Were you distrubed by children and/or talking in shul?

SplitPea

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 8:11 am

I would LOVE to know how your megialla reading went. Were you disturbed by kids? Talking? Anything else? I would love to know if you wanted to answer yes to multiple options.

SplitPea

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 8:20 am

Would also like to know if the people who answered no went I adults only readings or private readings Smile

yo'ma

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 9:10 am

At night by my children Twisted Evil

. They only disturbed me. During the day, a 20 something year old woman who sat behind me and the kids in the hallway.

b from nj

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 9:14 am

Yes, I take listening to the megilla seriously & I didn't appreciate 2 little kids sitting with their mom behind me making noise. Eventually the mom took them out of the room but I would really wish if mothers kept their little ones home until they could really handle sitting through the megilla reading quietly. It's what I did with my own kids when they were little even though it was inconvenient for me & my DH to go to different readings.

SplitPea

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 9:22 am

yo'ma wrote:

At night by my children Twisted Evil

. They only disturbed me. During the day, a 20 something year old woman who sat behind me and the kids in the hallway.

I guess I wonder unless you were at a private reading in your own house how do you know they only bothered you?

ora_43

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 9:23 am

No. There were kids at both the readings I went to but BH they were quiet for the most part.

The kids at the nighttime reading (who were playing outside) did get a little loud at times, but not to the point where I couldn't hear the megillah. During the day there were just a handful of babies and young kids and they barely made noise at all.

FTR both readings were pretty small.

eta - none of the little kids were my kids. I don't think I could focus if my younger kids were with me at the reading, I'd be too worried about keeping them quiet.

bamba

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 9:26 am

I voted by adult talking...at the night was at a reading in a more not frum shul...but it was funny cuz the woman talking was one of the frummer ladies there... I could still here megilla but it was a bit annoying...

mommyhood

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 9:29 am

I went to a megillah where a woman brought her kids and told them to stay in the hallway. The kids were bored and kept coming in to talk to her. Every time the door opened there was a lot of noise from the hallway and she kept yelling at her kids every time they came in which was very uncomfortable to watch. I can't imagine she heard every word and the people sitting near the door probably didn't either.

Raindropsonrose

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 9:45 am

bamba wrote:

What on earth is a "more not frum shul?"

yo'ma

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 9:56 am

SplitPea wrote:

I guess I wonder unless you were at a private reading in your own house how do you know they only bothered you?

They weren't loud, just bothering me.

SplitPea

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 10:00 am

yo'ma wrote:

They weren't loud, just bothering me.

And they very well might have bothered someone else.

yo'ma

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 10:03 am

SplitPea wrote:

And they very well might have bothered someone else.

You weren't there and don't the know the shul, so please don't try to make me feel bad.

Ruchel

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 10:06 am

Kids made noise, there was music around and adult talking too. lol
My dd also disturbed me by constantly moving on my lap and asking if it was over (in the end).
LOL

granolamom

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 10:31 am

I went to a later minyan in my shul, lots of kids but it was pretty quiet. I dont like certain noisemakers (ie capguns) but I guess I really cant complain if its only during 'haman'.

Isramom8

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 10:34 am

I don't understand why this still has to be an issue in Klal Yisrael. Shuls or communities should make sure to have two readings so that people (not necessarily spouses) can switch off listening to the megillah and taking care of young kids.

There can even be a fun third reading just for young kids, who don't have to fulfill an actual obligation.

Preschools should not teach kids that they will attend the megillah reading. Most kids younger than about second grade when they can follow the reading well cannot sit quietly for this mitzvah obligation. It's an obligation, not a game.

notshanarishona

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 10:58 am

Every community that I know of has has 2 readings. imo, it is selfish to bring kids under the age of 5 (or kids who cant sit quietly for an hour).
if ur husband can't bbysit and u cant find a bbysitter and u cant find a private reading then u should ask ur LOR. Chances r that u r pattur and even if u r not, better lose one mitzvah than make many women lose out.

grace413

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 11:02 am

Isramom, the problem (at least in some places) is not the shuls, it's the people.

I went to a place that was advertised as a "quiet" reading. Before the Baal Koreh started he announced in both Hebrew and English that quiet means no noise whatsoever.

Evidently, a few women felt that their crying babies were exempt from this rule. One woman even felt justified in remaining in the small, crowded shul after her baby had a dirty diaper. I wasn't sitting near her but two of my friends were; one a recent widow who came davka because she wanted a quiet reading.

This is a community with zillions of readings at various times.

Just no excuse for people to be so inconsiderate.