Taking a 9 yr old to see U2

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I went to my first U2 concert in June 2005, I was 15.
It was incredible and in fact was the beginning of my following of the band. I'll never forget it. But the one thing I regret was not having earplugs. Even at that age, it was just so mind numbingly loud and as a musician with VERY strong hearing I was terrified about possible damage.

Get ER-20s. I used those for this tour and they're incredible. You can hear every word of the lyrics and of people talking to you, but you don't feel like your head's going to explode!
 
So, any advice on what the cut off age is? I have a 6 and 9 year old. I am seeing the band in Vegas solo 8-(

I have been discussing (read: arguing) with the wife about doing a family trip to Seattle/Portland for the show(s) next summer. I have not yet convinced her that it is a good idea. Some of it has to do with the price, but I keep reminding her of the $35 tix....she still isn't convinced...

Any help....

Bean
 
And I think 6 may be a little young. I saw a couple of kids that age sacked out at the end of Springsteen last year. Sacked out.

I thought that it was a waste on money for the parents; they could have paid a sitter and enjoyed themselves more.
 
I made an account here just so I could post in this thread...
I took my daughter to the Vertigo tour in Montreal when she was 5. Yup 5.

I got my tickets at the window about an hour before the show so we missed the draw to get into the Ellipse. Funny, and incredibly cool thing happened when we got down to the floor. A security guy spotted my daughter and called me over. Handed me a set of earplugs, told my two friends and I to gather around her (to hide her for a second so other people outside the ellipse didn't see what he was doing) and slapped an Ellipse wrist band on her little arm. Looked at her and said "This is a U2 concert, kids win here!" and sent us on our way into the Ellipse. Once we got in, more security staff offered earplugs for her, and some people even gave up their spots along the railing so she could have a better view. U2 fans are the BEST!
Awesome concert. We stood right beside Norman Hewson and a bunch other other kids that had 'family' badges.
 
i'd say 9 is the cutoff, of course take her, but plan for her to sleep up until the show, or smellin salts, oh and bring earplugs
 
martha said:
And I think 6 may be a little young. I saw a couple of kids that age sacked out at the end of Springsteen last year. Sacked out.

I thought that it was a waste on money for the parents; they could have paid a sitter and enjoyed themselves more.
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ugh, don't even get me started on this. i was leaving a grocery store at midnight on monday and saw a family walking in with five kids between the ages of three and eight. :|
 
I just got back from Vegas last week. I was seeing 2-5 year-olds walking the strip with their parents or being pushed in a stroller well after 1am. :doh:
 
KhanadaRhodes said:
ugh, don't even get me started on this. i was leaving a grocery store at midnight on monday and saw a family walking in with five kids between the ages of three and eight. :|
Click to expand...

Roland of Gilead said:
I just got back from Vegas last week. I was seeing 2-5 year-olds walking the strip with their parents or being pushed in a stroller well after 1am. :doh:
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Awesome. It looks like we ARE getting started on this.

My B-I-L is proud of his 10pm bedtime for his kids. They are 10 and 6 yrs. old. :tsk:


M
 
DukeDalton said:
We are taking our 7 year old daughter to Houston. We have Club level seats, less people around and nicer restrooms.
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So glad to see your post. We are taking our 7 year old boy and also have Club level seats in Chicago.
 
martha said:
And I think 6 may be a little young. I saw a couple of kids that age sacked out at the end of Springsteen last year. Sacked out.

I thought that it was a waste on money for the parents; they could have paid a sitter and enjoyed themselves more.
Click to expand...

I think it's hard to tell from the outside of a family whether the kids have had a good time or not. My own daughter, whom I took to see Springsteen when she was almost 8, likely looked like she wasn't having the best time. But she told me afterwards that she really liked it!
And then when just a little older, and for a band she was more 'into' at the moment lol (The Killers), and with better seats so she was more engaged too, she surely would not have been mistaken for someone who'd have better been left at home, she was rocking out lol!

