I'm a mean mommy when it comes to demanding decent behavior for live performances. Our town's public schools encourage this, which is pretty cool. Younger siblings are very much welcomed at concerts and are expected to sit quietly. It's a pretty basic thing to teach your kids.
But a few years ago, during a holiday concert with poor seating and acoustics (the concert was held in the Cafetorium, after all) I glanced over at my youngest son, who was playing Tetris or something on The Husband's Blackberry. I was torn: Yes, he's sitting quietly, but only because he's staring at a screen.
Ever since, I've been one of the few, the proud: The moms who insist that kids actually look and listen and appreciate the performance.
We saw "Shrek the Musical" today at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts and I would like to commend the parents and children of the Greater Hartford area. Aside from the kid sitting in front of me whose parents never thought to tell him to stop blocking the view for those us unfortunate enough to have gotten seats behind him (Mezzanine row G: I'm talking to you - those booster seats are for sitting, not for kneeling) the kids at today's matinee were perfectly behaved and not a single Nintendo DS was spotted from my perch. I was looking.
Bravo to parents who teach their kids about culture, the arts and sitting politely still without the use of something that requires batteries.
Two third graders happy to wear their new Shrek ears; one fifth grader a little too cool to do so.
