I am a new member and I am interested in getting my 7 month ld into
modeling. Everywhere we go people tell us that he should be a model.
Can anyone offer any advice/tips or share their experience?
Thanks in advance
Peace
Why do you want to do this? Money? Recognition? I can't imagine any
benefits to him at this age - unlike a 10 or 12 year old, who might
actually have ambitions he can express about future careers in show
business or modelling.
I personally think its a hugely unhealthy business. My husband is a
writer and a director and flat out - I wouldn't want our three
children anywhere near that entire scene until they were old enough to
express an interest on their own, and have some idea about what was
involved. A child should never get the idea that their worth is
measured by their looks OR that they are the pivot of the universe
(and believe me, children do get a lot of unhealthy attention in
modelling as well as acting).
We have friends who are in the business themselves, and some of their
kids have done some modelling and TV ads - but the parents were with
them, and knew the score completely in terms of pitfalls, and how to
protect the kids. Interesting thing was the kids all lost interest
quick. Too boring!
Mary G.
Secondly, it is extremely time consuming for the parent- you have to
drag the kid around to auditions and jobs.
If a child is modeling, do they have time to do anything
else? Or does the parent doing the schlepping to
auditions, fittings, shoots, etc. It seems to me
that if a child is making good $$ modeling -- and
really, why do it for any other reason? -- then
there will be no time in life for anything else.
If the child is not making good money, then it's
up to the very watchful parent to decide if
all the time siphoned from their own life
it worthwhile. I think if I were driving DD or
DS around to shoots, I would be bored out of my
mind. Or very well read. Or both.
I gotta say, too, that well over half of all kids
at age 6-9 months are extremely cute and could
be models. DD had enormous blues eyes, very little
hair, a perfectly round head and no teeth at that
age and would have looked absolutely adorable in
print ads. DS was just as cute. 7 months is a
cute age. You can either enjoy it without
renumeration, or schlep your kid all around
the state/region. And for what? A few bucks?
I would tread very very cautiously. If you do
get into this, learn when/how to say "No".
Scott DD 9.95 and DS 7.4
Baby models have to have the right temperament as well as cuteness.
They need to be calm and cheerful: the kind of baby who will not burst
into tears when they are dressed in unfamiliar clothes and made to lie
under bright lights.
--
Penny Gaines
UK mum to three