The movie was lively, colorful and kid-friendly, recalls Hartsell, a preschool teacher. Her youngest daughter, now in kindergarten, still enjoys the "Madagascar" DVD as her "first movie ever." But the next two movies were mistakes, she says. A documentary about penguins with little color - lots of gray skies, white snow was dull. And the movie "Where the Wild Things Are," one of her daughter's favorite books, turned out to be frightening to both mother and daughter.
"Two scary scenes seemed to have ruined moviegoing for her," Hartsell says. "Now she won't even consider seeing 'Princess and the Frog' or 'Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.'" The mother hopes to try again in the summer with short, kid-geared matinees where the sound is lower and the lights are up a tad.
Be understanding - and be prepared to exit - if a movie is overwhelming for your child, moviegoing moms suggest. It's not unusual for little ones to be sensitive to the surround-sound in theaters, or to flip when their favorite book or TV character suddenly appears to bust out of a screen.
"Read the reviews to make sure the movie is appropriate for your child," says one mom of two boys, ages 3 and 5. She makes sure her boys are rested and fed, and makes a bathroom stop just before the movie starts.
Ainslie Phillips of Charlotte has taken her children, ages 4, 8 and 10, to ballets, Broadway plays and operas over the years. "Our energetic youngest son was only 3 when he saw his first full-length opera, 'The Marriage of Figaro,' and he was well-behaved," she says.
A key to success for an adult show, she says: Prepare your children for what they are going to see. Talk about the storyline and get your kids familiar with the songs. Before taking the family to see "South Pacific," the Phillips family checked the movie out of the library, watched it together and learned the first stanzas of some of the songs. Phillips and her children recently brainstormed and came up with these tips:
Dress your children in nice clothes, such as neckties, fancy dresses and dress shoes to make the event a more momentous occasion. Talk about expectations so there is no question about what behavior is acceptable.
Attend cultural events often. If this is a once-a-year experience, children don't necessarily learn what is expected and rise to the occasion. Look beyond productions geared to children. At a children's production, other children may be acting up. At an adult production, there should be better behavioral models to emulate.
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