I think kids can get a little overwhelmed is all, so I wouldn't fail to bring something to escape into, like a book or a drawing pad (my daughter at the killers show ended up making little signs with her drawing supplies lol), and surely surely ear protection of various levels (I tend to take both little ear plugs and those big cuffs, just in case, kids' choice). And if it's new to them they should be allowed to decide they're overwhelmed, so if leaving would piss you off then it's probably best to wait til they're older! And whatever the age, unless they're really interested in going, imo, I think it's best not to push it at all. No doubt part of the difference in how she seemed to react at the show was that for springsteen dad decided *for* us all that we'd all go together, while for the killers show when I mentioned the show she *asked* if she could see them (or maybe I asked her if she was interested and she enthusiastically said yes yes yes!).

good luck deciding!
 
kramwest1 said:
Awesome. It looks like we ARE getting started on this.

My B-I-L is proud of his 10pm bedtime for his kids. They are 10 and 6 yrs. old. :tsk:


M
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ooh, ooh, I'm a developmental psychologist and I love to weigh in on this sort of thing lol!

Sleep is very important for adolescents, and of course 8 hours is also important for everyone kiddies included, but more than that isn't really needed, and imho the thing that's way more important than what time kids are 'sent to bed' is what they're doing! Reading and reading and reading til 10pm 11pm whatever...great! Watching bad tv til 7pm and getting 11 hours of sleep after it... not so much.

Also in my humble opinion of course lol, I'm not sure that strolling thru Vegas at 1am is that much worse than strolling through at 7pm really!

cheers all...

Edit: I should be clearer here...for *little kids* like toddlers and preschoolers and young elementary school kids....very very often a good 10 hours or more is what will keep them happiest and healthiest, and of course the littler ones still need afternoon naps....but by middle-to-older elementary school age, kids often seem to have trouble with getting to sleep as early as their bedtimes are sometimes 'set' and the power struggles that can follow, imho, aren't so hot. Then, later, when adolescence hits, and by which time kids are often staying up way late, there is an increased need for sleep...back to 9 to 10 or more hours, yikes!...and there is some speculation that at least some of the crankiness associated with adolescence maybe reflects sleep deprivation!?! I don't mean to indicate that kids don't need a lot of sleep, just that there is variation in how much individuals need and if kids are doing fine on less, so long as they're not like staying up doing garbage activities, I don't think it's too terrible and in some cases can be very positive to let the whole sleeptime process be case-by-case and with the kids not feeling constantly unable to get to sleep etc.
I've always had trouble with the idea of "forcing" sleep, as it were. Regular and 'enforced' bedtimes, sure, but they have to make sense to the child and feel reasonable and supported by the family context.
cheers again!
 
ShellBeThere said:
Sleep is very important for adolescents, and of course 8 hours is also important for everyone kiddies included, but more than that isn't really needed, and imho the thing that's way more important than what time kids are 'sent to bed' is what they're doing! Reading and reading and reading til 10pm 11pm whatever...great! Watching bad tv til 7pm and getting 11 hours of sleep after it... not so much.
Click to expand...

My B-I-L often would play video games with the 10 yr-olds until bedtime, like the Halo series. :tsk: :angry:
So, the kids would be hyped-up before going to bed. But, that's what the TV is for right? He would leave the TV on in their room with the "sleep" timer on to help them fall asleep after that.

Thankfully, his estranged wife has taken them away, and it's unlikely he will ever be able to get them back. She's not MUCH better, but she is better. :shrug:


Mark
 
kramwest1 said:
My B-I-L often would play video games with the 10 yr-olds until bedtime, like the Halo series. :tsk: :angry:
So, the kids would be hyped-up before going to bed. But, that's what the TV is for right? He would leave the TV on in their room with the "sleep" timer on to help them fall asleep after that.

Thankfully, his estranged wife has taken them away, and it's unlikely he will ever be able to get them back. She's not MUCH better, but she is better. :shrug:


Mark
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ew, sorry to hear it:sad: I'd need to watch hours of mr. rogers after having any contact at all with Halo, and I don't think he's on at that time of night:|
 
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