Kids at Concerts

[pberry]

I'm sure there are other parents out there. I have a 3 1/2 year old who loves FM. She actually sings Say You Will and Peacekeeper. I'm thinking about taking her to one of the concerts. She loves the idea. Of course, if she becomes unhappy at the concert we'll go outside to make sure we don't upset any of the fans. I was wondering if anyone has had this experience and can offer some advice.

[mylittledemon]

Mmm....thats a tough one. Its like watching all the semi-fans there drinking beer and getting faced. That's no way to respect fellow people there to watch the show, or the band. If your kid if fond of whining...I'd leave 'em home. At any rate, the first show I went to on this tour, I sat next to an 11 year old who's favorite song was "My Little Demon" of ALL things! His parents were nice, and he was bummed to see them not play the song. He was a cool kid...and I dont care for children that much. They irritate me. Anyways...! I'm not normally this crotchety.

[sarahw]

Spending all that money for a concert the child will not remember? And to have to leave if the kid whines? I have seen lots of kids at concerts, and frankly I don't think they belong there. I will never understand why parents just don't get a babysitter and enjoy a night out together. Leave the kids home!!!!

[glitter_fades]

It's sooooo loud in there for little ones. Ouch.

I took my 13 year old to a concert for the first time last week and it was even a bit loud for him. It's a tough call.

[estranged4life]

to provide proper hearing protection for your child...The Mac be quite loud these days.

Btw, At the OKC concert there was a youngster (I say she was about 10-11 years old) who sat 2-3 seats to my right who sang the along with the songs word-for-word...We kept making eye contact and nodding our heads in agreement as we rocked out...Shows there is hope for the future of the world afterall...lol!!!!


Brian j.

[sara1998]

Sara loves singing to FM and Stevie! Isn't that cool? However, she gets mad at me for not taking her. She'll be 5 in November, but she gets bored easily, and I don't think she would last for 2 hours. I think it depends on the kid. I had a 9 year old sitting in front of us at the Chicago show, and noticed mom had to take her out once or twice for whatever reason. But, she seemed to be a good kid and enjoyed herself! Anyhow, take into consideration on how quickly your child gets bored. Plus, how is she around large crowds? I completely understand you wanting to take her because I'm dying to take Sara to "see Stevie". I just don't think she can handle it yet.

Maria

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

I know Rhiannon would love to see Stevie sing 'her song' but at 7 I think she is too young. The price is the main thing but also I know she would get board after a while and want to leave. And imagine if she needed the toilet during Landslide! Hah!

Pip

[highpriestess53]

I had thought of taking Harriet as I did promise I would take her she is 7 too but can't cope with sudden loud noise....it terrifies her. You can imagine can't you.....The Chain starts and Harriet panics...eek that would be the rest of the show spent out back...

Bless her...I hope that she will forgive me one day. I hate breaking promises.:distress:

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

Originally posted by highpriestess53
I had thought of taking Harriet as I did promise I would take her she is 7 too but can't cope with sudden loud noise....it terrifies her. You can imagine can't you.....The Chain starts and Harriet panics...eek that would be the rest of the show spent out back...

Bless her...I hope that she will forgive me one day. I hate breaking promises.:distress:
She probably won't even remember! I mean lets face it... we do tend to force our love of FM on the kids whether they like it or not!

Pip

[TwoTricky]

I would say 3 1/2 is waaay too young for a rock concert. I'm sure your intentions are very good and you are excited to share this experience with your daughter, but I'd strongly advise against it.

I remember my son at this age and he couldn't even sit through the circus without wanting to leave!! Once he saw what he wanted to see, that was it....he was bored.

Between the loud noise...late hours...money spent on a ticket for a seat she probably won't even sit in...and trying to keep your daughter occupied....There just seems to be so many "cons" to this!!

Perhaps there will be the PBS special or watch a DVD that you and your daughter could make a 'special night' out of...you'll be home in front of the TV...turn the lights out....make her favorite snacks...sit on the floor and 'rock out' in the comfort of your own home...She'll get to see everything....hear without damaging her hearing and you can sing and dance with her at your leisure:)

Our kids never cease to amaze us...you know when we expect them to be on their best behavior they turn into 'little demons' ;) and when we expect them to be monsters they turn into angels :)

[EricBliss12345]

Leave her home.

I wasnt 10 until my parents FINALLY took me to a concert even though I was ready a few years before, but 3 1/2 is just way too young, especially when you consider how much money you're spending with the possibility that she could start whining about the noise or get bored.

