My sister is also like that. She has no chikdren but all the nieces and nephews live her. When she would come to kids parties all the kids gravitated to her. My DH said that she has a sense of wonder that children like.

She is also well liked by adults. She fits into any situation.

Anonymous wrote:I have always felt like other people my age (adult) don't really like me all that much. Like I'm no one's favorite, no one gets that excited to see me, etc. But kids? Kids LOVE me. They gravitate towards me, it's weird.

Because their parents suck, OP.

Kids really like me in some setting but not in others. I think it has to do with confidence and comfort. Kids are intuitive and I think they are drawn to people who seem relaxed, comfortable in their own skin, and secure. And likewise I think they instinctively steer clear of adults who seem uncomfortable or insecure.

So if kids always gravitate towards you, I’d take it as a compliment!

I have always had a way with children. When I was 8-9-10 I would take care of the preschoolers and kindergartners during recess (tiny private school that was prek-5), and I started babysitting kids when I was 11. Babysat all through hs, taught 3yo ballet classes, ran summer camps. Became a pt nanny in college and nannies ft over the summers. Nannied through grad school. Kids have always gravitate to me and I’ve always enjoyed spending time with kids. I think I would’ve been a teacher except that I fell in love with a different career and went into that, although I still have pangs of interest in switching careers.
I have 3 kids and their friends all love me. My oldest is 12 and her friends still enjoy talking with me and will actually come hang out at our house to chat with me about things on their mind. I’ve been referred to as “the cool mom” a bunch of times (but the same kids also tell dd they think I’m strict). I’m also pretty young compared to some of their parents (I had my kids in my 20s).
I do have plenty of adult friends but I’ve always been closer with people who are older or younger - except dh who is only 4 years older. Most of my closer parent friends are 10+ years older but we have the same aged kids. I don’t know why, exactly, but even as a kid I always got along well with adults and littler kids.

Flies love me. They all want to fock me.

Yesterday I held the elevator for a little boy and his dad. I told them there's plenty of room for both of them, then noticed dad had a car seat with a baby. I said, oh there's a baby too! Baby rolled his eyes back and looked at me and had a huge smile and started waving excitedly.

My father was like that. An absolute magnet for small children. I have a cousin (on my dad’s side) who was and is like that, too. Two things they have in common that I observed: they never talk down to kids, and they always respect and enter into the kids’ ideas for playing, if that makes sense. They take even wacky ideas seriously.

Babies and dogs LOVE my father. There could be a room full of 30 adults and a toddler will waddle up to him, toss a book on the couch, climb into his lap and want him to read to them, even if that toddler never met my dad before that day.

Now that you posted this... a bunch of kids, around 3 years old are waving at me in stores! Happened 3 times today! A Leesburg Outlets, at Giant, and at Home Depot!
One even said, hi and bye, as I was pushing my car away.

Teenagers and young adults love me. I’m honest and don’t skirt around uncomfortable issues. I don’t ahy away from acknowledging inconsistent narratives.

while I am very social, I have very few trusted adult friends with whom I truly connect… perhaps because I do not tolerate importance being place on nonsensical issues. My matter of fact approach to reality seems to resonate with teenagers.

I’m the opposite. Kids don’t seem to like me much. Are you short? I think that helps

I am loved by dogs and kids, but not as much as dogs.

After reading through all the replies, I guess mine is a weird case because I don’t like children, but they just see me and approach me right away. I don’t hate them, but I just don’t like to be around people. Adults usually sense it and won’t approach me, but children will just stare at me and immediately gravitate towards me. The babies almost always extend their arms asking for me to carry them. I find it so peculiar and a little funny because in spite of all my efforts to make myself unapproachable, children always do the opposite.

Anonymous wrote:My father was like this with small kids. Apparently my friends' parents used to drop off my friends (preschool - early elementary) to our house on the weekend so he could make them eat their vegetables. We'd play all day, and he'd organize little activities for us, make lunch and wheedle them into eating it all, make silly faces and noises... My kids love him too, although now he's slowed down considerably. He was still active enough, a few years ago, to trot to school with my 6 year old daughter, pretending to be a pony. One of the most cherished childhood memories of my now tween daughter

Your dad sounds wonderful 😊