I don't know anything about your kids in particular. It is, however, a fact that more and more people bring their kids to more and more public functions, with less and less attempt to control them and less and less concern for how much they bother other people who are paying good money to be there, every year.

It is especially annoying when you're at a function which involves a performance of music, or anything else you want to listen to, and some kid wants to compete with the performers to make more noise, and the parent can't be bothered to suppress the little monster - or, in many cases, even knows how to.

Again, I know nothing about your kids or your customs with respect to controlling them. But I think the idea of charging admission is to discourage the bringing of children who don't really want to hear the music, or whatever. Makes it a better experience for everyone if they don't show up.

Peter.