Children: Mutual Fascination?

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I'm not sure if it's because of outward demeanor, or something else, but it seems like I'm always becoming an object of curiosity for little kids. There can be a dozen other people in a room, and a toddler will come straight towards me.

I really don't know how to respond in this situation. My inclination is to pull out some paper and start teaching, but I'm worried that might overstep some boundary with the parents. I don't know how people would react if they saw a stranger/acquaintance teaching their kids math and English out of nowhere.

Still, if it weren't for this 'social minefield', I would love dealing with kids.

I find that kids and toddlers immediately walk up to me, as well.

Unfortunatly yes. I let little kids touch my pet lizard and they seem more intrested in me than her. They ask all kinds of questions and state things that have nothing to do with my lizard. I HATE children though.

I've had toddlers stare at me, or seem fascinated with me. Sometimes I feel scared. I feel happy about if they are in a pushchair or I know they're not going to run up to me (that would frighten me). Recently a kid in a pushchair stared at me for ages, while I was sitting down on the floor to tie my shoelaces. She seemed really happy. I waved goodbye to her when she left, and she waved back and said 'bye' but she seemed a bit confused. I don't usually like kids but I liked her for some reason, she seemed fun.

I don't know how much this happens to other people to say that it happens to me more often.

Unrelated, but PunkyKat - I love your avatar!

When I go to the store, babies like staring at my face. Toddlers and older children, however, are very leery of me. Even my own nieces and nephews have difficulty warming up to me. It seems they only like to play with me after I've "proven" to them that I'm safe and fun to be around by interacting with them on their level for awhile.

I think its just because I wear
Tigger and Pooh on my overalls
that they look at me and the ones
who got to know me want to "show"
me to their frends.

I go to Chuckie Cheese for my brithday
because I like the games there and
I th*t this was funny when this little
girl said "MOM!! He's the Biggest Kid I ever SAW!"
her mum got all emberessed, no need to be tho,
it did not bug me. She apologised all over
the table and my brother told the mom "Don't worry it does not
bother him"

Hahaha - yep - i seem to have a kid magnet built in - "mommy that lady has no shoes" is common if i go out in public (standard reply.. "because i'm big now and dont HAVE to wear shoes" cue jealous looks from kid)

My friends kids all call me pixie and dont treat me the same as the other adults - in fact i had a conversation with a 6 year old a couple of weeks ago about the differences between how kids act (i want i want) and how adults act (nag nag nag) in which she asked me "how did you get to NOT be an adult but still grow up pix?" Told her i was born a pixie so probably never made a very normal kid when i was littler either

Luv kids but never felt capable of having any of my own - you gotta do things like go out in public with kids

I feel very uncomfortable around kids. They are very unpredictable and I have problems dealing with that.
Fortunately, I don't have to deal with them in my day to day life.

Still, there is something very appealing about imparting knowledge and discovering the world with a kid. However, I am just not sure I could cope having my own. Fortunately, being gay, this is not something I have to worry about occurring accidentally.

Yeah kids are drawn to me. They either look up to me or treat me as one of their own.
One time my brothers best friend came to stay and he was clinging to my arm all day like a koala and wouldn't let go and was saying "sophiieeeee!" all the time. That was annoying.
When I was in brownies all the little ones would think I was really cool and stuff where as the ones that were my age didn't like me at all.

Kids always like me, and I'm not sure why. Luckily, though, I like kids too.

this is really interesting how many people have this experience. i am really good with kids too. I never try to be, they just seem to trust me or something. I never thought about it being an AS thing, I wonder if they can read auras or something.

Great stories, everyone. I'm also down with 'da kidz'. What's that old cliche about not working with children or animals? It was obviously an NT who coined that.

Yeah, and a positive one at last

Some children are drawn to me while others seem terrified of me- either way, most seem to notice me.

I have found that the children that are drawn to me are active, into everything, and usually very loud and annoying until I occupy them with a puzzle, other game that requires concentration and thought on their part, or I teach them something. I have also found I don't have to worry about getting in trouble with their parents for overstepping bounds as they become better behaved with me. When they return to their parents they usually start hitting things, screaming, or otherwise behaving badly.
I had a cousin like this so I was able to see her several times. With her at least, it seemed like she needed her ever active mind to have something to work on and her parents almost never provided enough stimulation. I like puzzles and I like teaching and observing developing children, so I always gave her something complicated to do and taught her how to do things from playing chess to simple math problems. I don't get to observe most of the other children much and only spend a small amount of time with them, but it often seems to be the same with them. I have no idea how they can tell if they hang around me I will give them a puzzle of some sort. O__o

The ones that are afraid of me are usually loud and destructive or clingy to their parents and fearful of strangers.
As for the loud ones, they tend to be active but less constructive and more into knocking things down than those which are drawn to me. Maybe they catch a feeling of how annoyed I am so they don't like me.
The fearful ones are, of course, nervous of everything. However, it does seem that they avoid me more than other strangers, even when I am trying to be friendly. Sometimes nervous adults are afraid of me, so I suppose it is the same thing with young children.