I wouldn't chance it. Like others said just catch the PBS special or make some special time with her and bake cookies and watch the Dance together.

[Enchanted58]

I think 3 1/2 is way too young for an indoor concert. We started taking our twins to outdoor venues at around the age of 4. Their first concert was the VH1 barbeque with the B-52's and they loved it! It was outside, and they could run around, though. That helped alot. They are 11 now, and only one has the same musical interest as I do. She has seen Springsteen several times and is going to her 2nd FM concert (if I can get "good" seats!) at the end of the month. She is very good natured, knows all the songs, and would rather pee her pants than leave in the middle of a song! :laugh: Her sister, however, I probably wouldn't take to an indoor arena yet, because she gets bored easily, and would be distracting to those around her - a big no-no in my book. I would tell your child that this concert is for adults, and take her to The Wiggles when they do a show in your town. :)

Eileen

[reebokandlace]

I know many of you are saying that 3 1/2 is too young to go to a concert. Let me speak from experience....I took a 4 year old to a Stevie concert and she is now 21 and still remembers it like it was yesterday. We were front row and she danced and sang along, Stevie would look down and smile at her. It was very cool.

I was very young (3 or 4) when I attended my first concert and I still remember it.

The crowd is usually very respectful to someone with a child and they give you your space so as to not crowd the child.

If you think your child can handle the crowd scene (based on their personality) I say take your child!! If she loves Stevie she will never forget the experience.

A word of advice: Just make sure you have good seats, otherwise if the child is too far away she will become bored because its not like going to a circus where any seat can see all the action. She needs to be relatively close to the stage, either floor or the sections next to the stage. Unlike adults, they are not there for "just the music" and any seat will do, children are very visual and need to "see" the concert in order to get full enjoyment of the concert experience.

[Lisa]

This is a tough call, I agonized over it for a while before finally deciding to take my 4 year old to FM a few months ago. She loved it! Like your daughter, she can sing along with several songs, and loves to dance around while watching The Dance, so I figured why not. She sang, she danced, had a great time, and wants to go again.

We were lucky in that we had seats on the aisle, so I knew we could get up and walk around if we needed to (which we didn't) without bothering a whole row of people to do so. She got tired towards the end, and we left after GYOW. That worked out pretty well though, as we beat the crowd and zoomed right out of the parking lot.

I think that as long as you're prepared to not focus on the show 100%, why not try it? She'll remember it and love it.

-Lisa

P.S. As we were leaving the concert, we ran into another family, who had taken their 4 year old daughter too!

P.P.S. Make sure to take snacks and your camera :)

[glitter_fades]

Originally posted by reebokandlace
I know many of you are saying that 3 1/2 is too young to go to a concert. Let me speak from experience....I took a 4 year old to a Stevie concert and she is now 21 and still remembers it like it was yesterday. We were front row and she danced and sang along, Stevie would look down and smile at her. It was very cool.

I was very young (3 or 4) when I attended my first concert and I still remember it.

The crowd is usually very respectful to someone with a child and they give you your space so as to not crowd the child.

If you think your child can handle the crowd scene (based on their personality) I say take your child!! If she loves Stevie she will never forget the experience.

A word of advice: Just make sure you have good seats, otherwise if the child is too far away she will become bored because its not like going to a circus where any seat can see all the action. She needs to be relatively close to the stage, either floor or the sections next to the stage. Unlike adults, they are not there for "just the music" and any seat will do, children are very visual and need to "see" the concert in order to get full enjoyment of the concert experience.

Yes. Good seats might make the difference. Front row would be less boring, but each child is an individual. You know your child best. Maybe it would work out well in your case?

I'm just reminded of a show not too long ago. I was second row and a little 4-5 year old girl was in the front row with her parents. Neil Diamond was on stage and singing to a 100% sold out arena. It wasn't rock show loud, but just right. The child was well behaved at first. She seemed interested in the show until Neil came close and sang right to her. He held out his hand in her direction. The song was quiet and slow, so what happened next was really upsetting to everyone around. The little girl let out a scream and burst out crying as he came near her for some special attention.

The whole thing backfired. You could tell Neil felt very bad about the little girl crying. He immediately turned attention toward the mother instead but the girl acted like she was going to be kidnapped from the stage. She kept crying and trying to leave her seat until Neil abruptly went the other direction and her dad picked her up and pinned her to his chest. She stayed there in his lap the rest of the night. She never seemed to recover. I think she cried herself to sleep eventually.

