I am a grandmother.
I love Sunday afternoon concerts.
And I am dismayed by the idea of people being "stuck with the task of babysitting for their grandchildren." It has always bothered me when fathers say things like, "I can't, I have to babysit the kids." I think of that as being a father. I think of time with the grandchildren as being a grandparent, whether the generation between is present or not, and I like some of each, both sharing all the generations and having one-on-one time with a little one.
However, how family friendly are your concerts? I love to see kids at traditional music events, and most of the musicians I know are delighted to see youngsters take some interest in traditional music. Naturally children attending any public event, restaurant, play, session, concert, must be of an appropriate age (with my older son this was from toddler years on; my younger son was not really ready to go to music events until about middle school age), must have been instructed on how one behaves in such places (and this learning process requires going to such events), and must have the attention of the adult in charge of them, and the adult must be prepared to step out with the child if needed.
Is your post a plea to parents not to leave children with grandparents on Sundays? If on the other hand you are simply venting your frustration, I certainly sympathize, because no matter when an event is, there is always something else going on, and while I put together events at various times, weeknights, weekends, daytime, evening, there seem always to be people who would come if... (In CT tonight, folks had to choose between Gordon Bok in Glastonbury and Brian Peters in Branford among others.) I am not sure I would feel better if my potential audience was in a bar than at synagogue or with their family. But as an audience member I am often frustrated by the feast-or-famine situation in which there seems no good live music for weeks then they all seem to happen at once...We always used to try to convince our kids this is a win-win situation as no matter which you do you will be glad. But I still think of the ones I have to miss.
Celtaddict who is going to try to catch three different events in two states tomorrow...