Bringing baby to the movies

You just had a baby and maybe you've been stuck in the house with her for two weeks or more (depending on your pediatrician's advice). Now you're starting to get stir-crazy, and you're looking for somewhere you can go out with the baby, maybe someplace air-condtioned (it is summer in DC, after all). Maybe you'd like to go out to a movie but are concerned about disrupting other movie-goers when baby cries. Here are some suggestions to let you view the latest on the silver screen without having to leave your bundle of joy with a sitter.

1. Bring your baby to a regular viewing at the local cinema. Some theaters often have weekday matinees that go largely empty, so you may be able to catch a show where there is no one else to be disturbed. If you do choose a popular showing, though, it is often still not a problem: many newborns will take the darkness as a cue to fall asleep in your arms, and if you are breastfeeding, it is simple to nurse your baby if she is fussy during the movie (and you will not have to feel conspicuous in the darkened theater). In case you do have to rush out, though, sit next to the aisle.

2. Bring your baby to a special showing for mothers with babies or for families. Some movie theaters offer these every week, but the information is not always listed on their websites. Call your local movie theater to see if it offers a special showing, and, if so, what the schedule is. For example, Regal Majestic in downtown Silver Spring, MD offers special matinees for moms with babies every Tuesday and Wednesday; call to see what movies are being offered on a given week. If you can't make it to a matinee, the Arlington Drafthouse, a sub-run movie theater and restaurant in Arlington, VA, offers a "baby night" (during "prime evening hours") at least once a month.

3. Try a drive-in movie! You will probably have to travel farther to find a drive-in theater (I am unaware of any in DC or a close suburb), but if you are able to make it to one, it is a unique experience. This is in addition to the fact that, with baby in the car with you, she will be unable to disturb any other moviegoers. The two closest drive-in theaters to DC are Bengies in Baltimore, MD, and the Family Drive In in Stephens City, VA.

For more on bringing a baby to the movies: http://www.ehow.com/how_2059981_bring-baby-movies.html

For more on drive-in movies: http://www.driveintheater.com/