Interest in the WWE is high right now, as it seems the company is constantly posting record attendance numbers and making headlines as fans grow more excited for upcoming WWE events. In short, it's a great time to take a kid to Monday Night Raw, SmackDown or another live event with superstars throughout the rest of the year. I recently took my daughter to Raw, and I have some advice for parents who don't want to learn the hard lessons I and other parents there did.
Some parents may feel it's best to just leave the kids at home and let them enjoy wrestling on television or with a Peacock Premium subscription. I'll be the first to say they should reconsider, as the WWE's live atmosphere is still very much a family-friendly affair in spite of some changes to programming. Granted, it would've been easier to watch the whole thing at home, but provided readers keep these things in mind, it should be a blast.
Show Up Early, Especially If You're Buying Merch
The doors opened for Monday Night Raw at 6:30 p.m. when I attended, with a couple pre-show matches starting at 7:30 p.m. as part of Main Event and to warm up the crowd for the main show. My daughter and I showed up ten minutes before the doors opened, and we stood in a line that wrapped around the block at just one of the entrances. It was a sell-out crowd, but with how hot the WWE is right now, that's to be expected.
Once we entered the arena, we got in line to buy a couple of t-shirts and then to get some popcorn and drinks ahead of the start of the show. Even though we showed up an hour early, it took just about every minute of that to get those tasks completed. We missed the first few minutes of Akira Tozawa's match with Joaquin Wilde, which wasn't a huge deal. Even so, those who want the best bang for their buck should be aware to show up as soon as they can.
The Merch Tables May Not Have Your Child's Size
My six-year-old daughter had her heart set on getting a Liv Morgan t-shirt as we stood in line, but when we arrived at the counter, I noticed that many of the t-shirts being sold were in adult sizes only. This included the one for Liv, and my daughter was left to choose between a Cody Rhodes t-shirt or a more generic tour shirt with the entire roster on the front. She went with Rhodes, but even then, the only size they had was a youth large, which she was swimming in considering she wears extra small.
I knew the WWE online shop had the exact Liv Morgan shirt she wanted in her size, but as most parents might know, it's hard to convince a kid to leave a merch table they assumed they'd be getting something from. So, we bought the oversized Cody Rhodes shirt, and considering the two people most likely to take his title are nowhere near the company right now, maybe she'll have some time to grow into it.
Pyrotechnics Are Loud And Harder To Predict Than Ever
I can't confirm the WWE's decision to use less pyrotechnics was tied to when CinemaBlend witnessed the WrestleMania star catch fire at Royal Rumble 2022, but I can confirm I've seen sparks and such a lot less in arenas since then. I'm largely fine with the aesthetic changes the WWE has made to Monday Night Raw and other shows, but one downside as a parent is that the company still uses cannon simulator pyro to create the big booms for superstar entrances, and it's so much harder to predict when it will happen.
Little kids have more sensitive ears than adults and, of course, are more easily frightened. My daughter waved off my offer to bring some noise-canceling headphones, but when the first cannon hit unexpectedly, the tears immediately started. Fortunately, she became more immune to it as the show went on, and I became better at figuring out when it would happen, but other parents may not be so lucky. It might be a good idea to check with an arena's guest services to see if they offer ear protection for kids who may want it or to plan ahead and bring your own.
Some Segments May Be Scary Or Inappropriate For Some Children
The Wyatt Sicks are one of the big stories surrounding the WWE right now, and as fans try to predict who their final member may be, they're getting a good deal of screen time. I had feared their appearance for the weeks leading up to going to Monday Night Raw and decided to bite the bullet and show my daughter the footage before we arrived.
Much to my surprise, she thought it was awesome. I thought she was just putting on a brave face in the moment, but when Chad Gable was forced to share a ring with Abby following his "miraculous recovery," she was glued to the moment. She was also thrilled when the video of Uncle Howdy and Bo Dallas played. It became the highlight of her night that she still talks about, but I would say she's an outlier. Many kids in my immediate area were crying and covering their eyes, so I would say parents should just proceed how they feel is best.
A Nap Before Arrival Is A Great Idea
Start and end times vary for all WWE shows, but in any case, those attending Monday Night Raw and SmackDown can reliably expect that 8:00 p.m. ET start time to be rigid. Obviously, the time zone you're in will differ, but for me, I was taking my child about an hour before her bedtime. Not only that, she then had to remain until 11:00 p.m. ET, and somehow do that without falling asleep or throwing a tantrum.
Fortunately, neither of those happened, and it's a credit to the WWE continually keeping children engaged throughout the entirety of the show. I give all the credit in the world to ringside announcer Samantha Irvin, who keeps the crowd engaged during commercial breaks by reading some of the wild signs and getting the kids up to dance. Those who only watch television don't see all the heavy lifting she does during the show, and it kept my kid chugging along until it was time to go.
