"The Shy Child"

My first 15 or more years I spent trying to win everyone over, I was so personally challenged if I thought someone didn't like me. It took a lot of energy. I can't even tell you how hard I used to sweat working shows at retirement communities when sometimes they are not aware of where they are.

In that same area, there are kids that are just shy. Sometimes a child won't come up to me. In the past, I spent so much energy on that child. In the end, didn't matter, that's the way they are wired, they sit back and observe.

What's fun about being in the circus, you can scan huge audiences and try and meet and greet as many kids as you can in 10 minutes. You can play a great numbers game. There is an instinct we have about who is going to be a fun volunteer or fun to play with.

In a giant crowd, you have tons of kids that just want to watch. There is something funny that happens to me though with a group of 12 kids. I want them all to love me. Sometimes it doesn't happen.

I do get the feedback that I am the only thing they talk about for the next 3 days. If I remember who they are, in my head, I'm saying "really...? that kid?"

With kids we work on levels. I usually work around shy kids by doing my routines where all the kids are shouting, the answer, then singling them out, they already know the answer and asking the same question. Stuff like that. They become part of the experience some people just don't like crowds.

The best way to deal with shy kids. No forcing of your big personality. Just gentle nudges from you. I'm working on a numbers game. I can make something like 20,000 kids a year scream and laugh. There are 2,000 in there, that watched quietly. I want them all but I'll take 90%. Hey 90% is still an A on your final report card!