Christmas Is For Children

[sunny-dave]

So ...

... to little George (aged about 2 and a bit) who had a really terribly boring time at the Carol Concert I attended tonight :

"Don't worry - it gets better tomorrow - no-one blames you at all for getting utterly fed-up and giving it some serious shriekage tonight"

But ...

... to the eight or so idiot adults of his extended family :

"It wasn't a brilliant idea to bring four children aged under 3 to a serious concert of high quality music by an world renowned choir. You could have retrieved the situation by removing them when they all reached their boredom threshold after about 5 minutes. Instead you chose to chatter amongst yourselves and (noisily) feed them crisps.

I hate you. Most of the other people I spoke to afterwards hate you. We hope your children have a lovely day tomorrow ... but that you get food poisoning"

[anneasquith]

I think there is a difference from being bored and suffering ?

[sunny-dave]

Children making a noise is not a problem - never has been, never will be.

Adults not realising the (completely avoidable) impact of what their children are doing is just plain rude - not just to the audience, but to the performers, who have spent many hours preparing for a concert.

Some of the choristers were only primary school age themselves and were visibly struggling to keep on track against the unexpected background noise. It was their Christmas too and it was spoiled.

[choux]

anne, totally apposite, in the biblical reference.

[Mamyalynne]

Well as I say I only speak from experience, my Grandchildren have autism and certain situations do actually cause pain and panic.


Not saying this was the case here but I couldn't enjoy myself at a concert if my child was shrieking.


I'llleave it now and we'll agree to disagree on Christmas Day.

[gness]

I don't think it's a case of not realising, Dave....it's often selfishness....not caring at all how the behaviour of your children is impacting on others....
.....the inability or unwillingness to teach your children how to behave for the situation.....

Maybe it's because the parents themselves are lacking.....and use the excuse...well they're just children or...suffer little children....to cover their own shortcomings.... x

[campbellking]

I went to a Christmas Carol 'sing-a-long' at the Royal Albert Hall, and there were many impeccably behaved school age children singing beautifully. Unfortunately, I was seated near to a couple with a four year old who intermittently screamed between playing with his noisy hand held electronic game. The only response to his attention seeking behaviour was to ram more sweets down him. Luckily, there were spare seats available, and an attendant moved me during the interval well away from him. I'm not really sure why his parents took him (they didn't seem to paying much attention to the music either), and neither did they appear to have any concerns about his behaviour.