I was horrified to wake up this morning to the news about the Dark Knight Rises shooting in Denver. I grew up in Aurora and used to get my Hello Kitty fix at that same mall. But the most heartbreaking part of this story, to me, is that there were children at that theater.
Among the reports was this shocking detail: The youngest person injured was a 4-month-old baby. OMG! Thankfully it turns out that may have been a FALSE report. I'm hearing that the baby was not injured, just taken to the hospital, treated, and released.
Meanwhile someone on my Facebook stream said she was baffled as to why there would be a 4-month-old at a midnight movie. Are we really doing that already -- judging the parents who brought that baby?
It's not what I ever did, but it's pretty common. Parents sometimes bring their babies to the movies. If you happen to have a heavy sleeper (and your baby would have to be a really heavy sleeper to make it through a loud action movie like Dark Knight), it just makes sense to bring the baby with you and let her sleep rather than paying for a sitter. Hopefully if the baby wakes, you're considerate of the other audience members and you step outside the theater. But anyway, most 4-month-old babies are not exactly on the kind of bedtime schedule school-aged kids get on. Who cares what time they're up?
More from The Stir: Shooting at 'Dark Knight Rises' Midnight Premiere Kills At Least a Dozen People (VIDEO)
But worse than that, this is just an incredibly insensitive time to be wagging disapproving fingers at the parents of children who were in that theater. Apparently there were other kids there. And so what? When a parent weighs the risk of taking their kids to a midnight movie, they're not considering the possibility that there might be a shooter there! It's summer. School is not in session.
Parents of kids who were in the theater last night need our support and compassion right now. Not our judgment.
**Update on baby** Jamie Rohrs describes how he felt holding his baby, Ethan, as James Holmes opened fire on the audience.
Have you ever taken a baby to the movies late at night?
Image via Elizabeth/Table45/Flickr
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Comments 458
why are people so desperate to see a movie that late at night that they would completely disrupt there childrens schedules to see it? so yes, people are going to judge, babies should be at home in bed sleeping at that hour not out to an action packed semi psychotic encouraging movie.
I personally would hate to take my kids to the theater hell my 5 year old and 2 year have yet to have gone to a movie in a theater since they just aren't ready for that. it just shows you can not be safe anywhere now a days
I admit I thought "why is a 3 month old out at a midnight showing of Dark Night?" when I read it, BUT I know the bigger, real issue is the tragic shooting. I do agree the parents of the baby should be left alone about it given the circumstances in this case, BUT under normal circumstances BABIES and young children do NOT belong at midnight showings of anything, let alone a movie such as the Dark Night. I don't think it is "child abuse" as someone mentioned but I do feel it is poor judgement by the parent... But again, given the horrific circumstances the parents of the baby & children should be left alone about WHY and be shown compassion & sympathy just as the rest of the innocent people in that theater. My heart breaks for all the victims and their families.
i take my child out late if she is awake!
I took my 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 yo to the movies for the first time the other day, and left early because my littlest was impatient and someone elses kid was throwing tantrums! And it was a 1 pm showing!
Meh, four month olds sleep when they sleep. No doctor will recommend any sort of sleep schedule before six months, and babies don't self regulate at that age. My parents took my sister and I when we were babies, and if we cried, one of them left for a few minutes. For responsible parents, there's no reason not to take your kids anywhere you want to so long as you do it right and are willing to miss parts of the movie, dinner, show, whatever it is, if they start fussing. At I would consider a 1pm showing one where I would need to go with extra patience. That's prime little kid showing.