by Christine Mcdermott

Created on: July 25, 2009   Last Updated: July 26, 2009

Today is the day. The day you've decided to take your child to the movie theatre...to their first movie ever. Oh, the expectations you have! My son will be good, I know it! We'll have a great time together! Of course, you haven't mentioned to your child that there may be a long line, and you have definitely not mentioned anything about getting snacks. Oh, did I say my son? Here's my story:

The day was sunny and bright. I was anxious because I had been planning all week for this day. My son and I were going to our first movie at the theatre. We both dressed up, like we were going to church, or so it seemed. Driving to the theatre, I thought how it was going to go down. Since I was an avid movie goer, I had certain theatre rules I lived by, and expected that everyone else had their own set of rules. They included no talking after the movie starts, no crinkling wrappers, etc. My son would live by these rules as well, I was certain.

Everything was going as planned, until we parked. My son was so excited, he thought he'd jump out and run ahead of me. After I chased him down, we went inside for tickets. I was surprised because there was not a long line at all. It was the first good thing that happened, I thought to myself.

We paid for our tickets and went in. We were seeing Winnie the Poo and the Blustery Day. The snacks and popcorn signs all turned to neon, but I was hoping to sneak by. After we stood in line for pop, popcorn and M&Ms (was a must), we proceeded into the theatre. We didn't have any trouble finding seats (the second good thing that happened), so we got settled in. Previews came on and I explained what they were to my son. This was going great, I surmised.

The movie started and we were enthralled. I loved children's movies, too! We both enjoyed the beginning of the movie. I started bobbing my head to a song and glanced down at my son, only to find he had moved to another part of the theatre! He was sitting next to some other kids. It scared me at first. Wait, this was our day! I must have forgotten to tell him one of my rules - no running around! I quietly walked over and whispered to him. He came back to his seat, grudgingly, and sat down.

It was the middle of the movie. Tigger was being funny, so I glanced down at my son to see his response. Oh no, he was gone again! I found him clear across the theatre this time. The rule, remember? - no running around! I grabbed him up but this time we didn't go back to our seats. I pulled him, by his ear, out of the theatre and we went home. We didn't see the end of the movie. I look back now and have decided that I may have overreacted. Now that my son is grown, he kiddingly tells me that he sits as still as a stone, he doesn't talk, he doesn't run around. He has his own set of theatre rules.

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