Toddler Movie Time

Here were the steps planned for taking a toddler (21-months) to a movie:

• Movie - Winnie the Pooh
• Length of movie - 69 minutes
• Supplies - Sippy cup, bag of Kix, best friend - Buddy, Mom and Dad
• Time of movie - 3:05pm (right after a good nap)
• Seating arrangement - Mom and Dad with Augie in the middle

Here is the reality of how taking a toddler to a movie panned out: 

• Arrived 5 min. before the "start" of the movie
• Augie was mesmerized by the giant screen, fun seats and other people in the theater
• Augie LOVED the previews and commercials - Dancing Feet 2, Smurfs, Puss-in-Boots the movie, .... 
• Augie settled in to Dad's lap while munching on Kix and sipping his water. 

40 minutes pass.... FORTY MINUTES OF PREVIEWS PASS

• Augie realizes that previews are for the birds.
• Augie realizes that the stairs have lights on them and they would be fun to climb.
• Augie starts to whine and squeal.
• Mike takes Augie down to the entry of the theater to calm down - then returns.
• The movie starts.
• Augie thrashes around and refuses to sit - continues with squeals.
• Mike and I make the executive decision to leave (no point ruining the movie for everyone else).
• We walk out and Augie reached out to go back in - we walk 3 feet inside the door and he starts thrashing to be put down (to run).
• We leave. 

Lessons learned: 

1. Movie theaters are foolish... if the G rated movie is one hour in length... your audience probably isn't expecting (nor wanting) 40 minutes of pre-movie trailers. 
2. 21-months in a movie theater is exactly what 21-months is like outside of a movie theater -- unpredictable in every way except one -- they don't sit well. 
3. Kix are an excellent popcorn substitute. I still don't know what the "appropriate" age to introduce popcorn is -- but since I don't give him seeded grapes (or even uncut grapes) I don't think it's quite yet. 

The truth is you never know how something will go until you try. Perhaps Augie is too young to see a movie but we wouldn't have known unless we gave it a shot. I will definitely try again though -- just maybe not this week.