I couldn't help but think...what a waste of a front row seat. It was empty most of the night. Everyone around the stage seemed tense after that becasue this little girl had to remain somewhere she obviously didn't want to be. Unfortunately it put a damper on the night. The parents probably didn't forsee this happening, but with little kids you never know how all the commotion and unfamiliar things going on will affect their emotions.

I was also at a Bette Midler concert a few years ago and Bette was scolding people in the front rows for bringing little ones. She said, herself, the show was not appropriate for small children and told the adults they were crazy for spending money on good seats for kids who should be home in bed. She was not kidding either.

It's really a tough call. If she goes, let us know how it turns out.

:wavey:

[DrummerDeanna]

I've gotta be honest...it really kind of irked me that there were such small children in the front rows....there were a lot of kids at the El Paso show...many of which didn't seem at all interested in what was going on....the little girl next to me was named Rhiannon...spelled (Reannen) and wore a shirt that said that...they sat there like dead people until Stevie sang Rhiannon then the kid waved...it was weird....and I was like...all these people paid 100+ for these kids to go...a babysitter would be much more affordable in my opinion...I don't feel that rock concerts are the proper place for children...

[sodascouts]

Yeah, my friend took her son to a Stevie concert. He was 5, and it was a HUGE mistake. He was OK at first, but after about an hour he got bored and wanted to go home. When she told him no, he threw a temper tantrum and she had to take him outside. She missed 2 songs and didn't have fun for the rest of the night.

The loud volume, the noisy crowds, the drunk people.... not the place for a young child. (Also, remember the subject matter of some of these songs. It's true she won't understand the sexual references, but "The Chain" has cussing in it, for instance.) And I have to agree with Deanna that the front row would be better served with an excited FM fan who is old enough to TRULY appreciate the music than a little child who just likes to sing along.

It's great that your little one loves FM, but I think that a special viewing of the DVD of "The Dance" (maybe with the lights off and you guys cheering, like a 'real' concert) is a better idea for her, for you, and for everyone else.

Just my two cents!

[diamondsnake]

Maybe wait a tad longer. I only just turned 15 and went to my first Fleetwood Mac concert a few months ago. It was the best experience of my life! I loved it! I think some people next to me were very suprised I knew every word to every song, even the new songs that had only been out for a month or two!

Anyway, I don't think I could have really appreciated the whole thing if I was less then say 10 years old. The reason is, I had been to a few concerts before that age which I can only remember a few things about. On top of that, I am horrified to say that I ever went to a SPICE GIRL concert and apparently enjoyed it!

Maybe wait for Stevie to do her next solo album and tour in a few years and you can see if she still wants to go. By then, she will be past the crying stage and be able to enjoy the show a little more.

Also, I compeletely disagree with sitting in the front row. Did you hear about how a huge fight starting during Goodbye Baby last month, in the front row? I would not want a child to witness that.

[pberry]

Wow. I'm really grateful for all the responses. It's because of the loudness and the drinking that I began to have second thoughts. I'm less concerned about the cost of the ticket or the possibility of having to leave a bit earlier. I've been to sooo many wonderful shows this tour that it would not be the end of the world if i missed a bit of one.

We fans want to share our joy with everyone (our partners, our children, our pets--just joking). Lassie twirls with Stevie in the first row...

I like the idea of the "home concert" with my daughter.

We do have the ticket already to Bridgeport. And we're going to Jones Beach and the Garden childless. The Bridgeport seat is a very good seat right above the floor in front of the stage, 2nd row. If we do take her, we'll pack ear plugs and let you know.

Thank you.

[teedee]

I think its great when young children show an interest in music. but i think anyone under the age of 12 or maybe 10 the youngest should not be brought to a show. and if you do take your child a good seat should be considered. i was once at a concert on the floor and i am very short the guy next to me was like 6 ft 5in, he said stand on your chair you will be as tall as me, so i did , because everyone else was standing on there chairs to, just to see. then i felt a tug on my shirt from a woman two rows behind me, telling me to sit down cause her little son couldnt see. at first i felt bad cause he couldnt see, but neither could i. why did you bring a little kid who was gonna not be able to see anything and who was surrounded by adults. he was probably old enough to enjoy the show , but he should of been in the lodge or the balcony with a good view.in my opinion that would be a good seat for a youngster. if he is in the front row, then all the power to him, but i do think that kids who are too young like 4 yrs old is a big mistake its an adult show. I think it would ruin the parents time as well.

