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Article on kids and concerts



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 19th 03, 04:54 PM
Bill1255
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Default Article on kids and concerts

The author is full of ****. If you know your kids, do what's appropriate.


"HDogan" wrote in message
...
"D.Dyke" wrote:

Just read an article in today's entertainment section of the Valley

Times/Contra
Costa Times. It is so nice to read a rant about little kids at adult

concerts in
print. There are some great lines in this piece, like "Here's an idea:

Grow up.
You're a parent now and that means, like it or not, life changes."

I'd love to post a link, but alas, there doesn't appear to be one. So,

I'm typing
all this in - any typos, mistakes, etc., are mine.


Debbie

*********

Want to go to a concert? Leave your kids at home.
by Tony Hicks

The 2-Year-Old with the big brown eyes and messy dark hair pulled her

pink blanket
around her shoulder and snuggled closer to her daddy. Her eyelids sagged

heavily
and she fell limp. It was way past her bedtime. The man patted her back

as her
mommy smiled at the sight from her chair.

The lights went out. Then the power chords exploded like thunder, shaking
everything in sight, including the toddler's insides.

I watched this play out earlier this year, and surmised that it's good

that
parents bring blankets for their little kids when they drag them to

concerts. It
softens the blow when they awake startled.

Once they get used to the overbearing noise, the young'uns get bored and

crawl
under their parents' chairs - on those germ-free concrete arena floors -

and the
parents can cover them, just as if they're sleeping at home.

Or not. It's just more proof that a human being doesn't require any

common sense
to become a parent.

Family entertainment?
As concerts have become normal diversions the past couple of generations,

they've
eased into the category of family entertainment. It's one thing, however,

to take
a 12-year-old to see a boy band on a Saturday night. It's quite another

to drag
kids under 5 to a rock concert on a Tuesday night.

What's really disturbing is that seeing toddlers at shows isn't so

shocking
anymore. I've seen kids no older than 4 or 5 late into the night at the

heavy
metal fiesta Ozzfest and at BFD, the annual hard-rock show put on by

radio station
KITS-FM 105.3 (Live 105). I've seen kids clutch for dear life while Mommy
headbanged to White Zombie or Korn. I've seen kids not yet school age

decked out
in full KISS makeup, held up for the band to see.

This isn't a preachy reinforcement of Tipper Gore's Parents Music

Resource Center.
It's not about the music either. It's about the appropriateness of

dragging kids
to rock shows where the volume often rivals 747s taking off in one's

living room.
Where much of the crowd, whether at a heavy metal gig or Dixie Chicks

show, spends
a disproportionate amount of time drinking in the parking lot beforehand.

Where
that parking lot buzz often translates to screaming patrons insides.

It's a lot for some adults to handle. To ask a child to do so is just bad
parenting.

There was a couple at a recent Warfield show with a crying baby in the

lobby. They
were struggling to watch the end of the show from a distance while their

baby
sobbed. They weren't having fun; people within earshot didn't enjoy it.

And most
importantly, the baby wasn't liking it much. Essentially, nobody wins.

Here's an idea: Grow up. You're a parent now and that means, like it or

not, life
changes. Nobody's saying you can't go to shows. But children don't belong

at
concerts until they're old enough to listen and know the music, and ask

to go
along. Summertime community concerts in parks are wonderful family

experiences.
Stick to taking the kiddies there.

Find adult friends
Kids don't exist to be little party pals for parents. If you've aged past

the
point where friends no longer attend concerts, find new friends. Adult

friends.

My stepdaughter was 9 or 10 when I took her to her first show. Even then,

I
learned it was probably too soon. And this was a summertime Hanson show

that she'd
asked to attend, where the crowd (and the band) was mostly her age

bracket.

The should be the only exception to the rule. It would be easy to say

venues
simply shouldn't allow kids under a certain age, but that's not their

job. That's
a dangerous precedent, anyway, saying kids shouldn't see live rock 'n'

roll.

But there is a line of sensibility. Some artists actually ask fans on

their
tickets not to bring young children to the show, and they're right.

In this day of massive ticket prices, if you have the money for tickets,

you have
more than enough for a baby sitter. In not, stay home and be a parent.

Tony Hicks is the Times pop music critic. Reach him at 925-952-2678 or



Concerts are no place for children under 13.







  #2  
Old July 19th 03, 09:56 PM
Tony Bad
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Default Article on kids and concerts


"Bill1255" wrote in message
...
The author is full of ****. If you know your kids, do what's appropriate.

I think your second statement is true, if the kids are a bit older, but the
example giving, of bringing a toddler to a show is not what I'd call full of
****. Other than the confusing logic behind keeping a young child out so late,
the sound volume at a concert is dangerous to little kids ears. I often wonder
about parents in the grocery store with 1 and 2 year olds at 10pm at night.
Doesn't make much sense.



