What To Say To Kids If They See Your Knees

[seagirls626]

So I noticed that when I put on my tail, you can still kind of see my knees. I'm sure that I'm not alone with this, so I came up with an explanation for it for kids. I say "Well, since I'm a half mermaid, I'm really still human up until my knees, but I still have scales. So I still kinda of have knees, but they're not very visible." Or, "What are knees?" and once they explain knees to you, you could say "Well, I certainly don't have those. This is just my tail joint."

So, what do you think? Do you have an explanation for knees that you tell kids?

[AniaR]

that mermaids have knees too otherwise we wouldn't be able to bend. LOL you just gotta sell it like they're supposed to be there. "Yup. that's how I bend" whales and dolphins have leg bones and they don't have legs :p surely we can have some knees

[Ayla of Duluth]

Those are my tail bones. That's how I bend my tail. It helps to have a picture illustrating the mermaid anatomy and that they have two long sets of bones running down their tail.

[MerAnthony]

All the time I have swam in my tail I have never had that question come up. Thanks to Raina an Ayla I have something I can use now. LOL

[Elle]

I'm actually in the process of writing a big long lovely explanation for things like knees and heels. I'll have to make a blog so that when I'm happy with it, I can share it with everyone :)

[XMermaidMarinaX]

I love the ideas for this. Last time I was at a pool I had little kids all interested cuz of my tail. I can just say that its the bones for any part that look weird. <3 Fabric tail, I have you completely figured out for you little issues. I just need to make a netted tail-let to cover the fabric that bunches in that area. Also a little belt to cover up my awkward waist part that likes acting up.

[Mermaid Calypso]

I had a fabric tail that was really easy to see through and when kids would touch it they could feel my legs. I'd say that mermaids and humans have the same bones- ie, leg bones and knees and whatnot- but mermaids just have different skin. Seemed to satisfy most of them.

[Mermaid Adriel]

it will be very useful for me when I'll have my fabric tail X3

[Echidna]

So, what do you think? Do you have an explanation for knees that you tell kids?

It hasn't come up yet- I usually try to convince kids it's just a costume, and due to the way I stay so much underwater they never believe me :p-, but in case it's the other way around, I'm prepared to explain there are 2 kinds of mermaids:

1) aquatic mammal ones, related to seals and dolphins (here I'll explain how marine mammals evolved and that they do in fact still have legs and feet, just grown together);
and that's why such mers still need to surface and breathe (important to tell to some kids :p)

2) fish-like ones, which seldom surface, have gills, don't talk, live in the deepest waters and (optional, depending on obnoxiousness) catch and eat humans.

yep, and that's how the legends say.
Out of the goodness of my heart, I even leave out the detail that the human-eating fae/mers especially like small children :p

[Fun123joker]

i got a question like that once. but i have a plain fabric tail no paint or anything so the girl asked "where are your scales?" and i said that they were really small so she was taking a closer loom as i was freaking out inside but then the said "oooooh now i see them" and it was my first fabric tail as i slowly made it better but my bare heels were showing but she didnt notice

[Mermaid Dottie]

http://mermaiddottie.blogspot.com/2013/03/selkie-mermaidhuman-anatomy.html
I use this explanation, usually.
It also helps with the "But I saw you put your tail on!"

[Mermaid Oshun]

Up to what age do kids really think your tail is real? I would think any kids over like 6 years old know it is a costume, don't you think?

[Mermaid Oshun]

I think that often kids play along to be well behaved and polite. But I am sure they actually know its a costume if they're over 6. When my nephews were 7 they could explain things to me that made me blush.

[Echidna]

Don't worry, if they think you're fake, they'll point it out immediately ;)

It's mostly smaller kids of course, but some of the older ones too pretend you're real, just because they wish it were true.
As long as it brightens someone's day, I don't care whether they believe it for realz or not.

[Mermaid Oshun]

I can imagine some kids saying "Ooo How did you make that ?" :lol: The kids on the Mahina mermaid commercials all seem to know they can buy the same outfit Mahina is wearing.

[Mermaid Oshun]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaCCmT9T3zY

[mermaidtigris]

http://mermaiddottie.blogspot.com/2013/03/selkie-mermaidhuman-anatomy.html
I use this explanation, usually.
It also helps with the "But I saw you put your tail on!"
This is going to help me a lot! It's totally logical too since selkies can remove their skin. :)

[Mermaid Dottie]

Glad I could help!

[Mermaid Kelda]

I can imagine some kids saying "Ooo How did you make that ?" :lol: The kids on the Mahina mermaid commercials all seem to know they can buy the same outfit Mahina is wearing.
Yeah, I can imagine a lot of the slightly older kids wanting to play along just cause it's fun! I don't think I remember a time when I thought mermaids were real, but I knew I wanted to be one! I'd have been stoked to see someone in a tail, real or not! :)

[Miyu]

Dottie, I've been thinking up an explanation along those lines! The article really helps to flesh out some of the details for me (I knew it would need to hurt to switch forms, to have an explanation of why I don't just transform RIGHT NOW. That also gives me a better idea on how to incorporate into my mer-backstory why I have different tails sometimes :P

[Fun123joker]

For me its the "are you really a mermaid?" I always second guess myself because I'm lying To them but I always say yes because if the parents don't want them to believe then they will tell them

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Love the song! Anyone know what the name of it is?

[Elle]

Love the song! Anyone know what the name of it is?

Swell window by zee avi

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[MermaidWren]

Dottie's selkie idea is awesome! I'd never thought of that before. I usually go with the "mermaids have bones, just like you" approach, which also helps out with heels, one of the downsides of a fabric tail.

[Mermaid Zaffiro]

For me its the "are you really a mermaid?" I always second guess myself because I'm lying To them but I always say yes because if the parents don't want them to believe then they will tell them
Me too! I hate don't speak the thruth...
Dottie's idea it's fantastic!