Would You Do This?

Nope, I would NOT ever do that.

Rude, just rude! Especially when you factor in how much $ going out to the movies cost these days!!!

Even if it was allergies, it was still inconsiderate of the dad to let the coughing interrupt everyone elses good time.

He's probably a weekend dad. Feels he needs to give them a great time and great memories because he doesn't see them very much. It's frustrating, but I would feel bad for him more than frustrated.

Thoughts from the "other side" - LOL

My son has allergies - officially, according to the "wonderful" scratch test he had in March. Even with daily meds he sometimes has awful sneezing, sniffling attacks that can last for hours.

If we are out somewhere and he gets an attack we will leave if it is convenient. Sometimes, he wants to stay where we are, and we just get extra tissue and soldier on through.

I get that it is disruptive and kinda' yucky to others, but, at 14, he sometimes just wants to finish the movie, or the church service, or whatever activity we have started before he got the attack. Heck, sometimes I get annoyed at it. But, since I know that he is NOT Typhoid Mary, I just don't worry about him sneezing and sniffling in public.

Like others have suggested, it might just be an allergy cough, and it could literally last for weeks, which is why they probably brought him to the movie. Though maybe a cough drop would be nice!

I do get what you're saying, though, It drives me CRAZY when people bring their sick kids out without a care for other people. My daughter is immune compromised (bone marrow failure) and has to be hospitalized when she gets sick. We are super careful of germs and avoid going places often times. It amazes me how many sick people walk around spreading their germs.

I had to take my 2 yr old to Urgent Care the other day and a lady came in with her three kids. She was loudly talking about how they had been puking and filled up the bowl she had brought. She wondered if the staff had another bowl she could use. Meanwhile, her kids (that she is watching as they are doing this and not directing them to do otherwise) are running around everywhere, spread through out the small waiting area. Two were right by us. It was small enough that there wasn't really anywhere I could go to not be by one of them. Anyway, it really really irked me how she put no control on them and didn't seem to care that maybe not everyone else wanted to get the pukes too! Whenever we go to Urgent Care or anywhere with sick kids, we keep them away from other people. I know we are germaphobes, but I wish more people would be thoughtful. I hope that boy wasn't sick. If he was, so frustrating!

I would rather spend 2 hours @ the E.R to find out why my son is coughing, then 2 spend 2 hrs @ the movies while my child is suffering. Smh.

i used to have an asthmatic cough like that, and i would go to movies and other things. i might have annoyed other people, but i had fun.

When I go to a movie and the people around are making too much noise, talking, coughing, moving too much, if I can't find another seat and the management can't do anything about it, I just ask for my money back and go at another time. I've never been refused.

No I would not take a coughing child or adult to a movie, however, it could be allergies.

Blessings...

It was probably from allergies or asthma-this is a terrible time of year for those who suffer with these. This kind of cough is not contagious nor does it mean the person is sick. My son coughed all last week-nothing I could do but give him his inhaler and send him to school.

I get that it might be allergies, but then you give them something to suck on or some water to sip on. A cough from allergies can be just as painful as a cold - your throat is still sore from all the coughing & can sometimes give you a headache. Poor kid!

If it was allergies, Dad may not have noticed. My son has allergies and sometimes I am more oblivious to his coughing or nose blowing than someone else's...just because he does it all the time. Sometimes I have a hard time judging whether or not he is coming down with a cold, even.

However, Dad should have probably offered him something to drink for his throat (assuming he didn't think to give him any medication or a cough drop, or his triggers didn't set him off until the movie started).
Sorry you didn't enjoy your movie, though.
I can deal with coughing better than people whispering, texting, talking and rattling snack bags, though.

My nephew always coughs due to his asthma. The parent should have at least given him something to sip on to help keep the coughing at bay.

Ugh. People are so selfish nowadays. Why would you WANT to take your kid out in that condition, and to a movie, at that? I would've complained to management or said something. Movies are too expensive, to have my experience ruined by an inconsiderate parent.

And, be it allergies, croup, or a dry throat, it's still NO excuse to let your child suffer like that and ruin everyone else's movie going experience. It's essentially like letting your baby cry or scream through a whole movie. At some point you should have the common sense to know it's time to leave.

