Do Kids Sense That You're A Clown?

[Pickles]

Here's a weird question to start your day. Do you ever get the feeling that children can sense that you are a clown -- even when you are not dressed as one? Do they look at you knowingly? Do they say something to let on that they know?

Maybe I really am insane (please don't confirm this in your posts), but I sometimes feel like children do know that I'm a clown -- even when I know they've never seen me when I'm "in clown."

The strangest and most blatant example of this happened about a year ago. I was at a dance recital rehearsal with my daughter, and a little boy was entering the auditorium at the same time we were. I swear I'd never seen him before. He kept tugging on his mom's arm. Then he turned around, pointed at me, and said, "That lady is a clown."

Wow!

Any similar experiences?

[Calavera]

Originally Posted by Pickles

The strangest and most blatant example of this happened about a year ago. I was at a dance recital rehearsal with my daughter, and a little boy was entering the auditorium at the same time we were. I swear I'd never seen him before. He kept tugging on his mom's arm. Then he turned around, pointed at me, and said, "That lady is a clown."

Ooh, spooky. Maybe you didn't see him, but maybe he saw you at a performance? Though, even then, it seems strange that he would recognize you out of makeup and costume.
It could also be just a big, fat coincidence.
Who knows? Kid's psychic, maybe.

Either way, it's kind of cool and I wish I could explain it. Let's hope that this thread gets more replies, I want to read more experiences like this.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I work in the Walmart Pharmacy and I wear a badge that the photo lab made for me with a photo if RD on it... Ok so its really just one of their personalized giftcards with a pin back glued on to it... and my normal Walmart Name badge hangs off of it. But I wear it proudly.

I'm surprised by the number of people adults and some older children catch on that I'm the person behind the clown. Because they have seen me at events and such...

I did a small Private Egg hunt back in March. A few days ago the Host of the event came through the Pharmacy with her little boy... He noticed my badge, his eyes got real big, and he said, "HEY!! You know MY clown." ... I just smiled back and said, "Yep... I know him pretty well."

[Calavera]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dazzle

I did a small Private Egg hunt back in March. A few days ago the Host of the event came through the Pharmacy with her little boy... He noticed my badge, his eyes got real big, and he said, "HEY!! You know MY clown." ... I just smiled back and said, "Yep... I know him pretty well."

Aw, how delightfully saccharine. Keep them coming, people.

[pixcoco]

My friends and I have had this discusion many times. Yes they know. I don't know how but most people who clown much have had this experiance. Way to many times to be a coincidence.

I know that standing in line to pay for groceries the child in the cart in front of me will give me that knowing look. While sitting the the lobby of a restarant waiting to be seated a child will often come right over and sometimes right onto my lap.

We have talked about why this may be. Could it be we see children while all others tend to pass them by. We make eye contact. But a lot of moms will do that.

Intuition on the part of the child? Why not. We credit dogs with such intuition all the time. They know a good person or a bad person before the door is even opened. Why can't a child be born with the ability to scence things about people?

Children are credited with the ability to see spirits by some.

I like to think they depend on that unspoken communication while small kids. That ability leaves most of them as they become more dependent on on verbal communication. And those special children who lack verbal skills due to Autisum other such things sometimes retain that intuition. They just can't tell us about it.

So I just assume many of them know. They catch my eye and I smile knowing that we both know this little secret.

So Pickles you are not the first to see this and I'm sure you will not the last. It is just one of the perks of what we do.

[Willace-the-Clown]

Ive not had that exsperinc when I'm Will I might as well be inviseable I get no Attension. But as Willace, Hobo Bob Scrubs or Spooky Everyone knows I'm There.

[Scruffy]

I think, Yes.
Kids do sense something Maybe it's the Haawiian shirt, or the big smile, when they make eye contact. I had a kid start yelling clown, clown once. And the mother started to correct her. I pulled out a balloon, twisted a poodle, handed it to the girl and told the mother that, sometimes they can sense these things.......

Cheers,
Scruffy

[Bonkers #361]

I think that although your Clown persona and you are 2 different people you still have something special. I recently went out to luch with a co-worker and this little boy kept up looking over the booth at me. when my co-worker would look at him he would hide but when I looked over he would wave. maybe he just liked me but I think it is in your manners.

[Sir Toony Van Dukes]

Pickles, Interesting question. It is possible the kid recognized you from a performance or you had something that you didn't realize you had that gave it away. Maybe, you just have a special way of looking at kids like they are real people where other adults look at them as something else. Whatever it was, you should be happy that a kid would get excited to see you.

[Voice]

Yes but in my case I think it might work befor you start clowning.
As long as I can remeber baby sitting I have had kids pinch or squezz my nose add with a honking nois. the parents have often laughed in surpriz not nowing why this has just happend.
Maby it's the way we resond to kids that we dont know that tips them off.