Are ‘Kid-Friendly’ Movie Theaters a Good Idea?
By Movieguide® Contributor
Some movie theaters now offer kid-friendly experiences, but not everyone is sold on this idea.
Austyn de Lugo-Liston, a father of six, recently shared a video of a kid-friendly movie theater that went viral on TikTok. The theater features a full playground area as well as a playpen for younger kids. The space is meant to give kids the chance to get their energy out and is available roughly thirty minutes before a show, as well as during a 15-minute intermission that the theater builds into every showing in that theater.
“This is really the only theater we ever take our youngest two kids to because they’re not really ready for the full movie theater experience where they sit and just watch for two hours,” de Lugo-Liston said in his video, per TODAY.
“It’s a great way to start easing kids into movie theater etiquette where you’re not too scared that they’re going to cry and ruin the experience for someone else,” he continued.
@austynliston Cinépolis Junior Theater #cinepolis #toddler #parenting #losangeles #thingstodolosangeles #familyfriendly #juniortheater @Cinépolis USA
De Lugo-Liston began seeking out a kid-friendly theater after one of his younger kids began disrupting a showing of the live-action remake of THE LITTLE MERMAID.
“She wasn’t misbehaving, but she didn’t understand that she was supposed to be quiet,” he told TODAY, explaining that she started “scream-singing” “A Whole New World.”
“I had to decide — do I let her ruin the experience for everyone else or pull my 3-year-old out of the movie she was so excited about,” he continued, deciding to let her stay because “they were in a kid’s movie.”
While de Lugo-Liston believes the kid-friendly theater experience is a positive, not everyone who viewed his video agreed. Many brought up concerns that children will not learn how to compose themselves in situations where they need to, such as restaurants or libraries if they are always pampered and allowed to go wild.
Experts, meanwhile, did not weigh in on the kid-friendly theaters specifically but gave tips to parents to know when their kids are ready for a movie theater experience. Sheryl Ziegler, a family therapist, advised parents to observe how their children act when watching a movie at home.
“Are they able to sit through a movie without talking, getting up too much or using the bathroom,” Ziegler told TODAY. “It’s not a big deal to use the bathroom at a theater but you can’t press pause at the movies.”
Meanwhile, Cinépolis, the theater that de Lugo-Liston highlighted in his video, is proud of the experience that it offers for parents and kids alike.
“While we’ve seen some parents interpret the Junior Theater as a way to prepare kids for ‘regular’ movie theater behavior, that wasn’t the primary purpose,” a company spokesperson said. “Instead, the concept was born out of our desire to offer a unique experience for families, where kids can feel at ease, and parents can enjoy quality time together.”
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