Too young for puppets?

[shtick]

I've been noticing that kids between 1 and 3 yrs of age are sometimes freaked out by puppets. I've had more than one occasion where kids in this age group burst into tears if the puppet got close to them. Some do some don't.

Any thoughts on handling the situation other than the whole "Let the kids admire the characters from afar" bit. What I do kind of warrants kids interaction with puppets.

 

[staceyrebecca]

Well...I think you said it best. You let kids admire them from afar.

My son is 5. He has practically grown up inside of a puppet theater. He loves using puppets, he loves looking at the puppets in the theater up close. He's even been *in* puppet shows at the theater. But the moment he sees a character in a show from the audience--if the puppeteer comes out with the puppet at the end for a meet & greet, he wants nothing to do with neither the puppeteer, nor the puppet. He just wants to "admire from afar." Keep in mind that these are people that he's known from birth that we share thanksgiving with every year, etc. etc. It's just not his thing, and we respect that.

Force a kid into it & you'll scar them for life.