Your kid will probably appreciate short children's films starting around age 2 1/2 or 3. Movies can be a great family outing and can also be a wonderful way to introduce your child to real-life situations. On the other hand, many films are too long for the youngest children, who have short attention spans and find it difficult to sit still and be (relatively) quiet for long stretches of time.
Practical tips:
- With little ones, it's usually best to wait until a movie has been showing for awhile (the popularity has decreased) then pick a weekday matinee — they are not overcrowded.
- Don't expect your child to be quiet for the entire movie. So try to sit near the aisle. Another option is to bring a blanket, sit in the front row, and spread the blanket on the floor. That way, your kid can lay down if tired, play a bit if bored, and they don't disturb others with their tricks!
- Bring some snacks.
- Pick your movie carefully. Action movies are designed for teenagers or adults. The noise level is too harsh for your child's sensitive ears. A scary movie can bring on nightmares for a 2-3 year old kid because she believes what she sees. Even a movie like The Lion King, has plenty of frightening scenes.
- Your kid may ask about concepts he still doesn't fully understand. He may wonder why a character who dies doesn't get up again. Try to answer briefly, and tell her you'll talk about it more when the movie's over.
- If your kid does get scared, support him while he resolves his emotions. Let him/her understand what he/she feels by telling him/her that it's okay to feel sad, angry, or scared.
- Finally, if you find the trip to the movies time-consuming and expensive, if you have children in different age groups, or if your kid gets bored easy; try other outdoor activities and let the movie night be online or on your DVD player at home.
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