# When kids stare at you, what are they really thinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 29, 2008, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054 "2008-12-29T11:30:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054/21 "2008-12-29T21:10:06Z")
> [@TroubleAgain](#): > > No, that’s what \*cats \*are thinking when they stare at you.😉 But they’re also thinking that when they’re NOT staring at you. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054/22 "2008-12-29T23:53:31Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > But they’re also thinking that when they’re NOT staring at you. True.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054/23 "2008-12-30T01:40:58Z")
> [@Beadalin](#): > > Generally, I think they’re just spacing out and haven’t yet learned not to do that while looking at someone. As adults we’re better at staring discreetly at the wall or the floor or whatever instead of another person when we’re lost in thought. Yes. I did this as a child until I learned that I was doing it courtesy of an asshole boy who thought I was doing it because I had a crush on him. That taught me to make sure I stare at an _object_ while daydreaming. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054/24 "2008-12-30T03:31:53Z")
From recent empirical testing on my 9mo niece, when she is staring at _me_ in fascination, she is thinking “can I grab his glasses before he gets away, this time?” The answer, thus far, is “no”, BTW. Other Uncle was not as fast, however. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054/25 "2008-12-30T03:39:41Z")
When very young children stare at me they must be thinking of some good jokes because they always start smiling and laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054/26 "2008-12-30T05:36:24Z")
When my daughter stares at me, I ask and she always says she’s thinking of some random thing she wants to go play. When I used to stare at my mom, I was thinking she looked like an alien. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054/27 "2008-12-30T12:15:57Z")
“Holy crap! I hope I don’t end up as ugly as HIM!” At least that’s what they are thinking when they look at me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054/28 "2008-12-30T14:07:03Z")
Meat, Meat, Meat! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054/29 "2008-12-30T18:34:32Z")
Kill piggy! Kill piggy! Or possibly Your lack of faith **disturbs** me. And then the kid gets P.Oed, cause he can’t the the TK goin’. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054/30 "2008-12-30T19:23:10Z")
If they stare it’s because they are interested in you. I know I got to a Bally’s gym where they teach Tae Kwon Do and the little shavers and little girls seem to love me. I finish running at about the same time the class ends and the little kids come up. “Oh make a muscle,” (I have great biceps) and the kids then say “wow.” Then one kid always says “I can beat him up.” Then I got 12 four year old wailing and hitting me. I remember I was taking care of a kid of a friend of mine. He was like 3 and we got on the bus and a guy got on without a leg. This just blew the kid’s mind. I was like “Don’t stare that’s not polite.” “But Mark that man ain’t got no leg!!!” “How come he ain’t got no leg?” He could not fathom any reason why that man couldn’t have a leg. The guy overheard and said to the kid “Oh I had an accident.” But even that didn’t satisfy him, for the rest of the day his mind was lost on the man who didn’t have a leg. To him that was simply not possible. So you can bet if a kid stares at you, he finds something about you facsinating [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-kids-stare-at-you-what-are-they-really-thinking/479054.md?page=1)