Movie showings for parents & babies @ Forum-Kino

Just read in today's TZ that the movie theater in the Deutsches Museum (Forum-Kino) is going to start offering showings for young families with babies up to about 8 months of age.

The lights and sound will be dimmed, and there will be stroller parking, a changing room (!) and bottle warmers. There will be a pause for breastfeeding, and the management will sell only every other seat.

Whether the film selection will be satisfying is another matter. Unfortunately, they will be following the age limit regulations and only showing films and documentaries that are unrestricted for kids under 6.

The special baby showings will be every second Friday in the month at 10:30 AM, beginning April 7 (with Disney's Antartica.) Cost 6,50 per adult.

I suppose people without babies will also be admitted, with the understanding that they can't complain about crying, etc.

I hope it's successful enough that the theaters that show English-language films will consider doing it as well! The article says the idea comes from Sweden, but I've heard of some theaters in the US also having baby showings.

So what about working parents huh? So much for them.

I think it's understandable that a movie theater wouldn't reserve a potentially profitable weekend showing for people with babies.

It's the same for other activities like special baby swim courses at the indoor pools - they're held on weekday mornings and afternoons.

This is for bored parents and childminders who have to stay home with a baby all day - a chance for a little outing and change of scenery.

buy decent television dvd pay tv and dolby suround system.

tellin' ya, I will have a touch screen (large safe screen that you can spill milk and pb&j on) that the kids can learn to pick their movies to watch on their own tv in their own area. Fully programmable and all the choices are previously set up by me: ie once they pick a show they have to watch the whole thing thus, no fighting over the screen. That way, kids can be kids.

Kids can't be kids in a theater. Go home, sorry. Uncomfortable seats built for people that are 6'4" and decibles that are tuned in for Top Gun sized experiences. Let kids play at home and watch movies with play dates 'n stuff.

Theaters: not 4 kids.
If they make it so for the AM, that's up to the theater.
If it's up to me, I wouldn't bring them there if I had the choice.
I would make a home tv area, that is kid friendly- if I had the $$.

So, with this 'new' development, does that mean we are no longer forced to sit thru an early evening matinee with kids?
God, if they are making 'special' times for moms, then why not special times for those that have choosen to be childless!

That's called evenings, nights, rated R and rated XXX movies. Basically children, babies, old people, foreigners, parents, etc etc all belong to society and have rights to move within it to a degree. No - they aren't making special times for "moms" but special times where child carers can actually have time to enjoy a movie. (Who says you have to live in a cave if you are caring for a child?)

I just had a better idea - the cinemas should set up screenings of english shows but not allow native english speakers in - after all, they ruin the punchlines and laugh at weird times

Why would anyone with a 6 month old baby in a stroller wanna go to the cinema is a bit mind boggling!! Well Said Profundo.. couldn't have said it better myself!

Honestly - I wouldn't take a baby to the movies either. But I have met parents with babies and small children at the cinema. The kids seemed fine and the parents (the one set I spoke to) said it was the only way for them to get to a movie.

I can't remember the last time I went to a movie. Wait, I went with the kids (5 and 8) last month, and once last year. I can't remember the last time I went to a "grown-up" movie. ...

I've heard of this happening in the US, a friend of mine who lives over there went to one of these.
Apparently there was always at least one baby crying all the way through the film, so that kind of put her off.
But sure, give it a try, why not?
It's a bit of variety for the child-carer.

It's a bummer when you have a young baby who is well-behaved and you have to stay home with her all the time, that's for sure. I've been tempted to take the baby to a daytime show at Cinema, sit near the back, and see if there would be a problem. (Leave if she started crying, etc.)

However, I'm not sure I would go to all the trouble to see a "family" movie. For me, part of the fun of seeing a film is talking about it afterwards with friends. My child-free friends are not likely to have seen Antarctica!

I am not alone!
(is there such a thing as a "huge sigh of relief" emoticon?)

This is a great idea and I went to a couple of these when my babies were little. When they are that small, they *usually* fall asleep outside of the house and it's not a problem. There were lots of mothers there and crying babies weren't all that distracting.

For those of you without kids who thinks this is unfair, let me try to explain why I think it's a good idea. Before I had kids, going to the movies was one of my favorite things to do. After I had kids, I was thrown into the world of diapers, 3 hour cycle feedings, no sleep, crying, etc. Granted, I had twins, so it was harder than for people who had only one. We hardly ever went out because of the demands, and when we did, it was expensive as hell. You have to pay for whatever you're doing (like the $8 or $9 ticket), plus babysitting. The normally $20 - $40 affair (if you include dinner) now becomes over $100. So that made us not go out as much. But when the theaters around me started doing this, then it was possible to go out and spend only $15 (matinee prices) and watch a movie. The theatres where I used to live showed all kinds of movies, not just the kid ones. Your kids quickly become mobile and so then something like this isn't really possible (hence, the age limit). But when your world changes so drastically in the first months after having a baby, going to the movies makes you feel a little normal again. At least for me it did. You don't have the added stress of worrying about people getting upset if your baby cries if you went to a "non-baby-friendly" movie.

Besides the outing value, it's kind of useless to just watch films when they come out on DVD, too. At that point, everyone has already seen them months ago and they don't remember enough to talk about it.

Besides that, I personally feel it's not a good idea to have the TV on in the house a lot with small kids. I know, I know, everyone says that once the child needs more entertaining, I'll give in on this point, but for now I'm something of a purist.

Nah - I got rid of the tv. Kids are fine without it (husbands seem to be a different story though )

once went to a cinema where they had a room at the back with a big glass window. You could sit comfortably with your baby without disturbing the main audience...