Sharing a passion for music with your kids is not only exciting but also important. Your love for music is likely to rub off your kids, whether it is folk-rock or hip hop. Taking your family to “grown-up” concerts can be daunting. Arguably, the most critical question that you should ask yourself is whether the young ones are ready.
While many parents tend to roll their eyes at the idea of tagging their kids along to shows, many music festivals in Canada are increasingly targeting parents and their kids.
For instance, the recently-concluded Field Trip concert held onsite day camps for the little ones. They were entertained by kids’ music icons, Sharon & Bram. Similarly, kids under ten years were granted free entrance at Osheaga in Montreal to watch Radiohead.
Age Doesn’t Matter
What’s the ideal age to take your kids to their first concert? This is probably one of the most constant questions that will run on your mind. Well, there is no definite answer to this question. Nonetheless, there are many variables that you should consider.
Smaller kids can be taken to small outdoor festivities that typically get held in parks. If your kids are the type that loves music, there’s no harm in bringing them to concerts so that they learn more about what they like as well as what’s out there apart from what they listen to on the radio. They will appreciate the atmosphere and have lots of fun in the process. When considering taking your kids to a concert, it’s essential to keep an eye out for concert tickets sale or discounted family packages, which can make the experience more affordable and enjoyable for everyone. Remember to choose concerts with age-appropriate content and a comfortable, safe environment to ensure a positive and memorable first concert experience for your children.
Indeed, common sense applies to the decision that you will ultimately make. There’s a massive difference between taking preschoolers to park concerts, and taking them to a huge stadium or club show. Day-time outdoor concerts in the park are likely to be more secure than nighttime concerts. Nonetheless, you must carry with you essentials such as hats and toys to counter bouts of boredom.
Concerts that are held in amphitheaters and arenas are also manageable if you tag along with your kids. Even so, you must have assigned seats as well as lots of breathing space. You also have to keep in mind that night shows can be tough on kids who are used to an early bedtime.
Opening Acts
It is advisable that you prepare your kids before a concert. Younger listeners can be prepped through familiarization. Simply put, even if they are fans of Taylor Swift and they love her music, they are likely to get bored and disappointed if she only plays recently-released songs.
For this reason, you should consider holding a listening party that will help familiarize your kids with songs that they know nothing about. Certainly, you want your kids to get excited about the show. However, you should ensure that they are well-rested. Shows tend to be long and exhausting and therefore, they will only enjoy it if they are fresh.
Safety and Sounds
Doctors and even some parents have expressed their concerns about the effect of loud music played in concerts on the little ones’ ears. If your older kids wish to be close to the stage, you should get them soft earplugs to keep out the potentially dangerous sound. Younger kids can use baby earmuffs. Nonetheless, keeping the earmuffs on can be cumbersome.
Concerts tend to get super loud. Ear protection will go a long way in keeping your kids out of harm’s way. Apart from noise, there are other concerns that you should consider when you take your kids to a live show.
These include unruly attendees as well as the crush of concertgoers filling out if the venue once the show is over. Skipping the encore and leaving the show early before the masses may sound sacrilegious but it can help you keep your kids safe.
If the young ones have an outright meltdown or a miserable time at the show, you should leave immediately. Most concert-goers tend to be OK with other people’s kids since their complaints and whining is likely to be drowned by the noise.
If you are concerned that your kids are not quite ready for music concerts, you shouldn’t spend money purchasing tickets to that $200-a-head show that you have been angling to attend for years. Rather than experimenting, you should wait for the right time when the young ones will be ready to attend a concert.
Even as you prepare for your kids’ first concert, you need to have realistic expectations. Once the concert starts, you may realize that they are not as ready as you initially thought. Preparing them in advance by gifting them tickets can be a great way to hype their experience and can often save you money if you purchase them early in the offseason during November or December. Even if they don’t enjoy their first show as you expected, it’s just a matter of time before they as you to take them to another concert.