Julie Samrick
Kid Focused
So much gets easier once children turn 3. They're beginning to really communicate, potty training is a thing of the past, and fewer or no naps equal more freedom for all. And though these little steps are undoubtedly great, I was most excited by going back to the movie theater once my youngest turned 3.
For a decade, I forewent the big screen. Six months later, DVD releases were the closest I got to current films. We missed Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and couldn't appreciate the Team Jacob versus Team Edward T-shirts. Along with Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, I'm just now catching up with the mega-hit franchises of the past 10 plus years.
Now that I'm back and relishing mostly kids' movies with the family, I see other parents holding on tightly to their pre-children movie day reins. The problem is, they're bringing babies and toddlers into the theater! Not surprisingly, the parents are not having a good time and neither are the babies.
Just last week, I took my kids to see
Despicable Me 2. There was a young family behind us - a mom and dad, a 4-year-old, and a newly-walking toddler who was probably about 1. All he wanted to do was roam, to freely try out his new mode of transportation. The parents were exasperated. They'd alternate who'd take him to the hallway, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the movie they'd paid a small fortune for. The baby would screech every second; his parents hissed "SHHHHH!" By then, nobody was enjoying the movie.
I wanted so desperately to tell them, "Don't worry - you'll be back to the movies. One of you might take your older child and the other stay home with the baby...Please, just wait until he's 3."
What else gets easier once a child turns 3, or any age for that matter? Send Dr. Laura an email to answer.
Julie Samrick is a stay-at-home mom of four young kids and the founder of Kid Focused, a site devoted to children and family issues. Subscribe to the free Kid Focused newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox and connect with us on Facebook too. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.
