Supervision

When I ask myself questions like this, I always tell myself - if I have to question it, I shouldn't be doing it. If it was all right, your intuition wouldn't make you second guess. Your kids are too young and a stranger (even a mother) is no safeguard. Leave the husband with the kids, that way you can pick out the snacks you want without input from him! =)

They are not old enough to sit unsupervised in a movie theater, even for a popcorn run. Why would you ask a "stranger" to watch your chilren? Mom's can be crazy people too. Arrive at the theater early to get snacks and a good seat. I couldn't imagine leaving my kids in a movie theater to get a snack all types of people go there. I know you probably think it is safe because it is a theater, but what if someone lured them away, in the 5 min. it took to get a snack, (it happens that quick) in this day and age do you really think someone would intervene or it wouldn't happen? Predators can be anyone at anytime, anywhere. I know I sound over the top, but come on, they are your kids. You two should not even be having this discussion or even debating about it, the answer is: it is not safe!

I don't understand the problem at all! No! Your children aren't old enough to be left alone in the theater. Why does it take two people to go to the snack bar... or is just one of you going to the theater with the children? If only one is going to the theater with the children, buy the snacks before you go into the theater. If both of you are going with them, one can get the snacks while the other one sits with the kids. If it takes more than one trip to carry the snacks, one can go out and get part of it, then trade places and let the other one go get the rest. Personally, I find that for a group of 3 adults and 4 children (when we took our small daycare group to the free movies in the summer) we were able to get one large popcorn and drinks just for the adults (we take water for the kids because none of them are supposed to be drinking sodas anyway) and one person was easily able to get the snacks. The theater gladly gave us little boxes to divide the popcorn out with the kids. If they don't, take along some of the cone shaped coffee filters, as they work perfectly as popcorn holders. We simply do NOT do the whole hot dog, etc. thing at a theater, because it's so much less expensive to go to a fast food place before or after the movie.

In my opinion they are still too young. I have a 9yr old boy and maybe it's just him... but he is still VERY immature. I would think that he would be able to stay in his seat and not get up, but what if he did? What if he got lost? What if he wanted to tell me something and came to find me? What if someone he knew came in and he saw them and got up to say hi? What if he had to go to the bathroom and got up because he couldn't hold it... what if he doesn't come back... someone takes him or he can't find the right room or seat?? There are so many questions and scenarios that COULD happen that I'm just not willing to take the risk yet. Of course I'm pretty protective too since I have 100% custody of my son (long story) but the bio father and bio fathers family still lives in the area... I have to be careful. I would say that he's old enough probably when he's about 12 or 13... but that's just me.