fear of clowns - do they grow out of it?

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

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+.

Wow, there really is a forum for everything isn't there?

I can't think why more mums don't become clowns. It's mainly week-end work, or evenings, which means you are at home for the kids during the week. You are amusing children, which mothers do day in day out, and most importantly, it's absolutely GREAT FUN.

Having said that you do get the odd crowd, where someone kicks you......

Clowns!!! [shudders] Got to get off this thread now [runs away]

haha i'm 38 and i don't like clowns!

Do you want her to like clowns?

I'm surpirsed no one has made up a hallowe'en name about a clown yet.

"It floats."

"Down here we all float"

I do not like clowns at all and am 31. My best mate is 33 and she is the same - it is something about obscuring the face with make-up. But Mr Tumble only has a red nose, so I dont mind him.

I used to have a fear of people dressed as Characters - you know Mickey Mouse etc! As you never know what stranger is under the costume!

But I think my phobia dates back to getting some rather disturbing Piriot (sp) masks as a young child and being so freaked out by them that I had to hang them in the wardrobe!

Mr Tumble is rather un-nerving tho

Redlorry - that book instilled my now irrational fear.

i'm 31 and still have it...they make me retch

I'm scared of clowns, had to go the opposite side of the road to avoid one once, give me nightmares I'm 26 btw

I hate clowns, don't know why they have them in circuses, nasty scary things. When I was about 18 my friend bought me a collectors clown doll ( no idea why) and I hid it behind a box as didn't want its grim evil little face staring down at me. So never to grow out of it probably.

I'm 37 and really, really hate clowns. DH is 29 and really really hates clowns. We've both ben scared of them since we were very small. They make my skin crawl [shudder]. Most if not all are probably very nice people.....

my dh detests them - his achilles heel - the children adore exploiting he is 37 btw

It's the eyes that freak me out. (shudder)

thanks for telling me peggoty - now I can avoid it. clowns are just wrong

V v v old legend......
Some (I think Celtic) people were having a run of bad harvests. They prayed to the Earth Mother and told her that if she granted good harvests, they would give her the life of their first born child. She agreed and granted good harvests.
The people thought that they were being clever, because the Earth Mother could not leave her realm to collect the children as she was bound to the earth.
The Earth Mother was not stupid. In her place, she sent her escort The Green Man to collect the children.
The Green Man visited every house with his troupe of Mummers - soulless ones whose faces were painted blank white and who never spoke a word (sound familiar?) - and stole all the first-born children from the houses.
As payment for their treachery, the Earth Mother took back the good harvests from the people too. And every year, the Green Man would return and take a first born child from the village.
A Celtic (I think) blessing on the birth of a baby: "May the Green Man walk a mile from your door"

Well no wonder I am scared of the evil things!!

ooh that's interesting ilkoo!

Zaphod - I never thought about being a clown as a part-time job. I would have loved to be a storryteller, though. It must be good fun entertaining children.

I like the story iklboo