Entertaining Young Children
By Bruce "Charlie" Johnson
A young child sees a strange creature towering over them,
screams, and hides in terror behind their mother.
Have they just seen the Bogeyman?
No, they have just experienced their first encounter with a
clown.
Children Between Two and Four Years Old
For young children, especially between the ages of two and
four, a clown can be a terrifying character. They do not know what a clown will
do, and are afraid the clown may hurt them. Proximity is a factor. A clown fifty
feet away in a circus ring is a lot less threatening than one standing next to
them in their living room.
It is possible to overcome their fear without terrifying
them.
Be Sensitive
The first step is to be aware of individual children. If you
see a child showing signs of uneasiness as you approach, do not go any closer to
them or you may frighten them. Once you've scared them, you may never get them
to look at you again.
The Key - Let Them Get Used To You
The key is to reassure them by letting them see you in
interaction with others and by letting them interact in a non-threatening way
with you.
When I approach a group of children I always approach the
older children first, but keep my eye on the younger ones. I let the young kids
see me shaking hands with their older brothers, sisters, and parents first. I
also slow down my movements, and don't make any move directly towards the
younger kids.
Then I kneel down to get to their level instead of towering
over them. I extend one finger for them to shake. This puts them in control.
They know they can let go when they want.
If their parent is there, I shake hands with their parent
using the hand that is closest to the child. Then maintaining a grip on the
parent's hand, I reach across our arms with my other hand to extend my
forefinger to the child. The child can see that I'm not hurting their parent.
Often the adult will say, "See, I'm shaking with the clown. Do you want to
shake too?" Also, the parent's arm forms a barrier so the child feels
protected. As long as their parent is holding onto me, I can't come any closer
to the child.
I perform in pantomime, which can be frightening to small
children, who have never encountered a silent character before. If they keep
saying hello to you in a louder voice, this is what is happening. Their need to
be reassured by hearing me speak is greater then my need to maintain a character
I invented. I always kneel down, break character, and quietly talk to them. Then
I return to character, stand, and continue my silent acting.
If the child shows any reluctance to shake or have me near, I
do not force it. I back off.
Occasionally they just need more time to observe me from a
distance. Sometimes they need a way to interact from a greater distance.
One thing that works for me is to give them something
nice. For example, a trick cartoon they have watched me draw.
I hold it by my fingertips, and extend it to them so they can
get it without coming within my reach. If they are reluctant to come get it, I
give it to their parents to give to them. This way they have received something
nice from the clown. Other things that have worked well for me include a
napkin rose, a photo business card, and a coloring sheet of Charlie with a small
box of crayons. Early in my career, I used round balloons with children
this age. However, I've stopped that practice. The Federal Government has
classified balloons as a choking hazard and advises that young children, who put
things in their mouth, not be given balloons.
Something else that gives me good results is to start
juggling balls at a distance from them. They know that as long as I am busy
doing something else I can't hurt them. Also, they find the color and movement
fascinating. Often they will start moving closer to me. If a child is staying in
their safe zone, I'll drop a ball so it rolls in their direction. Then as I turn
to face them I back up a step. (Any movement towards them is a threat.) I wait
for them to get the ball and throw it back to me. Sometimes this evolves into a
game of catch. This gives them a safe interaction from a distance.
While you are involved with other kids or doing a show, a
frightened child will start to creep toward you as their interest grows. Ignore
them at this stage. They think you don't know they are there so they are safe.
If you make eye contact you tell them you know they are there which feels
threatening and they will scurry back to their safe zone.
The main thing is to provide them a way to see you mean no
harm, and to let them come to you on their own terms.
Saying Good-Bye
Occasionally a child will just be too uneasy. Then you have
to leave their area. Ask them if they want to say good-bye. Again, this puts
them in control, which is reassuring. If they say good-bye, or even just wave, they have had a safe
successful interaction with you. They are then more likely to say hello a little
later.
One day at Raging Waters, a mother approached me with a
little girl. The mother said, "This is Sarah. She wants to say
something to you." Sarah kept her eyes averted and very quietly said
hello. I greeted her and then asked if she wanted to say good bye.
She looked up at me and very loudly said good bye. This happened several
times during the day as Sarah tested her bravery. Each time her hello was
a little more confident and louder. Finally at the end of the day, I sat
down on the ground while Sarah watched me perform several magic effects.
She had faced her feat and overcome it on her own.
Photographs
Sometimes, no matter how frightened a child is, parents
insist upon a photograph. (This especially happens to clowns who portray Santa
at Christmas.) A solution I've found is to have a parent or older
sibling sit in a chair holding the child. Then I stand behind them positioned so the child can't
see me, but I show up in the picture. If you can see the lens of the camera,
you will be in the picture. The photographer will get and hold the child's
attention. As soon as the picture is snapped, back away. The child
isn't paying attention to the photographer any longer and will look to see where
you are at.
Others Who May Be Frightened
Young children aren't the only people afraid of clowns. I
once sensed a college girl was uneasy with me so I treated her like a frightened
child. I interacted first with her boyfriend. Gradually she relaxed and began to
enjoy my performance. Afterwards her boyfriend thanked me saying she had been
terrified of clowns ever since being kicked by one as a child. (It is rare
that a clown actually harms a child.) Many adults can't
enjoy clowns because they have never overcome being traumatized by one as a
child.
Caring clowns need to be particularly sensitive to this.
Children in a hospital are already in a frightening environment where they have
little control. You don't want to scare them further. Be very sensitive to their
comfort zone. If they are in their room, always pause at the door and ask
permission to enter. If they say no, respect their wishes and move on to the
next room. If you see them in a hallway, be prepared to turn to study the wall
so they can sneak past you if that makes them feel safer.
My wife and I were doing a show for children with special
needs. As soon as we entered an autistic teen screamed, ran, and hid in a
corner. We ignored him as his caregiver reassured him and escorted him from the
room. He watched the first part of the show from outside. Eventually he wanted
to come back into the room to be part of what the other kids were enjoying.
Again, we didn't make eye contact. Several times during the show, I asked
audience volunteers to come into my stage area to help me with a trick. I
planned to end the show with a mismade flag routine. He had been participating a
little in the show so I wanted to use him as a volunteer, but didn't think he
would be comfortable leaving his caregiver to stand next to me in front of the
group. I moved over to his chair approaching so his caregiver was always between
us. I had him tap my change bag with a magic wand, and then pull out the correct
flag. His smile as everyone applauded and cheered him was priceless.
Conclusion
It takes a lot of patience to reach frightened children. You
have to recognize what is happening, respect their feelings, let them maintain
their comfort zone while you interact with others, and wait for them to approach
you on their own terms. When a child who screamed when they first saw you, gives
you a hug after your show, it is well worth the effort.
© Copyright 1984 by Bruce Johnson. All rights reserved.
Originally published in Laugh-Makers Magazine.
For more information see
Coulrophobia