Seven Rules for Taking Your Kid to a Concert

The summer concert season is in full swing, and your local arena will soon be hosting performers of all stripes, from Shania Twain, to Taylor Swift, to Janet Jackson, TLC, and Snoop Dogg. And with school out for the next few months, it's probably crossed your mind that the time has finally come for your kids to experience their first Foo Fighters show.

While there's no evidence that instilling in them a love of live music will make your kids smarter, it can boost their creativity and help regulate their emotions. But as someone who's been to his share of concerts and festivals solo, it is already hard enough to navigate long waits in the parking lot and at the concession stand and deal with fans in various states of inebriation dancing in the aisles. To guide my two kids through the melee seems overwhelming.

But cool moms and dads somehow pull this off every summer. There are the obvious ways to safeguard children during a show, including protecting their hearing with earplugs and having a plan should the two of you get separated. Here are other tips to help you, your kids, and even those around you get the most from the live music experience.

Skip the Opener

I've discovered many a favorite band by coming to a concert to catch the opener. However, if your child is a Taylor Swift fan, then Phoebe Bridgers is just another obstacle in the way of their chance to sing along to "Cruel Summer" with the artist herself. And with her shows going past the three-hour range, your kid will be asleep before Swift performs "Shake It Off." Arriving before the headliner takes the stage gives you more time to squeeze in a nap, eat dinner, and take a bathroom break so they can enjoy the whole show.

Let them know what to expect from the crowd

Music (and drugs and alcohol) can make people do funny things, including dancing, twisting, and shouting. For a young person who's likely never been in a large mixed crowd before, it might be a little frightening. On your way to the venue, let your kids know all the silly and crazy things they might see and hear from the audience during the set to prepare them for the sensory overload they're about to experience.

Pick the right seat

No matter how many trips to the toilet you take before the first chord is struck, it's inevitable your child will need to take a potty break during the show (and let's face it, it'll be during your favorite song). The easiest way to make a beeline to the bathroom is by snagging a seat next to the aisle. You'll save yourself the frustration of weaving through the crowd and give yourself a fighting chance to catch the last verse of the artist's big hit.

Consider those behind you

Weaving through a row of fans is one thing, but blocking the view of the people behind you is another. Unless you're sitting in front of Manute Bol, it's probably not a good idea to put your young ones on your shoulders to give them a better view. They'll be able to see just fine from the aisle seat you (hopefully) purchased.

Don't worry (too much) about them getting a contact high

Smell that smell? It's likely what you think it is, and you have a right to be a little concerned about how inhaling it could affect your child. In a 2015 Johns Hopkins study, 12 people were put in an unventilated room where six puffed their way through 10 joints, while the others didn't smoke. The non-smokers felt tired, pleasant, and less alert when the study was over. Their blood and urine tests showed they tested positive for THC. When they repeated the experiment in a ventilated room, the tests were negative for THC.

What's the takeaway from this study? If you're taking your kids to that Dave Matthews Band show at an amphitheater, the chances of them getting a contact buzz are low. But if you're going to catch the band in an arena, you might want to get a sitter.

Leave a snack in the car

Even if your kids didn't get a contact high, they're probably going to be tired and hungry after the show. Leave a healthy snack in the car for them to munch on for the trip home, or it'll be an even longer journey out of the parking lot.

Maybe don't take them

Ask yourself this question, and answer honestly: Why am I taking my young children to a concert? Unless you're going to see The Wiggles, enjoying live music is perhaps best considered an adult pursuit.
If you still want your kids to gain an appreciation for the art form, critic Steven Hyden at Uproxx offers some alternatives:

"The best you can do is make music available to your child. Play it around the house. Make fun mixes for the car. Make music something that your kid can choose to participate in. Because you can't control what your kid likes. Besides, what your kid likes right now won't be what your kid likes six months from now."