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July 12, 2002
Cries, screams welcome
Movies 4 Mommies caters to parents with young kids.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
Any parent who has had to turn down an evening of popcorn and a
movie because they have a newborn baby to watch will appreciate
the new program set up by Carla Shore called Movies 4 Mommies.
Movies 4 Mommies is designed for parents with babies up to 10 months
old so that they can take their child to an infant-friendly movie
theatre and sit through the whole show.
Shore said she got the idea from a "nice Jewish girl from Toronto,"
Robyn Green, who started Movies 4 Mommies in Ontario last summer.
"[Robyn] went to a movie a couple of years ago and a woman
was there with her baby and when the baby started to fuss a little
the woman had to leave," Shore explained of where the idea
originated. "Robyn thought this wasn't fair and that there
should be a place where people can take their babies and actually
be able to sit through the whole movie so she decided to start Movies
4 Mommies."
Now with four screens operating in Ontario, Shore decided it was
time to bring the concept to Vancouver. Every Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.,
at the Ridge Theatre on Arbutus Street, parents, grandparents, nannies
and babysitters with infants are welcome to participate in a movie-watching
environment that caters to their needs.
Upon entrance into the theatre, everyone receives a package from
Shore that includes information and advertisements of interest to
new parents.
For the Movies 4 Mommies screenings, Shore and the staff of the
Ridge created a designated stroller parking area, a baby changing
station and bottle warmers. The volume of the theatre's speakers
is even turned down so that it won't hurt the babies' ears.
Before each movie, Shore presents a guest speaker who talks to the
audience about various parenting tips, such as how to teach nursery
rhymes, where to buy groceries online and even massage therapy.
Shore said that Movies 4 Mommies has also become a good social outlet
for many of the parents.
"Some of them come with their friends and some of them come
on their own and meet people there," she said. "The doors
open at 1 p.m. and the moms all stream in pushing their strollers
and they're all chatting and making friends."
She suggested that Movies 4 Mommies is best for parents with children
who are not yet old enough to crawl around on their own. However,
anyone of any age is permitted to attend.
"We don't card the kids at the door," she explained. "We
leave it to each parent to judge whether they think their child
will make it through the movie or not.
"The entertainment is for the parent but the baby can come
along and nobody minds if they cry," she continued. "Because,
you know, we're used to slight distractions."
The next two Movies 4 Mommies screenings are the French film Amélie,
July 16, and Lord of the Rings on July 23.
More information can be found online at www.movies4mommies.com.
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