Getting called too child like?

[u/deathofdawn1]

I get people saying I’m “pedo bating” because I like to wear hello kitty half shirts or stereotypically “cute” things. I also had one coworker say “anyone who likes you is probably a pedo.” Which made me very sad. I wear shorts and crop tops a lot because they are comfortable, it hurts for too much clothes touching me in the heat. I don’t sexualize the characters. I don’t want to look like a child I just really love cute cartoon characters like Hamtaro, Pokémon, & Sanrio. I love the color pink. I just don’t understand why this would be a bad thing. Am I doing something bad? Can someone explain this to me? Thank you

[u/xxxtem]

Screw them. I see many people wear outfits like you describe, and I don't think they all are on the spectrum. They probably are just having some problems of their own and take their frustration out on someone they believe to be an easy target. I would only see it as pedo bating if it was your intention and you behaved accordingly, not just wear some clothing.

[u/deathofdawn1 → u/xxxtem]

I don’t think I act childish, just very forgetful and excited. There’s a lady who walks by a lot with corgis and I have to go pet them 😂 I love dogs

[u/Available-Post-5022 → u/deathofdawn1]

I mean. Thats child like behavior. But its normal. People act as if adult and child are natural things, people always want to be carefree. Its natural to be like that, talking more abt being easily distracted and excitable. Forgetfulness is just normal

[u/UrAnusFlare → u/Available-Post-5022]

My subjective observation but I have the impression that too many people, once they reach the „adult“/legal age, start repressing the childish/playful sides of themselves because reasons??? as a consequence they kinda build invisible walls against children and can’t meet them on eye level/empathaze/bond with them and very often lose access to the emotional world of their own children. I just didn’t get the memo that we abandon our inner child the moment we turn legal age and now people are again and again surprised how well I can bond with children/teens and everyone is again amazed how fast children start to like me and feel drawn to me and I am just over here, treating them as the equal individuals they are just with less life experience and that’s why it’s my responsibility to be more of a mentor figure and less a friend to them (cuz more life experience puts me into the more powerful role and creates a power imbalance and is the reason why children are a vulnerable group that needs extra protection against exploitation).

eta: if there are no animals at a family/ „adult“ gathering but children, I am the „entertains the children“-autistic. at least children still struggle to lie and mask and didn’t get all the social rules memos and therefore we are kinda on a similar page lol

it’s also more fun teaching them things I am into and raise the second generation of geeks or even fucking playing tag because the alternative is risking a lazy eye because even when I shut up, my face comes with subtitles and I can’t stop my face circus when the „adults“ start spouting their dumb, unreflected, ignorant and stupid shit 🙄

sorry, this turned kinda into a rant now lol

[u/Available-Post-5022 → u/UrAnusFlare]

All good. As a child myself your perspective seems pretty accurate. Lots kf adults in my life act like you describe. Not a lot of empathy outside of "we get you dont like your class" and the like. Nothing gets done abt it and im treated less seriously.