My family of 5 went to see the Mets at Citi Field. Having lounge access made such a difference with our kids.

• My husband loves baseball, and we've been taking our three kids to minor league games in Maine.
• During a visit to New York City, we decided to take them to a Mets game at Citi Field.
• I worried the pace of the game would leave them cranky and bored, but they thoroughly enjoyed it.

After weeks of chatting on Tinder, my now-husband and I decided to meet in person. Days before our date, he texted me to ask if I was into baseball. I told him I had no idea about the sport, but I'd watch a game with him. That was 12 years ago.

Since, we've gotten married three times, had three children, and watched many baseball games together.

My husband, a die-hard Pirates fan, wanted our kids to love the sport too. A recent family trip to New York City felt like the best way to introduce them to Major League Baseball: a Mets game at Citi Field. We all had a blast.

Our kids had been to minor league baseball games

After our twins were born, we decided to move from Brooklyn to Maine for a slower pace of life. Going from a city that loves sports (have you seen the recent support for the Knicks?) to one with all minor league teams was an adjustment.

That said, because tickets are cheaper, we've been able to take our three kids to several baseball games since they were little. They love cheering on the Portland Sea Dogs, spotting Slugger the mascot around the stadium, and getting a free pass on the affordable snacks.

Our local stadium is small, easily accessible, and extremely kid-friendly. And while I love all of this, after six years in Maine, I was missing the bustle and chaos of a stadium like Citi Field.

We went to a Mets Sunday family game

During our trip to New York to see friends, we decided to stop by Citi Field as part of our adventures. The Mets have family Sunday games, and on the day we went, it was "Toy Story 5" day, which was perfect since we had just seen the movie.

As soon as we stepped into the stadium, each kid was handed a bucket hat featuring the movie's characters. They came in handy since our seats for the 1:40 p.m. game were in full sun, and I worried everyone was going to overheat and complain.

There were so many little kids everywhere, which helped me feel less stressed about keeping my kids in check. We visited the kids' club, where each got a landyard and stickers. You had the option to pay $50 for a different color lanyard, which gave you access to a VIP entrance for the base run with Mr. and Mrs. Met and extra goodies, but we passed because I didn't think it was worth the price. There was also a small air-conditioned area where kids could color and play, but my 8, 6, and 6-year-olds felt already too big for it.

Everyone was entertained

We had lounge access, which was key with the kids. We arrived over an hour before the game started and made our way to the Clover Lounge for food. One order of chicken nuggets, two empanadas, one burger, and one sandwich cost us $81, which felt pretty standard for stadium prices. The food was delicious.

We thought we'd have more time to explore the stadium with the kids and show them around. But by the time we finished lunch, we made our way to the kids' club, and it was already time for the first pitch, so we ran back to our seats.

The kids were entertained not only by the game (which featured a Mets home run, so we got to see the apple pop up) but also by trying to spot Mr. and Mrs. Met throughout the stadium and watching the games on the field between innings.

Halfway through the game, we took another pause to eat ice cream out of baseball helmets (a must) and cool down.

It's going to be a core memory

I was amazed at how good a time we were having, before I remembered that we had actually brought our son to see a Mets game when he was a baby, back in 2019. There was a heat wave, and I had just found out I was pregnant with twins. Hours before we were set to leave for the stadium, I started bleeding. My husband suggested we stay home, but I figured there was nothing left to do if I was having a miscarriage. I would rather keep myself busy watching a live game than sitting at home. And here we were, almost seven years later to the day, with our twin girls watching the game as a family of five.

The Mets lost, and we left before the crowds congested the streets. On our way out, a security guard stopped my kids to give them even more stickers and high-fives.

On the way back home, I asked them what their favorite thing of the day had been. They all agreed on one thing: everything.