Hey guys! (wave)

I have a question for anyone who has kids and does clowning. How do you handle the approach with them as both the parent and the clown. I've been telling my five year old daughter that "it's our little secret..." and that seems to be doing the trick for the most part. I also have a nephew that I suspect knows that I'm a clown, although I've never confirmed it for him. He's also five, and smart as a whip.

Any thoughtz would be greatly appreciated!

Mine are now 18, 15, 8,
We started more as way for youth to become involve with missions, clowning is great for teenagers, they love to act a fool and the makeup allows for this, First we Went to conferences on clowning and they allow teenagers to attend, so they clown too, now the two oldest, one's in collge and works and doesn't get to clown with me but maybe once a year, the other into boys, friends and school and only help occasionally, but the youngest started early and continue for mission activities, other things I do solo or with an Adult partner. I've never keep it secret from my kids, couldn't have if I tried. They learned early that once in character you need to stay that way and they address me as Saphiire and I call them by their clown name. I try very hard to stay in characture but I don't worry to much if people know me and quess it's me, I just wink and go on with what I'm doing.

I have three boys: 9, 7, and 3.

They do really well with it. they know that when I am in costume, I am Scruffy.And that they can call me Dad ONLY If know one else is around. So far we have never had a problem. As a matter of fact, a few weeks ago I did Bible school at our church, The guys did so well, that our pastors wife came up to me and said, she didn't think even my kids knew I was a clown. It's just something you start early with them.

I don't have kids of my own, but at a recent family picnic, I was a clown and the kids loved it. They knew it was me underneath all that makeup and funny clothes, but the 4 year-olds were calling me "clown" by the end of the day as my clown persona had taken over. Grin. I'm hopeful that having them see a clown in such a familiar setting with their parents there will help them not be afraid of clowns in the future.
Jubilee

Great point jubilee! My cousins daughter and my youngest cousin are only a few months apart. Technically they are aunt and Niece (Apotion). Any way they were afraid of clowns. I took my makeup, costume, balloons and went over and saw Jessica. My first cousin by adoption. I showed her my costume, an shoes, and I put them on. Then I painted a white mouth on her and put a nose on her. She loved it. Through this she began to see that the clown was me and that the clown wouldn't hurt her because it was me, and I wan't going to scare her.
Lindsey didn't get to see me though. At Bible school my mom had prepped her that there was going to be a clown there and not to worry it was me. Eddide and Dave's dad. She was alittle frightened at first, but by the time I was making Balloon animals she was right up there with me. I hope It helped her to see that Clowns are not something to fear but something to enjoy and laugh at.

By the way, cool picture, Scruffy!! Neat. I'm working on mine.
Jubilee

My kids know it's me. My youngest (10) laughs his head off when he sees me in costume. I have trouble remembering that when my daughter is in costme she is "Cheer", not Em!

When Candy and I started out our kids were young. However we let them join in and for a short time they had their own clown identities too. However they quickly moved on to the other things kids of their ages were interested in and having been a clown they knew the importance of the clowns identity. Now my daughter is a bit older she is beginning to take an interest in puppetry again and I think will probably move back into clowning. You can take a person out of clown, but you can't take the clown out of a person! Hey I think I'll add that to my signature!