Questions Kids Ask?

[Echidna]

Sushi and seaweed, I'd imagine. Unless they discover a home remedy, though, that means their insides would be craaawwwwwling with all sorts of nasty things!

Sushi and seaweed are staples of Japanese diet.
...
Having SOME creepy crawlies apparently is good for your health!
(They discovered that infecting kids having lots of allergies with intestinal worms cured the allergies.)
Humans are designed to have parasites. We get sick without them lol.

[Mermaid Calypso]

Typically the first question I get is "Are you real?" And its many variants.
"I can feel your legs!" Mermaids and humans have similar bones, but different skin.
"Where did you get your tail?" I was born with it, silly!
"What do you eat?" I typically say 'sea plants' because what kid wants to picture Ariel eating Flounder?
"Why are you wearing makeup/where did you get your jewelry?" Mermaids like make up too, and I made it/a human friend gave it to me!
"Can you breathe underwater?" Yes, but the chemicals they put in pools make it hard so I have to get air every now and then.
"You aren't a real mermaid, you don't look like one!" Have you ever met another mermaid before? How do you know what they look like?
And, a personal favorite, one little girl asked the above question and answered yes when I'd asked if she'd seen a real mer before. Turns out she'd seen Mermaid Melissa perform in real life in an amazing silicone tail, while I was swimming about the YMCA in a homemade fabric one. I was busted!

[Mizuko]

Besides the really obivous questions, I often get:
"Are you a princess?" Which when I say 'no' they get upset :P I think I should just say yes next time. LOL!
I've also had one little girl come up to me and whisper "Can I eat your hair?" hahaha!!

[Echidna]

I've also had one little girl come up to me and whisper "Can I eat your hair?" hahaha!!

now that's just weird.

[Mermaid Isabela]

I got a lot of "Have you met the mermaid queen?" Hahaha. To which I replied, "Not yet! But I hope to someday!"

[Elle]

I had 2 little girls come up to me while I was swimming in my merfin (I don't have a tail yet) and they asked where the rest of my tail was. I just told them I was a mermaid in training.....I don't get my tail yet. They thought that was fabulous and loved the fact that they could see my toes!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I get asked how I breathe underwater quite frequently. When I tell them I can't, they complain that I'm not a real mermaid. My answer is that I'm only half fish, and since I don't have gills, I have to breathe air just like them. They seem happy to believe after that. :P

[Mermaid Calypso]

Found this gem on tumblr. Not sure if many kids would get it if you used this answer, but here it is.
How do mermaids have babies?
Sea-sections.

[Mermaid Varshana]

Sushi and seaweed are staples of Japanese diet.
...
Having SOME creepy crawlies apparently is good for your health!
(They discovered that infecting kids having lots of allergies with intestinal worms cured the allergies.)
Humans are designed to have parasites. We get sick without them lol.

I heard that. Real sushi is parasite free due to strict preparation standards. Marine mammals tend to have extremely high parasite loads because of what they pick up from fish. Small fish tend to be the intermediate hosts for a huge slew of parasites. They have worms in their guts, stomach, sinuses, blubber, uteri, kidneys, urethra, and sometimes in their inner ears and brains (which is lethal). Myself, I wouldn't mind having whipworm to kill my IBS.

[New York Mermaid]

I got a unique one from a client's dad, I was sitting in tail with half my fluke in the saltwater pool and I was drinking a bottle of water.. he asked me " Why does a mermaid drink freshwater, don't they drink saltwater? I explained "like most marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, we tend to get our freshwater through our fish meals, but since there's no fishes to snack on in the pool, I need a bottle of water to keep hydrated. By far to this date one of the most unique questions I've been asked... By an adult

[WavyMermaidy]

Having a bit of a tough time figuring out how to approach some of these questions. Man, kids are skeptical these days!! I was just recreationally mermaiding at a freshwater spring yesterday, and I had one little girl (maybe 10-ish) ask where I got my tail, and when I said I was born with it she said, in a very "what-ever!" tone: "Ugh. You can tell me...I'm not 6." On one hand I like the idea of trying to be very in character, while on the other hand I like the idea of spreading the joy of mermaiding as something everyone can do and talk about our community (mernetwork, etc.) and that anyone who has a true connection to the ocean/water/etc. can be a mermaid. I also like that as part of the message of conservation and trying to enhance human connection to the ocean.

