A double-edged sword...

[Victoria J]

My dad has always had the same problem. It's not his voice though, it's his beard. He's had a full beard for thirty years. He's just a huge teddy bear and LOVES children, but kids are terrified of all that hair.

I know a guy who's quite large (tall and kind of round) and very hairy with a full beard - he's a very kind man and once children get to know him they love him. They still find him a bit overwhelming.

The best story was the little boy of a friend who was about 4 got really over excited to see him, forgot his name and just called him "Man!" A name clearly reserved for the tallest, hairiest and deepest voiced friend.

So sweet.

From what I've observed (meaning I don't have kids of my own), babies and very young children can and often will be afraid of some very strange things.
I've met kids (at the old toy store) who were afraid of wind up toys (little jumping frog kind

Go figure.

My baby sister (from 3 to 4 maybe) was horribly scared of the walking false teeth wind up. I always felt very guilty for finding it funny.

Victoria J

[6809er]

Parents with babies LOVE me. Any child under the age of 3, who is not related to me, will fall asleep when I hold them (also works on baby animals).

In addition to the baby I mentioned my original post, when my neice was a baby she was also terrified of me. I'm guessing that it was my voice again.

But as frightened as I tend to make some children, I have the opposite effect on animals. Dogs love me, and I really don't understand why. I should be perceived as a threat since I'm male, tall, and have a deep voice. Maybe they accept me because I grew up with large dogs and I show absolutely no fear when I meet a new dog.

And I have a really soft spot for cats. So much so that my sister calls me the cat whisperer.

[Pagan]

My dad has always had the same problem. It's not his voice though, it's his beard. He's had a full beard for thirty years. He's just a huge teddy bear and LOVES children, but kids are terrified of all that hair.

Sounds a lot like my dad. I don't think I'd let him in the door if he ever shaved off his beard (He's had it since I was born and I'm 38!). Combine the beard with the fact that he's a little bit gruff, scares kids, but he's actually a big pussycat.

When I was a teen my mother liked to laugh about how, as a small child, I was terrified of porch furniture.

Hey, when I was little, I was scared of the....Easter Bunny. In my defense though, I was about 3 and the Easter Bunny in question was over 6 feet tall, including the ears!

[Bank Lady]

Sounds a lot like my dad. I don't think I'd let him in the door if he ever shaved off his beard (He's had it since I was born and I'm 38!).

My mother has actually threatened to leave my father (numerous times) if he ever shaved off his beard. It's kind of a family joke. Other than childhood photos (his, not mine) I've never seen him without a beard.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Babies tend to like people with animated faces. I get the baby stare too, as I have an extrememly expressive face with large brightly colored facial features. Babies like to get right up in my face and talk to me.

[HereWeGo]

The response I got back was a very feminine voice asking, "Who's that guy with the really sexy voice?"

Lol! It sounds nice.

Children tend to be enchanted with me when I go shopping, I think because I like to wear diaphanous, flowy dresses and skirts. I've had children twist out of their parents arms for a look at me, or run across the store to stare and whisper, "She's pretty!"

Of course, once I went to work without make-up on and must have looked a mess under the flourescent lighting because one little girl came up to me and confided, "You look like a monster." Damn kids and their honesty.

[VenomX]

My little nephew who is 1 always smiles at me when he sees me and tries to get to me. That is until I take off my glasses. He just starts screaming like I have hurt him.

[hawkchick11]

My son is terrified of men who have beards.. and people who wear hats. He freaks out if he sees someone in a hat.

[Misanthropical]

My children were all terrified of men with facial hair. My husband is always clean shaven, so they weren't use to men with facial hair (their mommy doesn't like facial hair on men, but that is neither here nor there)

They would scream and cry in my arms if a man with facial hair would try to talk or look at them.

They would freak out if a man with a booming voice would try to say hello to them.

Babies seem to like to smile and giggle at me and hold their arms out to me to pick up, small children will flock around me and start conversations. My husband thinks it's because I have a "mommy vibe".

My mom and uncle love to tell me how I use to be terrified of...wait for it....you won't believe it.....GRASS! If I was put down on the grass I would scream bloody murder and try not touch it. I was fine if I was put down anywhere else, but if I was on the grass I would scream like I was being murdered.

[Seenoevil]

My parents tell me when I was a baby I'd glare at men with beards... well I really just glared at everyone. I was a very serious child (exactly opposite of how I am now).

One guy my parents worked with had a beard*... decided to have a staring contest with me.

I won.

*Nicest guy on the planet~ he games with my uncle and me every saturday (still has the beard)

[Lace Neil Singer]

One of my younger brothers used to be terrified of clowns; especially Ronald McDonald. XD The other was frightened of Mumra from Thundercats.

Babies tend to fear me outside of work, probably cuz I hardly ever smile outside of work. -.-

[CreepyCarrie]

My mom tells me that when I was a toddler I was absolutely scared to death of ceiling fans, and would refuse to even enter a room that contained one.

[InsanityInc]

When my daughter was about 18 months old my mom and I took her to a Chinese place where the girls that worked there wore Oriental style jackets. Scared her to bits. She hid from them every time she saw them.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Shortly after I shaved off my beard, the young daughter of a friend was visiting. Upon noticing my hairy chest, and the missiing beard, she asked, "Why is your beard on your chest?"

[wagegoth]

My husband has a very sexy baritone voice. He has had female staff members from other sites come by to see what he looks like.

Babies and toddlers often quiet and fall asleep with me. My friend says it's my aura that quiets them. I think it's my heart murmur that makes them sleep. The extra shooshing noise seems to soothe them.