These are the places to take your kids -- not adult programming.

So, I was recently at the theater, and there was a family there with 3 kids, ages about 1, 10 and 12. I have an inkling they could have been family of one of the performers, but I am not sure.

I think it is laudable that parents want to introduce their kids to the theater. In fact, I encourage it, and there are a lot of theaters whose missions state that they exist to introduce kids to theater. They include Lilly Theatre at the Children's Museum, Young Audiences and more.

These are the places to take your kids -- not adult programming. The reason being, the kids were bored, and TALKED the entire show. Instead of taking the kids into the lobby, the parents just let them do what they wanted. So they figited, and TALKED -- talked louder than the group of drunk women next to me (a rant for another day).

If you are going to shell out the money for 2 tickets to the theater -- and it's not a kiddy theater -- please budget the money for a sitter as well. Your kids will be happier and the people around you will thank you.