Why do children experience clown anxiety?
It is not uncommon for preschoolers and toddlers to have phobias. Fears
usually appear around 20 months, but most children outgrow them (e.g., fear of
the dark, etc.)
Each child will experience their own particular fears depending on their
personality and life experience to that point. Fear of clowns, also called
coulrophobia, is one of the most common and perhaps most surprising fears.
After all, it’s someone wearing a funny suit doing funny things with a bunch of
other people in funny suits. But it’s not just clowns. Santa Claus, Mickey
Mouse and other costumed characters — even kids in Halloween costumes — can
also fall into this category. It is important to remember that at this age,
your child cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality. The painted face and
antics are precisely the things that can create the fear.
A child cannot read the clown’s emotions through the paint, and then
witnesses the clowns doing things — hitting another clown in the face, spanking
another clown, splashing another clown with (confetti) water when they’re not
expecting it — that they have been taught are bad. Suddenly doing something bad
is funny. Very conflicting messages for a little brain.
Helping your child overcome her fear of clowns
To help your preschooler or toddler deal with her fear of clowns:
• Do not force your child to approach a clown, Santa or
other character. Contrary to what many believe, this will not help your child
overcome her fear. It will only intensify the fear and could lead to battles
over attending holiday or other activities.
• Remember your child’s fear is real. Do not trivialize
it or tease. Teasing or smiling at your child’s reaction can, again, only
increase the phobia.
• Avoid chastising your child. “Don’t be so silly,” or
“Don’t be such a 'fraidy cat,” and other such phrases will not only make the
fear worse, but can also affect your child’s self-esteem.
• Be encouraging. Assure your child that nothing will
bad happen to her. If she doesn’t want to sit on Santa’s lap, that’s okay.
•
While holding your child or her hand, watch other
children interact with the clown. “When she sees and hears their reactions from
a safe distance, she may calm down enough to realize that there’s no danger.” Make
sure that the encounter is in an open area to avoid your child feeling trapped,
which will only increase your child’s fear.
•
Show your child that everything is okay and that the
clown is supposed to be fun and can be trusted. Offer to go first and sit on
Santa’s knee. If your child still doesn’t want to, you need to be okay with
that and remember Rule #1.
What every parent should know before hiring a clown for a party:
CircusMagic.com had a particularly interesting article with follow-up
comments provided by people who do clowning, about how clowns can engage
children on a healthy and fun level. Well worth the read, particularly if
you’re planning to hire a clown for a party or other event.
Yahoo News
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