Attention mums, there is a way to see a movie with your baby. It's called a crying room.

Image: iStock

The thought of taking a small child into a movie theatre is enough to make most parents rock gently in the corner. The noise, the fidgeting, and *gasp* the crying; it’s a sure fire way to make perfect strangers hate you. But what if I told you there was a way for you to see a movie (complete with popcorn and all the yum things that are essential viewing food) with your baby without annoying anyone else in the theatre.

Yep, it’s called a crying room and it wasn’t until recently that I even knew these places existed.

Crying rooms are actually nothing new but many cinemas chose to get rid of them over the years. Recently they’ve been making a comeback though and mums everywhere are cheering.

Basically a crying room is a small glass box usually located at the back of the cinema. It seats about four to ten people and is soundproof to those sitting outside; meaning no one can hear your little one cry.

You can hear everything that’s happening outside and have prime viewing of the big screen.

Inside there are baby changing facilities and you have the ability to control the volume (great if baby falls asleep) as well as the temperature and lighting – making it the perfect environment for baby to nap, cuddle or play around on the floor all while you enjoy perving on Ryan Gosling or whoever takes your fancy.

You’re not able to bring your pram in due to space but you can usually park it outside within eyesight and take baby in a capsule or bouncer with no issues.

Sounds awesome, right? I know!

Crying rooms are especially good for mums with small babies who can happily sleep through a movie. If you bring your baby in a carrier and they’re unsettled you can walk around the room without disturbing anyone else.

To be honest no one would even know if you wore your slippers. Image: istock

From my research most of the larger cinemas won't let you pre-book a crying room, so it's on a first-come first-served basis but during the weekdays you've got a pretty good chance of scoring a space. Not all cinemas have one, so call around before you set off and make sure it's available in your chosen location.

I think crying rooms are an awesome idea for mums, especially those adjusting to life with a newborn. It can be hard dealing with isolation at home and having somewhere comfortable to go where you can attend to all of baby's needs without feeling like your ruining someone else's experience is invaluable. Just getting out of the house sometimes is all you need.

The rooms are also a fantastic idea for mums with more than one rugrat. I came across them after researching options for my 5-year-old's birthday. His only request was to see a movie. The trouble was I also had my three-year-old and my eight-month-old with me - who I knew would not be able to sit through a movie without annoying others or wanting to roam around.

The crying room provided the perfect option.

Candy bar, here I come!