I think it's possible to do both...stay in character AND tell them how they can be a mermaid themselves (keep swimming, make their own tail, help the environment, etc.) but you can just tell that some kids won't be convinced that you aren't real and just really want to know about the tail as a costume and you kinda want to talk to them about it. It's hard in mixed company when you have smaller kids. The "what-ever" girl was really good about not spoiling it for her younger siblings...she kept telling them I was a real mermaid. And then there are those kids that definitely ruin it for others if you are trying to stay in character.

I've tried going the route of "well, I know I'm a real mermaid but you can believe whatever you'd like" (not in a snotty way, just kindof whimsically) if some kid insists I'm not real as it seems to leave them wondering. But depending on the audience it doesn't always seem to work.

I have loved the experiences I've had with kids so far, and I am thinking about doing parties and things along those lines down the road...right now I mostly have encounters during recreational mermaiding and at work. However, I get a little stressed out with balancing this whole thing about being real or not and what to say. A lot of the kids I work with (during camps, mostly) see me with legs most of the time so that's a whole other ballgame convincing them you are a mermaid when in human form vs. when you are a stranger in a mermaid tail. And it's funny too b/c some of the kids at camps have known me for a while and just kindof accept that I'm a mermaid in whatever way that is...probably just the quirky-grown-up-hobby way, but it keeps them intrigued anyway.

Anyhow, first-world mermaid problems. Just venting about it :P

[Mermaid Dottie]

Besides the really obivous questions, I often get:
"Are you a princess?" Which when I say 'no' they get upset :P I think I should just say yes next time. LOL!

Well, I do say I'm a princess, but that's because I was actually given the title. I had told them no up to the point until I was introduced at a girl's birthday party to the little kids as River Princess Dottie.
Lately kids have been asking why my name is Dottie. I usually tell them it's because I have dots on my tail, but I came up with a WAY better answer last night while hubby and I were filling out my first D&D character sheet.
My Full Mer-name is now going to be "Rocky Mountain River Princess Peridot Amethyst Brooks.
But You can call me Dottie, for short."

[Mermaid Kelda]

It really depends on the way they ask the questions. For the older kids (10-12+) when they ask where you got the tail, it's not losing the magic to tell them. They know you're not real, but they're interested in your tail and the idea of mermaiding, so it's spreading good things to give them more info. If a younger kid, however (or even an older one, if they're playful enough) asks if you're real, seriously or not, that's where you stay in character. Kids are direct in the questions they ask, so in that way it makes it easier to answer them.

And I can imagine most older kids would be happy to go along with the story anyway, especially if there's younger kids there.

[Mermaid Azira]

*Bump*

This has been really bugging me and I just don't know how to answer. Iv'e been asked four times now, how do mermaids go potty. What can I say. I get little kids think its funny, but it gets sorta awkward.

[MerEmma]

"Magic!"

;\

[Kishiko]

*Bump*

This has been really bugging me and I just don't know how to answer. Iv'e been asked four times now, how do mermaids go potty. What can I say. I get little kids think its funny, but it gets sorta awkward.

i keep wondering the same thing! How would you answer them?

[Mermaid Ellowyn]

I suppose I would say something like mermaids don't need to go to the bathroom because our bodies use up all the food (all the nutrients and everything). Nothing would need to go to waste then Might have to alter the wording slightly for different age groups of kids, and then I would also segway into another topic with something like, "My favorite nutritious food is kelp! What's your favorite food?" to avoid any further bathroom questions!

[Kishiko]

That's a good idea, Harley!(:

[Mermaid Azira]

Ah thats a good idea. Once a really bold boy asked me which part a mermaid has. I do not like answering those questions.

[Anahita]

Azira, if it makes you feel better, ADULTS ask me that question..... In front of kids.... Like, wth?

If a kid asks, I just say "the same way dolphins go" and if they try and keep up on it, I tell them to visit the local aquarium and ask one of the workers there to explain because I don't know how to explain because English is not my first language, mer-mish is.

Bonus points, because it usually gets kids to go to the aquarium.