A movie theater just for kids could be the answer to everyone's moviegoing prayers
Families get their own curated experience. Childless folks can watch a movie uninterrupted. Everybody wins.

Every theater should have this option.
Nothing ruins a moviegoing experience quite like crying, screaming, rambunctious (i.e. noisy) children. Between that and someone filming a key scene on their phone…it’s hard to tell which is a bigger buzzkill. We get it—kids will be kids. It’s not their fault they’re not exactly wired to sit still for 2+ hours.
But too many times exhausted parents just sort of let their kids run amok, as though the theater is their own personal playground, which is…frustrating, to say the least. And even more baffling when it happens during a movie not even geared towards kids. Ratings are there for a reason, people!
Of course, it can’t be easy for parents either. They want to offer their children the magic of seeing films on the big screen, and movie theaters fit the bill for reasonably priced family activities—a list that grows shorter and shorter all the time. So simply “waiting until they're old enough” doesn't feel like the perfect solution either.
One movie theater chain, Cinépolis USA, seems to have a brilliant idea for keeping everyone happy, by making a theater just for kids.
In a TikTok posted by art teacher and dad Austyn de Lugo Liston, we get a glimpse into Cinépolis’ "Junior Theaters," which is designed specifically for toddlers. Liston, who took his kids to see Moana 2, shared that this is the only theater we ever take our youngest two kids to because they're not really ready for the full movie theater experience where they sit and just watch for two hours.”
After watching his video, it’s easy to see why his kids love it. It features a ton of play areas reminiscent of a McDonald's PlayPlace—tunnels, play pens, fun little orbs that the little can crawl into, you name it. Listen said families are able to get in half an hour early to allow kiddos get out some of that energy before settling in for the movie.
@austynliston Cinépolis Junior Theater #cinepolis #toddler #parenting #losangeles #thingstodolosangeles #familyfriendly #juniortheater @Cinépolis USA ♬ original sound - Austyn de Lugo Liston
Plus, each movie in the Junior Theater has a 15-minute intermission for a potty break, which is something I know a lot of adults would like in their own movie.
All in all, Liston felt that “it's a great way to start easing kids into movie theater etiquette where you're not too scared that they're going to cry and ruin the experience for someone else because everyone in the theater is either a little kid or the parent of a little kid.”
Still, others who saw the video had some reservations. Primarily, people were concerned that this just instilled bad moviegoing habits for later in life.
“Isn’t this teaching the kids they can go crazy at the movies?” one person asked.
Another remarked, “That’s definitely not easing them into any etiquette.”
Still another wrote. “I feel like this just teaches them not to sit still during a movie. Cause once they hit the ‘right age’ they’re not going to be able to just sit through the movie.”
A few still argued that the best method was to simply wait until they're old enough. As one person put it, “or...take your kids to the movies when they are old enough to sit still...for this just take them to a play place.”
However, there were a few notable clapbacks to some of these criticisms. For one, someone said “with this logic the playgrounds at McDonalds teaches them not to sit still during a meal.” Which is a fair point. Sitting still, whether at dinner or a movie theater, is a skill that develops in kids over time. Working with where they are now isn’t going to change that.
Another pointed out that play areas at movies isn’t an entirely new concept. Back in the days of drive-in theaters, many spots did in fact have playgrounds for families. Considering the alternative (families either missing out on bringing young kids to movies entirely or, more likely, bringing them to regular theaters and waiting for the inevitable cacophony to happen) this seems like a win-win for everyone.
Now if only they made potluck style theater specifically made for people who don’t want to buy concessions.
Ready to find a Junior Theater near you? Click here.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.