Scared of characters

[disneymom]

We did a test run last week at a local event where there was a couple of characters. Well youngest dd just went mad cried tried to get away and was scared the whole time

This does not bode well for the character meals we have planned!!!!!! any suggestions?

[josh.p.]

you might find she likes the disney ones since they are characters she'll know?

[Beccaberry]

Before the meal, try and give her a bit of exposure to the them not so quite "up close and personal"...point them out from afar when you're in the park...let her sort of get used to the "idea" of them before putting her in the middle of them

When you arrive for your character meal, if she seems uneasy, seat her to the inside of your table/booth. Most servers will tell you to seat children to the outside so they can have best access to the characters, but if you explain to them that she's a bit uneasy, they'll understand. So seat her to the inside and let them come 'round....mention to the characters that she's a bit uneasy and you will most likely be surprised by how gentle and convincing they can be.

In the end, if she's really unsettled by it, you might just try sitting her in your lap when they come 'round.

How old is she?

[lisaw]

When DD was 2 she was scared of the characters for the first few days - the characters were really good and would just wave at her, the are very good at picking up on the childs feelings. In the end it was the face characters that made her like them - Snow White in particular was very good - she sat on the flor and let DD go to her for a cuddle. Within a few days she wouldn't leave any characters alone

[mainecoon lover]

Dd hates them and we have done character meals. Just warn them as they come near you. They will try to approach her very slowley and if its still a no go then they will wave blow a kiss and leave your table.

[Tink]

I let Seth watch them afar. He will sometimes approach them (he ALWAYS approaches the women face characters!) and sometimes not. The Beast is a good example of one that he watches from afar. Same with the Geni and Jafar. He took a little while to warm up to Tigger, Pooh and Eeyore but did approach them after he'd had a chance to watch them for awhile.

We've not done a character meal with him yet.

[Johnie]

Alysia was about 3 when we met Barney at the mall. This was all she talked about for days and she was SO excited. Until.....we actually got close to Barney and then she cried her eyes out. Anyway, we could follow him around the mall and as long as he was a safe distance away, she would wave to him and be all happy. If he started to come near her, she freaked out.

Could you just let her see them from afar? They are really big to little kids.

[Beccaberry]

Baleigh went through that phase as well...she'd sit at the table and cover her eyes with her fingers and literally just tremble. I'd say, "Baleight bear, are you ok, don't you like Winnie the Pooh" and she'd say, "I just love 'em soooooooooooooo much, momma" But you couldn't coax her near them for love or money. Fortunately it only lasted about half of a trip