Take the Two Year Old?

II didn't take my son to things like this when he was little. I would save it for another time.

I personally think it's distracting when parents have to be getting up and down constantly when the tot starts screetching and parents of the kiddos on stage are trying to hear. It is so hard to hear usually at these functions, and you really want to pay attention but are distracted by the kid screaming in the back.
I don't mean this as a rude post, because believe me when I say there will be plenty moms who will say take him and forget about the others. I just never could do it with a good concience when my boy was little.

Okay, I see both sides. Yes, it IS important for kids to learn how to behave, even at a young age, and yes, they CAN learn, even at two.
But my youngest was always a challenge when it came to sitting still, she wasn't loud or defiant, just extremely wiggly and fidgety and it totally got on my nerves! So there were certain things that I didn't like bringing her to because I wanted to enjoy myself.
My rule of thumb: if you're going to attend an event where you want to sit, watch and enjoy for an extended period of time, leave the two year old at home if you can. You don't need to take him everywhere, all the time, that's not going to stunt him in any way.
On a side note, my husband would have been thrilled to stay home and miss the play. He's a great dad but that was never his thing, especially since our kids never had more than one or two lines lol!

we did not. its much easier to tell our four year old to sit down and be quiet than it was ever when he was two. So we either avoided the experence or one stayes home. We still do this for the grocery store. Our son and daughter stay with one parent while the other runs errans. Sometimes if its a quick trip i will take my son and he can help. Until then I suggest one stay home with the child. I also get very embarassed when the attention is on me. I want to blend in and go unnoticed and having to get up durring a program is rude for the other members of the audiance, embarassing, pointelss to have a two yr old sit still.

There is a difference between taking your two year old to a school play or high school football game - or taking them to let's say the opera. I think those school functions are perfect places for your little one to learn!
Sit in the back of the auditorium so one of you can take him outside when you get to unruly.
I have also been known to take along an ipod and let DD watch a show on it (with headphones on) to get another 30 minutes of sitting quietly out of her.
Good luck.

I truly believe that his behavior is completely age appropriate. Heck, even my 3 year old would have trouble sitting still through a show. My husband I and either take turns or don't take him. We know that he will learn how to sit still in church, how to enjoy a football game or a play ... when he's older.

I really would consider either having a plan to take turns walking around with him or make other arrangements for him. Either one of you staying home or finding a sitter. Is there a mom you've met that could watch him? A neighbor, perhaps? It is something to think about (for the future), because it's good for all of us to have a back up plan.

ETA - Just read the other responses. The I-Pad is a good idea. I don't know about your son, but there is no way either of my boys would have willingly sat in a stroller (unless it was moving) for more than a few minutes after they were 6 months old. They would have been wriggly and crying and squealing! I realize some kids are perfectly content in strollers, I know my nieces were, but my boys are movers. The idea of them sitting still at 2 years old is just laughable.

We've done it both ways. I usually judge whether or not I am going to take a little one by how they were the day of the function. Meaning not sick or overtired, and generally in a good mood. Also what time is the school function? If it's close to bed time, then it's a no go. That is a guarantee for disaster.

I would never avoid taking a little one for fear of their behavior, they do need to learn, but you need to set it up to be successful.

Oh and football games are the perfect place...they should be free to do a little running around.

My girls are 15, 7 and 1....we all go everywhere. I am an event planner at a very small place and work a lot with the baby....she does lots of coffee meetings and venue walk throughs....she sits in her stroller the entire time- same for older sibling school functions and sporting events. But its also all she knows and she's a very easy baby. I am prepared that she's been napped, she has milk and snacks and toys/books to entertain her.

Will he sit in a stroller? Can you bring him snacks and toys? I think you should expect to stand on side or in the back with him. We just took the family to a musical show and baby was mesmerized by it and sat through the whole thing.

Good luck.

My rule of thumb is if taking my 2 year old would be rather bothersome to other attendees then she stays home.

If this is a 20 minute kindergarten play, I would take her. If it is a 2 hour high school production, she would be staying home.

I agree he will not learn how to behave unless he is expected to behave in certain situations. You just tell him you are going to big brother or sisters concert tonight at their school. You expect him to sit quietly on your lap or daddy's and watch and listen. When the concert is over if he is a good boy you will go out for a treat.
Maybe let him run off excess energy before the concert, or shorten his nap and he will fall asleep during the concert.
We took my granddaughter to all of her aunt's orchestra concerts when she was little. We sat in the back and if she got fussy we walked out for a few minutes.

I have always taken my kids to these types of events. Especially if it's another siblings event since you are there to show support. My kids are 5 & 8 and even though they sometimes don't like going to events they know how to behave and I think it is because we've exposed them to it at an early age. That goes for going to a sit down restaurant as well.

Just bring some things for him to do. Coloring, games, books.

take him, bring his favorite snacks and let him play in the aisle if he gets upset
emmy's been gonig to plays since 1. she's always loved them. i remember when she was 2 she ran up the aisle and yelled wait for M. when the lights went out. everyone laughed and she sat and watched=)
another time at a dance show her and her cousin imititated the moves in the aisle when they were 2...at highschool and grade school events its expected and enjoyed.

Because it's an 8 yo program, I'd take him. There will probably be other toddlers there. The adults that are there have experience with toddlers and will be more accepting. Be prepared to take him out if he gets disruptive. Yes, bring toys for him to play with.

I suggest that he was up and running around at the football game because there was a lot of activity. He'll have an easier time sitting reasonably still when everyone else is also sitting still. I say reasonably. He will still wiggle and squirm and may want to get down, at which time you'll take him out if he starts to get noisy.

My grandchildren were able to be at a quiet event for 30 minutes or so at that age. They "drew" and played with quiet toys. My cousin has a smart phone (AT&T) and watch a movie when we go to a restaurant.

He's not a baby he's a pre-schooler. He needs to be allowed to attend activities and learn how to behave. One parent can take him out and make him sit in your lap the entire time you are out of the auditorium then ask him if he can sit quietly. Go back in, when he starts fidgiting in your lap you take him back out and he sits in your lap until he is acting better. Then you go back in. And repeat repeat repeat.

This is how all my friends get their kids to stay quiet during sacrament meeting at church. They take them out and sit them in their lap or on a counter and DO NOT LET THEM DOWN for any reason. They will decide it is play time. Do not look at them or talk to them. It is segregation time. You have to stay there so he will not get up and start running around, he will eventually settle down and sit as still as he can for at least a few minutes when you say "Do you want to go sit out in the hallway?". Then you have reached the goal behavior. He has learned how to act in a public setting.

This may not be completely finished for a couple of years but as long as you are consistent he will learn to sit quietly. If you bring quiet toys for him to play with that will also help. If you do any crafts at all you can look in the pattern books at Hobby Lobby or some other store when they are on sale for $.99 and buy a pattern to make a couple of quiet books.

I will caution you that strong Velcro makes a very very loud noise when it is very quiet...lol.

On of my other friends who now lives in SLC had a method for taking care of this issue too. She would start the kids when they were very small and they had an area in their living room where they had some little seats. Every day they would take time to go sit in the chairs and have quiet time. It was pretty short for the little ones and the goal was to work up to about 15-20 minutes so that in church when the sacrament was being passed the kids could sit quietly. They had guidelines for how long each aged child was to learn to sit there quietly. They did not punish them if they didn't do it each time. They just reminded them when they started the next day that they were expected to sit quietly for a few minutes today.