  #3  
Old July 19th 03, 10:06 PM
The BEAST
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Default Article on kids and concerts


"Tony Bad" wrote in message

[snipped alt.childfree from cross-post]

: The author is full of ****. If you know your kids, do what's
appropriate.
:
: I think your second statement is true, if the kids are a bit older, but
the
: example giving, of bringing a toddler to a show is not what I'd call full
of
: ****. Other than the confusing logic behind keeping a young child out so
late,
: the sound volume at a concert is dangerous to little kids ears.

That's what earplugs are for. I took my oldest to a Grateful Dead
concert when he was about 5-6 months old -- he loved it. He was
probably the only audience member in an official Grateful Dead
tie-dyed 'onesy.'

I often wonder
: about parents in the grocery store with 1 and 2 year olds at 10pm at
night.
: Doesn't make much sense.

If the 1 or 2 year olds are NORMALLY up at that hour
(and, yes -- some ARE!), why not?


wondered
The BEAST


  #4  
Old July 19th 03, 10:09 PM
Greg Weber
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Posts: n/a
Default Article on kids and concerts


"D.Dyke" wrote:

Just read an article in today's entertainment section of the Valley

Times/Contra
Costa Times. It is so nice to read a rant about little kids at adult

concerts in
print. There are some great lines in this piece, like "Here's an idea:

Grow up.
You're a parent now and that means, like it or not, life changes."

I'd love to post a link, but alas, there doesn't appear to be one.


http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/living/6331893.htm

--G.


  #5  
Old July 19th 03, 10:35 PM
Rosalie B.
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Default Kids out late at night was Article on kids and concerts

x-no-archive:yes

When I was visiting in Spain during festival week I observed many
Spanish children out at midnight or later. Often sleeping in their
father's arms (I'm presuming that the male person holding them was
their dad - of course I didn't really know) But their schedules were
different - they didn't even start to eat dinner until 10 pm.

So a kid in the supermarket at 10 pm isn't necessarily bad. It could
be because:

a) The family has a different schedule than yours - sleeping from
midnight to 10 am instead of 7 or 8 pm to 6 am. I know a man who
customarily doesn't get up and eat breakfast until noon, and then eats
lunch around 6 pm. Not everyone needs or wants a 'normal' schedule.

b) The parent ran out of something that they urgently needed to get
and had to bring the child with them because they couldn't leave them
home alone.

c) The parent prefers to shop at night when there are less people in
the store.

d) The parent is on shiftwork and this is the optimum time for them to
shop.

"Tony Bad" wrote:


"Bill1255" wrote in message
...
The author is full of ****. If you know your kids, do what's appropriate.

I think your second statement is true, if the kids are a bit older, but the
example giving, of bringing a toddler to a show is not what I'd call full of
****. Other than the confusing logic behind keeping a young child out so late,
the sound volume at a concert is dangerous to little kids ears. I often wonder
about parents in the grocery store with 1 and 2 year olds at 10pm at night.
Doesn't make much sense.



grandma Rosalie
  #6  
Old July 21st 03, 01:18 AM
Donna Metler
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Default Article on kids and concerts

I would submit, given the typical decibel levels, that many live concerts
are downright dangerous to children (and to adults). I just spent three days
at the NAMM music industry summer conference/trade show-and one of the
things handed out automatically to anyone under 18 was earplugs (and
recommended for everyone)-because many of the events (specifically, almost
any of the ones using amplified music) were likely to have decibel levels
over the safe level for human sound exposure.

There is great concern in the music industry as to the risks of noise
exposure due to loud music-many rock musicians now wear headphones or custom
earplugs while performing, as do most conductors and many band directors
(who are at the focus for large numbers of instruments).




  #7  
Old July 21st 03, 01:16 PM
Donna Metler
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Default Article on kids and concerts


"A Bruce Fan" wrote in message
...

I was at GS on the floor, 15th row, wore my earplugs, and found that the
sound was actually better with than without.... From what I could see
around me, most people dont wear them. Only reason I didnt bring my 3

year
old was because she couldnt stand the earplugs...

I've noticed that, too. I think it's because most of the environmental
sounds are below the level that the earplugs filter (mine are 15 db), so you
actually hear the concert better.

"Donna Metler" wrote in message
. ..
I would submit, given the typical decibel levels, that many live

concerts
are downright dangerous to children (and to adults). I just spent three

days
at the NAMM music industry summer conference/trade show-and one of the
things handed out automatically to anyone under 18 was earplugs (and
recommended for everyone)-because many of the events (specifically,

almost
any of the ones using amplified music) were likely to have decibel

levels
over the safe level for human sound exposure.

There is great concern in the music industry as to the risks of noise
exposure due to loud music-many rock musicians now wear headphones or

custom
earplugs while performing, as do most conductors and many band directors
(who are at the focus for large numbers of instruments).









 




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