And, enough with the insinuation that dads are senseless idiots. Mine is not, and I am sick of hearing "it's a man thing". Any semi-intelligent person knows when his kid is coughing non-stop and knows that the kid probably shouldn't be there in the first place.

No, to me it constitutes allergies. Perhaps the child was allergic to someone's perfume or laundry detergent? We have some HORRIBLE pollen issues here now, so that's what I immediately think of, not sickness.

I do not bring myself nor my child out sick or with a chronic cough.

I woulnt take my kid out if I even thought they were sick. Its not fair to them or the other people. That makes me mad. No wonder I can't keep my baby well and im a major sanitizer!

No, I wouldn't take my son out to a movie, to share space with others and cough all over them for two hours. Poor kiddo.

The dad was out with his kids, either because mom was doing something and he needed something to entertain them or it was his custody time. He probably didn't realize the kid was sick.

I've come to realize that fathers don't evaluate the kids' health like a mother would. They just see it differently... I think you might be projecting how you would have reacted as a mom--but fathers don't think of things the same way.

That is so rude. A family did that one time when we went to see a rated R movie. They had 3 or 4 young kids, the oldest looked about 8 and the youngest about 4. The youngest one coughed the ENTIRE time. It was a late movie and all I could think the entire time was 1)they shouldn't be watching THIS movie, 2)its way past all of their bedtimes 3)that little guy needs to be at home in a warm bed. Then they had the nerve to get mad when one of them started complaining. I was so upset I couldn't even enjoy the movie.
Why do people do that???

Could've just been allergies. I would have maybe looked for another place to sit. That would have been annoying too.

It is annoying to others but the cough may just be a allergies or asthma. If I knew I was taking a child with a cough to the movies I might give them medicine for it (but sometimes you don't realize until you are already there).

I try and keep my kids home if they are sick, at especially for the worst few days of a cold. But sometimes you have to take them to the doctor, drug store or grocery store. I would expect to find sick people in the doctor's office. I try to not to schedule well check ups during cold and flu season.

It was probably an allergy cough. We have one boy on the bus who has the worst cough at this time of year. It sounds like it is allergies aggravated by asthma. I mention to him that maybe his mom should take him to the doctor about this. You would think it would bother his mother as much as it does us.

yes, i would have enough consideration for the other patrons to take a constantly-coughing child out. if it's an allergy or an occasional cough, a lozenge and/or a drink should be enough to make it okay. but constant? no, not okay.
khairete
S.

My oldest has asthma if we stayed home every time he coughed we would never leve the house now add allergy season and it's even worse. Cough does not equal sick. Also a cough can linger long after a cold was gone and throat clearing/coughing can also be a tic.

I would never a. Assume a coughing child was sick or b. Be annoyed about it at a movie :)

I would agree that just because it's a cough, does not mean it's a contagious illness or a threat to those around him. My stepson was around 8 or 9 when at some point during the summer we stayed with the weekend with friends of ours at their summer cottage and he picked up a cough. He continued to cough for 3 months straight, mostly at night (he lived with his mom and we had them every other weekend, and apparently she didn't feel the need to take him to a doctor about it). But there was nothing contagious about it.

I would NEVER do that to my child! How horrible for the child to be coughing the whole time. Next time if this happens again, go tell the movie attendants and they will come in and remove the family. I don't think its fair for them to disturb everyone in the theater. Sorry this happened!

M

If it wasn't something contagious, I'd do a movie, but I'd also make sure the child had plenty to drink or had a cough drop to suck on.

A. Yes, how very annoying, anywhere, but especially in a movie! You maybe could have asked the manager to say something (you can't confront anyone personally these days, however, politely - some people simply don't respond well).
B. "I" wouldn't do that, but dad? My husband doesn't seem to be as aware of what might annoy other people as I am. Maybe it's a dad thing. He still could have given the kid a drink or lozenge/hard candy if it's a ticklish cough.
C. Maybe not a sick kid, but one with allergies - the coughing could be secondary to post-nasal drip.
Still annoying! Go ahead & vent! :)

Just a side thought. What if the child cannot stop coughing or has an illness that keeps them from doing so much that normal kids can do. I can see your point that it ruins your experience, but sometimes we have to think outside of our world and wonder if this is the only "fun" this child might have. Just a thought.