So this week it's my turn to beat a few of my personal demons up, and it just so happens that I'm riled about one in particular, so the timing couldn't be better: What is up with parents taking their kids to completely age-inappropriate movies?????? Forget the fact that the kids cry and talk and generally make it an unpleasant experience for everyone else in the theater, but these movies are rated for certain ages FOR A REASON. Duh!!!

Here's the thing: D and I went to see Batman Begins on Saturday, and (note, please) we left C at home with Grandma, where she was sure to have an excellent time and be spoiled rotten. (Before the movie, D and I tried to have sushi for lunch, but apparently in the north Austin area, that's simply not done. We ended up at Tokyo Steak House which does what I like to call 'fake sushi.' But that's a rant for another day.)

So we get to the theater and we sit down, and suddenly all these parents start coming in with kids who are barely older than C (who is 3). I mean, a LOT of kids near or under the age of 5. So many that I wondered if we'd accidentally wandered into Madagasgar or something.

And, gee, surprise surprise, the parents had to take the kids out of the movie because they were crying (well, DUH. The movie's dark and has many scary, violent moments). One woman actually got mad at her kid (maybe 5 years old) for crying because she couldn't hear the movie. Hello?????

What, I ask you, is wrong with these people? I can maybe kind of sort of understand thinking that it's Batman, so it's a cartoon, so considering taking your kid. But then you look at the rating (PG -13) and the reasons (Intense Action Violence, Disturbing Images) and do a bit of research to realize that this is the DARK Batman, not the old TV show. (And you really have to wonder why it wasnt' rated R; I guess b/c there was no sex.)

And even if they did all that and still thought it was okay, when the first really scary image came on screen (let's not even talk about the major violent moments), they should have walked out with the kid in tow and taken him to the inflatable jumping place so he could have a good time and forget about the maggots crawling all over the creepy monsters face!

But, oh, gee, we can't afford a babysitter. Well, then maybe you shouldn't be affording a movie, either. Maybe you should wait for the DVD.

There are responsibilities that come with parenting, and the biggest one, to me, is not intentionally putting your child in a scary, age inappropriate situation. Honestly, I was just shocked and baffled. Mostly, I felt really sorry for those poor kids.

OK, rant over.

***
Visit my website at www.juliekenner.com. On sale now: The Givenchy Code and Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom (or, at least, it's on sale soon, and starting to appear in a few stores)