How do George and Lydia's reactions differ to the veldt and the lions?

At first, Lydia is more frightened of the nursery's scene of the veldt than George, alerting him to it and then running out of the room as the lions seem to attack them, while he follows her. He reassures her that the veldt is all an illusion behind glass and that lions can't cross into the room to devour them.

Nevertheless, both parents are very concerned about the children's obsession with the veldt. They both feel the children have been spoiled and that buying the high-tech HappyLife Home was a mistake. At the end of the story, however, when George has decided to turn the nursery off for good, and the children are crying, Lydia wavers and asks George to leave it a little longer:

“George,” said Lydia Hadley, “turn it on again, just for a few moments. You need to give them some more time.”

George argues but eventually agrees to leave it on for a few more minutes as he prepares for their vacation in Iowa. These extra minutes, unfortunately, give the children the opportunity they need to lure their parents into the veldt one last time.

How do George's and Lydia's responses to the nursery in "The Veldt" differ?

In Ray Bradbury’s story “The Veldt,” George and Lydia are both highly disturbed at their children’s use of the technological nursery that satisfies their every fantasy, but they approach the problem in somewhat different ways.

Lydia is the first one who notices that there is something wrong with the nursery. She wants George to look at it or, better yet, to call in a psychologist to examine it. She is disturbed by a change she has noticed, and when the couple checks the nursery, they find the veldt. They both think that the whole scene is a little too real, but at first George does not notice anything unusual. Then he sees the lions. They have been eating something. Lydia also has heard a horrible scream, but George has missed it. Then the lions charge at them, and they jump out of the room, George laughing, Lydia crying. Lydia is afraid, but George reminds her that the room is not real. George does promise to talk to the children.

Lydia also wants George to lock the nursery. He is hesitant to do so because of the temper tantrum Peter threw the last time that happened. Lydia has just about had enough of all the technology in their house, though. She wants to take a vacation from it all, for she has nothing to do. The house has taken over, and she feels useless even to her children.

When George enters the nursery again, he tries to change the scene away from the veldt, but it does not work. He thinks it is out of order, but Lydia suspects that Peter has tampered with the machinery. George doubts it, but when he finds his old wallet chewed and bloody, he makes a commitment to lock the nursery. He is now sorry that they ever bought the nursery. Lydia tries to defend their decision, but they are both uncomfortable.

George calls in a psychologist to look at the nursery, and they turn off the machinery. The children have a fit. Lydia suddenly takes their side, for she cannot handle their upset. This is a huge mistake. George remains firm for a while, and he turns off the whole house as Peter screams at him. The children beg for just one more moment in the nursery, and Lydia supports them.

We can see, then, how George and Lydia respond somewhat differently. Lydia is frightened, George skeptical and then angry. At the end, however, George is determined and Lydia weak. When George weakens for just a moment, tragedy follows.