Would you bring a baby to a soccer game?
by Halimat Olunlade, Social Media Manager
Photo Credit: Mauricio F. Escobar M.
America has noise on its mind this summer. With the World Cup in its final week and Fourth of July just passed, our social media feeds have been full of images of babies at parades, fireworks, and in the crowd at their first soccer games. It’s an adorable reminder that while this might be our umpteenth World Cup, someone out there is enjoying the wonders of soccer for the first time. It’s also concerning.
The sound from stadium crowds can climb well past 100 decibels, loud enough to put a baby’s still-developing hearing at risk. It raises a question every new parent eventually faces: when is your baby ready for their first big, loud outing, and what should you think about before you go?
Crowd noise at a packed stadium regularly exceeds 100 decibels — comparable to a chainsaw or a low-flying jet. To protect infant ears, rather than earplugs, over-the-ear muffs are the much safer choice. Regular earplugs can be a choking hazard if they fall out, and often don’t stay put in small ears.
But good hearing health isn’t just about muffling the loud noise. When it comes to hearing damage, noise duration matters just as much as volume. Make sure you know where the quieter areas, family rooms, or exits are before kickoff, not after your baby is already overwhelmed.
If you’re out in public this summer and faced with a fussing baby, remember: that baby didn’t choose to be at the game, and neither did the family dog dragged along to those Fourth of July fireworks. But they’re both part of the community, and the burden of managing noise shouldn’t fall entirely on a parent scrambling to find ear muffs in a diaper bag, or an owner covering a dog’s ears.
More venues could offer designated quiet zones, family sections set back from speaker stacks, or simply educate guests so that parents can make informed choices before they buy tickets. Building healthier, quieter communities isn’t just about telling others to quiet down — it’s about making spaces safe enough for all members, babies and pets included.
