I have no problems relating to children. This is a good thing as I have chosen a career as a children's entertainer and motivator. However many adults find it difficult relating to children. You may be one yourself. I see it all the time at children's parties in Brisbane. More often than not it's the parent holding the birthday party, which is why they ask me, a kids' magician, to help them out by doing a kids' magic show. Many parents tell me they understand their children but just don't get how to relate to other children.

Feeling comfortable dealing with kids is also another piece of the puzzle that is building confidence and overcoming shyness.

Of course we all have strengths and weaknesses. As one of mine is relating to children so I'll share with you some of the techniques that I've used for years with thousands of children, 4 to 7 year old, right across Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

• Get down to their level: You are a towering giant to them and many of the giants they see in books are unfriendly. Take the weight off your legs for a moment and pull up a low chair.

• Hello's and goodbye's:All kids know the "high five" hand slap. Just flash a big smile at them, hold your hand up and say "Gimme five!" As they go to slap your hand, raise your hand so they just miss. Act mildly disappointed and say, "I thought you were going to give me five." Do this just two or three more times and let them finally make contact. Then you immediately feign pain to your hand and say, "Ooooww ... what did you have for breakfast, a whole packet of Vita Brits." (name any nutritious cereal familiar to you)

  Kids love this sort of stuff and you have immediately broken the ice with them and shown them you like to be a bit silly. Even if you do nothing else, make sure you follow it up with a good bye. Follow the same routine but this time you pull your hand away because you are scared they will hurt you (because you have established they have superhuman strength). Kids play right up to this because for probably the first time in their little lives an adult is scared of them. You have empowered them and they relish the chance to make you wince in mock pain again. Believe me, the kids will remember you. I use this tool for relating to children almost every day.

• Kids love repitition: Why can kids get pleasure out of doing the same thing over and over? What you have to understand is that every day of a child's life is change. Children learn new stuff every hour as their brains develop. Theirs is an ever changing world so they crave stability. This is why they love watching the same video over and over and over. There is comfort in the familiarity. It's a little island of refuge in their sea of change. It's the exact opposite of us adults: Our lives become SO familiar that we crave change.

  So don't be surprised if they want to high five you again and again. If it get's too much, just say you are saving a special one for when you leave. This can be anything: do it with your eyes closed (you of course peek), do it with the special whistle sound, etc ...

• Incongruity: Kid's entertainers use this all the time. Simply get things mixed up, like, "Don't forget to brush your Mummy and hug your teeth." Ask children their names then say, "Let me see if I've got this right ..." and proceed to call them by their wrong names. Kids have very little chance to show they have more knowledge than you so they delight in making you understand just where you've gone wrong. Make your reactions subtle, like you have just truly realised you have made a really "stoopid" mistake. Show a little humility and the kids really pick up on this. I can't empahsize enough how simple empowerment techniques like this can positively affect your relationship with children.

• Mispronounce words:I don't think I've said invisible for years. Everytime it comes out of my mouth it's "invisibubble." Scissors are always pronounced "skissors." More than likely you will be corrected by a little person to which you follow up, "Oh I say skissors because I can't say scissors." They of course will tell you that you just said said the word "scissors" to which you flatly deny. And so it goes on...

• Silly words: Some words just sound silly so start renaming the kids as Mr... and Mrs... Here's a list to start with: Spaghetti, banana, zucchini, poopy pants, belly button, silly sausage, asparagus, be bop a lula.

• Build rapport: by acknowledging what's important in their world - colours, nursery ryhmes, animals is a great tool for relating to children. If you see a child wearing sandals, act surprised and say they have got holes in their shoes. Press the point id needs be. They know a lot about sandals because they have just learnt to put them on and do up the straps so they will love telling you the holes are where the feet go in - duh! This is empowering the child again.

These are just a few ways in which to make relating to children easier. Just remember to do them with a smile on your face and you'll have a lot of fun.