parents

Going to the movies with kids isn't as fun as it used to be.

 

“My children are the most ungrateful so and so’s on the face of the earth”, is what I was thinking as I stood in line at the cinemas waiting for my much-earned English breakfast tea with one sugar, designed to soothe my frazzled nerves and prevent me from reaching for mindless handfuls of movie popcorn during the latest kids flick I was being forced to see.

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against Alvin…and the Chipmunks…and the Chipettes. It’s just that I would love to be sitting down to any other movie.

Being a good mother and all that, I instead booked tickets to see the latest Alvin movie with my three offspring. I was excited to take them. They had laughed and squealed in delight during the preview a couple of months before when we were watching the previews before …

Again, not my first choice.

We left the house in what I thought were reasonably good spirits and it wasn’t until I was halfway down the driveway that I noticed my oldest was in a stinky mood. What I should have done was drive straight back up that driveway, herd them all inside and close the door, claiming a disease outbreak at our local cinema, thus maintaining my good mum status. Instead I figured he’d cheer up once we got there.

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We made it to the candy bar before all hell broke loose due to a misunderstanding about which snacks they were allowed to choose and why.

It’s not that I am necessarily against the idea that the movie snacks normally cost me more than the movie tickets themselves, it’s just that I prefer my children not develop Type 2 diabetes over the school holidays. Plus I remain in denial regarding the fact they are clearly ungrateful and spoiled.

The rule we have always followed – but they continually claim not to remember – is that they each get to choose one sweet snack and one savory snack. A slushie equals a sweet snack.

They headed straight for the crap lolly section which …

Then grabbed lollies…

Discussed popcorn…

Couldn’t choose…

In the line I lectures them…

In the tea line a mum and I shared a sympathetic smile.

I hope they enjoyed the movie today because that’s the last one I will take them to see for a looooooooong time.