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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

fear of clowns - do they grow out of it?

47 replies

CristinaTheAstonishing · 09/10/2006 13:40

DD (19 months old) seems to be scared of clowns, or at least of Justin/Mr Tumble when he appears on another programme in varius clown-like costumes. Is this something (some) children grow out of? I have an acquaintance who is still scared of them and she's 30+.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Peggotty · 09/10/2006 13:42

HA ha - i'm still scared of them, horrible unfunny things!! My DD is scared of men, hopefully she'll grow out of that !

tassis · 09/10/2006 13:42

Ds hated "scary Justin" when he was 2. Also screamed at both clowns and a magician in RL. Now 3.5 loves all 3!

Original poster

CristinaTheAstonishing · 09/10/2006 13:46

Peggotty - how to you "rationalize" your fear? You know they are just men dressed up as clowns? Or is this a true phobia and you can't talk yourself through it?

Thanks for the reassurance, i'd heard of children being scared of clowns but it's upsetting to see DD so terrified.

OP posts:

HumphreyPETERCUSHION · 09/10/2006 13:48

Not if they've got any sense!

Clowns are EVIL!

mythumbelinas · 09/10/2006 13:49

i am scared of clowns!! shudder .. and i found it funny to find a male friend of mine scared of them too!!!!

JackieNoHeadJustABloodyStump · 09/10/2006 13:50

DS (2.10) is still scared of Mr Tumble. Doesn't mind Justin though.

Peggotty · 09/10/2006 13:52

Cristina it's not a true phobia as such, they just really give me the creeps. Stephen King's 'It' has got a lot to answer for. I think they are quite sinister, personally. I suppose I can't really rationalise it, actually. I was scared of anyone dressed up in any kind of animal/character/santa suit as a child...

Marina · 09/10/2006 13:54

I think Blu might have recently grown back into this phobia...
I think the face-obscuring make-up means it is really common for small children to dislike them. Dd loves Mr Tumble (is 3) but hated clowns at your dd's age Cristina

mythumbelinas · 09/10/2006 13:55

I think my kids don't mind watching clowns on TV, but in real life, if dd1 sees somebody dressed up she gets a bit scared.
i didn't realise i was so scared till i got chased by one at a theme park. It was chasing the kids then thought it was funny to come after me .. and silly me ran and ran .. so scared to be caught with the giant comb he was holding!!! Been scared ever since.

meowmix · 09/10/2006 13:56

I never have. BUT apparently there's a film where the clown is the killer that a babysitter let me watch at an impressionable age which is why I think they're mad stalker psychos.

Peggotty · 09/10/2006 13:59

Meowmix, that's the film version of Stephen King's 'It' - horrible. I think clown phobia is actually quite common!

FrannyandZooey · 09/10/2006 14:11

I can't bear clowns, they are very disturbing. I would go out of my way to avoid one and the worst is if they come near you and you think they might touch you. It isn't just the make up thing, it's the unpredictability of them and the feeling they are going to invade your personal space. They are quite threatening IMO.

I can cope with it, I mean we went to a circus last week and I was ok watching them froma distance except for when one ran up the aisle, but ds was not impressed at all either. Does anyone actually like them?

Mirage · 09/10/2006 19:39

I haven't read the rest of the thread but I really don't like clowns.I find them slightly sinister-possibly something to do with the painted on smile.You don't know what they are thinking & what they are going to do next.

My mum is the same about people dressed up in gorilla suits.

TutterIckOrTreat · 09/10/2006 19:40

i also came on here to post about It. anyone who's read it will be scared of clowns.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 09/10/2006 19:41

Ahem....no

southeastastralplain · 09/10/2006 19:42

poor clowns, the clown i know doesn't put on make up anymore because so many children are scared, it seems to be a recent thing. i quite like them there's quite alot of history to their makeup. hehe to your mum mirage!

southeastastralplain · 09/10/2006 19:43

the stephen king film is scary but the clown turns into a crappy monster at the end. which is not scary.

Original poster

CristinaTheAstonishing · 09/10/2006 20:01

Interesting reading about uniforms/dressing up. I'll keep an eye on it to see if Sylvia is scared by the milkman, postman, doctors etc, or if it's just not being able to gauge the face. DS never went through this. He was most definitely fascinated with policemen and train conductors, but maybe he was older then.

OP posts:

zaphod · 09/10/2006 20:13

Speaking AS a clown......in my experience most children will grow out of a fear of clowns. Children at birthday parties often tell me how they, or their brother or sister used to be afraid of clowns. Often at a party one of the children will be scared, but eventually come around, and even have their face painted or come up to get their balloon animal. Sometimes though, they stay out of my way for the duration of the party.

It really annoys me when adults try to force a child to go up and 'see the nice clown' when the child is obviously terrified, and I make a point of telling them to let the child get used to me in his/her own time.

Having said all that, my dh's best friend is scared of clowns, and hates to see me in costume. And he's 46.

Apparently there are websites for people who have a clown phobia.....

Peggotty · 09/10/2006 20:21

Hee Hee .. brilliant, we even get an actual CLOWN'S perspective on Mumsnet - I love it!!!

AS SOutheastastralplain says there is really quite a lot of interesting history behind clowns and what they represent.

Seems a stupid question, zaphod, but are you a female clown?

expatinscotland · 09/10/2006 20:25

I never did.

I fucking hate clowns.

John Wayne Gacy, people.

zaphod · 09/10/2006 20:31

Yes, I'm a female clown. You wouldn't believe the amount of boys who say 'you can't be a real clown, you're a girl'. I tell them that girls can be anything they want to be these days.

Peggotty · 09/10/2006 20:33

It's traditionally quite a male thing though, isn't it? Bizarrely enough.

southeastastralplain · 09/10/2006 20:33

(american psycho killers excepted)

zaphod · 09/10/2006 20:37

I guess so, like a lot of jobs. I belong to a (I kid you not)clown forum, and most of those are male too.

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