theater, I think). I thought I'd outline my strategy and tips in case anyone else is feeling adventurous.
1. Go when the theater is likely to be uncrowded (Sunday 11am was a good time) and when other children are likely to be in attendance (matinees for kids' movies, generally).
2. Know your baby. If you have a fussy or screamy baby, or if it's his fussy or screamy time of day, you may want to rethink the movies or be really careful about showtimes. If there's a calm period when the baby usually eats constantly or naps, that might be a good bet.
3. Have two adults, if possible. My husband was with me, which was a big help as one of us could take one or more crying baby out of the theater if necessary, while the other one stayed with the nonscreaming kids. Ditto for taking a little kid to the potty.
4. Feed the baby just prior to leaving the house and be ready and waiting with another feeding once you get settled at the theater.
5. Change the baby just prior to leaving the house. Have little kids go potty before you leave the house and/or right before you take your seats.
6. Don't get into the theater too early. Waiting until the last possible moment reduces the amount of time the little kids have to sit still and be quiet.
7. Try to sit in an uncrowded area away from other viewers, if possible, to give yourself some leeway in case the baby is noisier than you want. This didn't quite work out for us, as we were very late and the seats I chose were right behind a man and his son. They seemed really understanding, though, and our babies were pretty quiet. Caleb was louder than they were with his hilarious questions about what was going on in the movie.
8. Sit on the aisle, just in case.
9. Consider others. If your baby fusses, feed him, comfort him, shush him, and if all else fails, take him out of the theater.
10. Bring or buy snacks for the little kids. This will keep them busy and happy and quiet (full mouths!) while they're watching. I usually bring sandwich bags to dole out the popcorn from the big bag so it's easier for little hands to manage, but forgot this time. (Of course, I'm the one who knocked the popcorn over, go figure.) Also, juice boxes work better than any drink you'll get from the snack bar in the event they get dropped -- bring them in the diaper bag.
11. Many theaters provide booster seats. These are great for little ones, as they let them see over people in front of them.
12. Dress in layers and/or bring a pashmina or light blanket. Some theaters are frigid and kids may want something on their lap to keep them warm.