Have you ever taken your kids to a rock concert? Dave and I go to concerts as frequently as we can afford it (which means, lately, with ticket prices skyrocketing, not as often as we’d like to). This year, we saw Bruce Springsteen and Hugh Laurie. Those two were so good that I left each performance thinking, “If I never see another concert in my life, I will die happy.” Yeah, they were that good.

We love going to concerts (I’ve seen everything from Air Supply and Manhattan Transfer to Rush and Motley Crue) because we love music. Music is playing all the time in our home, and our kids have been exposed to music of all kinds since they were babies.

We have taken our kids to see Styx twice and Journey twice, and we took them to see KISS. We have taken Parker to see Def Leppard. Dave took Parker to see Judas Priest.

To many parents, the thought of taking kids to a rock concert might be crazy, but for us, it has been a way to share our love of music with our kids.

If you want to take your child to a concert, it can be a great way to bond over a common interest. Here are some tips to make the night rock:

1. Make sure your kids are old enough to enjoy the event. Infants and toddlers do not belong at rock concerts.

2. Make sure the venue allows children before buying the tickets.

3. Use common sense about whether or not the show will be kid-appropriate. While we are comfortable taking our kids to see KISS, we would not take them to see Eminem or Marilyn Manson.

4. Talk to your kids about what they might see at a rock show. The music might be clean, but people will be drinking, smoking, or making choices that you would not make. Teach them tolerance.

5. Always, always, always have your children wear ear plugs.

6. Be prepared to leave if your child is upset by the sounds, explosions, lights, or crowds. Don’t traumatize them by forcing them to sit through a show that is frightening them.

It’s ok to say no to kids too. Parker wanted to see KISS again this year, but they’re touring with Motley Crue, and we don’t feel like he’s ready for that. They also want to see Bruce Springsteen, but it would cost us $600 to take the family – and it’s not something we’re willing to afford. No is ok for kids to understand.