Parenting a model, is it worth it?

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Parenting a child model. is it worth it? What are the end goals in doing this?

Is it all as glamours as it looks, having your child’s pictures in the most famous commercials or magazines working for the best companies in the marketing industry.

I interviewed a few so I could give you an in-depth look at the pro’s and cons of having children in the modeling industry.

The common thread with each of these parents is the amount of commitment THEY had to help their child get success. I am not saying they forced it, they didn’t.  Many have other children in the family that are not interested in doing this and they didn’t push it at all. In fact, some of them seemed to be grateful the other children were not interested.  But most loved the excitement and being with their children through every step of the process. None I interviewed gave me the impression that they were doing this to get fame for themselves or their child.  In fact, most were doing it to help improve the funds for their child’s education.

Below are some questions I asked and the answers given:

If you had to do it all over again, would you? :
Answer: I would have actually started earlier! The reason is that a lot of work goes by clothing size breakdown, and not as much work seems to be available for them at 12 months. So I would have loved to have started him as a baby where more opportunities would have been.
What is your biggest struggle?
Answer: The biggest struggle we face is, of course, judgmental people.  We do get some people who can be non-supportive. We plan to instill in our child that it’s okay to be different and have different talents and hobbies than other children and to never be ashamed of his success.
Did someone approach you on this or did you go looking for this?
The answer was split pretty evenly. Some parents were approached by a modeling agency, some other parents went looking for a good agency.
How many hours a week do this work?  
Answer: It varies. Because the travel is so extensive we sometimes go twice or three times a week, and not at all the next.

Some pro’s and con’s based on these parents experience:

Pros:

  • Money,  securing a start on the child’s college fund. Every little bit helps!
  • It helps children learn about confidence, as well as rejection. The children have to learn that there is a chance they may or may not get the job. They have to go planning on having fun and making possible friends so regardless if they get the job or not there is some good come from it.
  • Opportunity!  So many amazing opportunities can come for a child in this business, from modeling to TV/Film and even Broadway!

Cons:

  • Time commitment; to be a parent in this industry you absolutely have to be available for auditions or bookings last minute, sometimes even the same day!
  • Rejection;  you and your child have to be okay with knowing they won’t book every single job they audition for.
  • Sacrificing; you sometimes have to make sacrifices or cancel previous plans because you just got an audition. 99% of the time your agent/manager expects you to be available for opportunities they give you, big or small.

Do you have a final piece of advice? If a parent wants to get their child into this industry, I would recommend researching reputable agents thoroughly. You always want to be sure to meet with a few and see which one is the right fit for you and your child. Ask questions you may have, take notes to compare each.

Finally, If any agent or manager asks for fees upfront, run. I cannot stress enough to research every agent or manager you plan to meet with. You should never have to pay any fees to start your child in this business.

Want to know what kind of parent you are, take this Parenting Quiz

Pro’s and con’s of Working from Home and parenting.