Yea, I wish I could tell Moms, I'm not so good with your toddlers, could you leave them at home or send them to the neighbor's house? LOL

The nice thing is, most families are used to their toddlers and find most of what they do cute. That gives a nice cast to about everything but screaming.
Sometimes I ask a cousin or Sister to keep a young one in check if Mom is ignoring the situation. Little kids are almost always there because an older sibling is attending.

I think the best I can do is give guidance on what age my show is written for and if the bulk of the group does not fit that guideline, I do a more family-friendly show (my shows skew that way anyway since I almost never see an all the same age crowd,)

Carry a couple of back-up tricks to switch out in case it is not the crowd you expected.

- Mary

What happens to the seven-year-old brother? Where does the six-year-old sister go?

Maybe framing it in your advertising as "Best enjoyed by ages 8 and up" sets proper expectations for content and complexity without slamming the door on families with siblings close in age.

Still, I personally think hard age floors sound clean on paper, but they break down fast in reality. Family events rarely come in uniform age brackets. Enforcing a strict age limit forces parents into an awkward spot: either split up their kids, hire a babysitter for one child just to bring the other, or skip the event entirely. It can create friction, and parents usually default to the path of least resistance. If one child isn't allowed, the whole family stays home. It also risks negative word-of-mouth: Frustrated parents who get turned away don't always remember the show's intent, they just remember being turned away.


Tom

I must admit, though, I DID think about the age limit solution until I saw it implemented at a library show for reading-age children.
The Moms ended up out watching the toddlers and babies. It did not sit right with anyone.

Unless screaming or constant crying are involved they are best included.

- Mary