Has anyone ever had issues with kids being scared of your tail?

[Patches]

I was in sort of a bad neighborhood today at the beach with my friend. We were taking some photos of me in my silicone tail
and I swam up near this child (probably about age 4-5) and he started flat out SCREAMING. I mean, wailing at me and freaking
the %$#& out. And he stared, pointed, and screamed then ran out of the water and hid behind his mother.
I mean we were kind of in a bad neighborhood so the kid has probably never seen or heard of anything like that in his life.
His parents thought I was real and started asking a ton of questions and all the while the little kid looked like
he was about to cry and wouldn't even come near me. ):
I kept trying to get the poor child to come over and touch the tail and talk to me but I had
already scared him half to death.
I felt sooooo bad.
Has anyone ever had this happen to them?
Most kids are in awe when they see a mermaid.
I was just as surprised at his reaction as he was surprised that I popped up in the water next to him!
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[Mermaid Kelda]

Jeez, that's different that the parents thought you were real too. I have to say though, your tail looks beautiful in that photo, so it's little wonder!

[Kanti]

I guess it's how sometimes people believe magic tricks are real. The silicone is very realistic looking, so they probably just freaked out and had no idea how you did it xD
But yea, it is a bit odd that the parents were weirded out too, heheh.

[SeaGlass Siren]

LOL!!! I had that too. I was swimming in the community kiddie pool just practicing dolphin kicks ... I pop my head up to breathe and the kid starts shrieking !! I didn't have my tail though...

[Aino Revontuletar]

Wow I can't believe the parents thought you were real! What sort of questions were they asking you?

[MerEmma]

Like the others, it's just a big wow that they thought so too. Your tail is gorgeous.

[Mermaid Allie]

Oh so you have that BEAUTIFUL h2o tail. Lol no usually the kids are just like OMG look at her! That's strange! Could you just tell me how the tail is holding up? I really want to order a mertailior silicone in the future and I'd like to know more about it!

[MerAnthony]

LOL I have had that experience before. It was one of the first times I was swimming in a tail. Not silicone but one I had made for me by a friend. My family an I were camping an I wasn't really sure if they would let me swim in a tail at the beach so I was on the out side of the ropes. While I was swimming I heard a young boy, about 6 or 7 years old yell to his mom "that is a real mermaid ". When I heard that I started to choke on water. Then his mother had to come over an take a look. Then the questions started. It was kinda funny. At the very first when the childs mother saw me she thought I was real as well Then she relised I wasn't. ( LOL ) But over all it was fun.
Then there was this time I was swimming at our local pool (outside) an there was a bunch of people that were swimming. Then a few women came to swim. They got into the pool an then they saw me in my tail swimming. All three of them saw my tail, two of them said look at my tail an said it was cool , but the third wanted no part of me an my tail. When I got closer to show her my tail an that it was not real, she wanted no part of it. Now mind you she was a big woman an I will tell you I have never seen a big woman move so fast out of a pool so quick it would make your head spin. Her friends an I had such a laugh over it. An the whole time I was swimming she was watching me like a hawk so I wouldn't come near her.

[Mermaid Kassandra]

My goodness!!!! O.O
I never even imaged that a child would behave in this way seeing a mermaid o.O I think I'd be scared too if this happens to me O.O

[Ashe]

The parents thought that you were real? :confused: Now that is something i've never heard before... What were they asking you? Anyways, that is to bad for that little kid. But I guess if you had never known what a mermaid is and then saw a woman with a fishtail swimming around that would be extremely scary. I hope you don't have too many more of those encounters!

[MermaidSaku]

that seems a bit odd the parents thought u were real. O...o i might have to add this on my list of strange mer possibilities : 0

[Winged Mermaid]

I've heard many times about kids that are scared of the too-real-looking-mermaid, mostly from people who work professionally. That's another reason why pros ask about what age group they'll be dealing with, becuase this is a possibility and they need to be ready for it. I know Raina uses a fish plushie so he can "talk" to the kids when they're too scared to talk to her and it warms them up to her. She has a in depth child developmental background so she knows how to handle that kind of stuff.

It's strange about the parents, but it can happen too! That's another reason why I'd never go open water swimming alone. (Besides for a myriad of safety issues.) I mean, what if someone saw you and was really drunk or drugged up (or both) or whatever, thought you were real, and decided to net you or shoot you and make millions by finding a real mermaid? It could happen. People have done more stupid stuff than that. Just be careful! Also parents will sometimes play along for the sake of the kid. Also curious as to what kind of questions they asked you!

Just proves when you're a mermaid you have to be prepared for all kinds of reactions, good and bad!
You and your tail are gorgeous by the way! (Great photos in your albums!)

[Patches]

Oh so you have that BEAUTIFUL h2o tail. Lol no usually the kids are just like OMG look at her! That's strange! Could you just tell me how the tail is holding up? I really want to order a mertailior silicone in the future and I'd like to know more about it!

I purchased this tail used so it has a good amount of holes in it lol and the monofin REALLY hurts my feet.):
I think it's just too small for me but idk. I can't do flips or anything it hurts the feet that bad.

[Patches]

Then there was this time I was swimming at our local pool (outside) an there was a bunch of people that were swimming. Then a few women came to swim. They got into the pool an then they saw me in my tail swimming. All three of them saw my tail, two of them said look at my tail an said it was cool , but the third wanted no part of me an my tail. When I got closer to show her my tail an that it was not real, she wanted no part of it. Now mind you she was a big woman an I will tell you I have never seen a big woman move so fast out of a pool so quick it would make your head spin. Her friends an I had such a laugh over it. An the whole time I was swimming she was watching me like a hawk so I wouldn't come near her.
Oh my hell hahahaha xD That is so hilarious. That was kind of just like the kid. He refused to come over to me. I almost took my tail off to show him I wasn't real.

[Patches]

I've heard many times about kids that are scared of the too-real-looking-mermaid, mostly from people who work professionally. That's another reason why pros ask about what age group they'll be dealing with, becuase this is a possibility and they need to be ready for it. I know Raina uses a fish plushie so he can "talk" to the kids when they're too scared to talk to her and it warms them up to her. She has a in depth child developmental background so she knows how to handle that kind of stuff.

It's strange about the parents, but it can happen too! That's another reason why I'd never go open water swimming alone. (Besides for a myriad of safety issues.) I mean, what if someone saw you and was really drunk or drugged up (or both) or whatever, thought you were real, and decided to net you or shoot you and make millions by finding a real mermaid? It could happen. People have done more stupid stuff than that. Just be careful! Also parents will sometimes play along for the sake of the kid. Also curious as to what kind of questions they asked you!

Just proves when you're a mermaid you have to be prepared for all kinds of reactions, good and bad!
You and your tail are gorgeous by the way! (Great photos in your albums!)

Yeah that's what I was going to do. Devise some sort of way to coax any children that might be scared of me.
Children always seem to cower in front of me. I hoop at the park sometimes and children and their parents come up to me
and I always give them a hula hoop and try to teach them but the kid looks at me like they're scared of me...
I don't get it. ): Is there something wrong with my face?lol

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WENT THROUGH MY HEAD. I am so terrified of someone hurting me because they think I'm real. )):

And thank you very much for the compliments haha I try :P