[gypsysara]

Ive taken my children (now 10 & 12) to a music festival each July 4th holiday that runs for 4 days & nights long... they LOVE it and wouldnt trade it for anything. We've gone for the last 5 years.

Ive also taken them to a few arena style (a'la FM) shows. While the drunks are an issue you have to work with, usually people are respectful of young kids and will go out of their way to make room for them. At least from my experience they have. Id rather prefer to take them to a camping-festival or an outdoor venue vs. an indoor place. My preference to the vibe of course.

EARPLUGS ARE AN ABSOLUTE M U S T!!!!!

Id taken my daughter "Sara" (well its her middle name!) to see FM last time around (she knows ALL the songs and LOVES Stevie) but tickets were soooo much.

[BlueGrass]

I was 11 when I went to see the Mac open in Hartford. I wasn't scared then...but when I was in Madison Square Garden I started freaking out when The Chain started. I dunno why, maybe cause it was inside, it was dark and more people.

[pberry]

I went to Jones Beach last night, ended up in the very front, and there were quite a few children there. Most around 10. Not 3 1/2. But I was pleased to see how much they were enjoying it. The father in the front at Jones Beach was experienced. He had a blanket and was very loving. He and his daughter left after Silver Springs. I think it was a success for him. I didn't see any younger children there..

[leftylinn]

:confused: I can't believe there are those who think they can monitor who see's Fleetwood Mac and who doesn't. The only people who have ever bothered me at a concert were adults. I took my neice 15 and nephew 13 who have been Fleetwood Mac fans since birth. For the first few years of their little lives they did not think any other music existed. They loved it!!! As for the even younger kids, its not like we are sitting in church trying to be quiet and reverent, this is a concert for chris' sakes!!! Brand new baby crying, now that would just be silly to bring. But I remember a lot of things when I was 3, and fleetwood mac would be something I remembered! I say rock on whatever your age-

[gypsysara]

Originally posted by leftylinn
:confused: I can't believe there are those who think they can monitor who see's Fleetwood Mac and who doesn't.

Nah I dont take it that way... someone was asking for peoples opinions. Its unrealistic to think one could "monitor" such things in a literal sense. Some people dont like seeing kids @ shows. I probably felt that way at one point myself.

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

Originally posted by leftylinn
:confused: I can't believe there are those who think they can monitor who see's Fleetwood Mac and who doesn't. The only people who have ever bothered me at a concert were adults. I took my neice 15 and nephew 13 who have been Fleetwood Mac fans since birth. For the first few years of their little lives they did not think any other music existed. They loved it!!! As for the even younger kids, its not like we are sitting in church trying to be quiet and reverent, this is a concert for chris' sakes!!! Brand new baby crying, now that would just be silly to bring. But I remember a lot of things when I was 3, and fleetwood mac would be something I remembered! I say rock on whatever your age-

Um... who's monitering? Opinions were asked for and they have been given.

Pip

[TwoTricky]

Yikes!!!

Nobody was telling anyone what to do really....ultimately it's the parents choice...they know their children better than anyone...

However, pberry asked for our opinions and we gave them!!

No harm done...back to the love y'all!!!:)

[pberry]

Leftylinn, I was the one who asked for advice and have been grateful to learn people's experiences and opinions. I don't think anyone is trying to be big brother. Certainly this is a parent's choice.

Since I already bought the extra ticket to Bridgeport and talked to my daughter about it, I've decided to go for a few songs at least. This is my sixth concert so far during this tour. If she enjoys a few songs, I will be happy. In the future, FOR ME, I'll leave her home, as my sense is now that 3 1/2 is too young. The excitement at the concerts, I suspect, could be frightening. At Jones Beach, I saw a young girl look in shock as one women who kept on screaming at StevieÉthe most screeching of sounds. (i was afraid too; maybe stevie was too.) My sense is that older children, depending on the child, could find the experience enjoyable.

Thanks again everyone. I'll keep you posted.

Patrick

[leftylinn]

I apologize to everyone about my earlier comments on "monitoring" I guess I get a little passionate about children and Fleetwood Mac. As I was a fan of their music since I can remember. I sat so far back at their concert where everyone was able to see, there were no drunks or crazy acting people so it seemed a very good environment, unlike what some have you have experienced. I wish the pot smokers had left their stuff at home, I didn't care for that. My comments were mainly in response to the person who was saying they didn't like others bringing their kids, not anyone asking for advice or suggestions.