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Original poster

Can I earn money from my son modelling?

141 replies

Littleeggycustard · 14/02/2023 08:35

I have a 14 month old son who has just been signed up to a good modelling agency in London. I have read that they can only pay money into a bank account in the child’s name - does that mean that I can’t access any of it?
My son and I live at my Mum and Dads and I want to save money so that we can move out. I would like to use some of his modelling money for this, but is there any way I can access it?
Thanks :)

OP posts:
ladydimitrescu · 14/02/2023 10:23

Well, you are sort of making him do it - he's 18 months old, he hasn't told you it's his life long dream to model has he?
And no, it's classed as child exploitation so you would get fees for chaperone duties, transport etc but his earnings are his.
Also just because he's signed up there's no guarantee he will be booked, and very unlikely he will make thousands. Baby shoots are not lucrative. In most cases you get to keep the outfit, a free print or two and a couple hundred at most - reason I know this is a family member is a photographer for things like this.

Fluffyslippersohyes · 14/02/2023 10:23

Maybe OP’s parents are working themselves? Maybe they don’t want to or are not able to look after DS? There’s a lot of supposition going on with regards to the parents.

Paperexcelandpens · 14/02/2023 10:25

Fluffyslippersohyes · 14/02/2023 10:23

Maybe OP’s parents are working themselves? Maybe they don’t want to or are not able to look after DS? There’s a lot of supposition going on with regards to the parents.

Agreed but there's also the fact that UC will pay out 80% + for childcare costs

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Behaviour & development Clothing
louise5754 · 14/02/2023 10:27

But it's his money?

Kranke · 14/02/2023 10:32

Say you manage to earn £5k over the next year or so, and you move out, that money isn’t going to last you very long, how are you going to continually be able to afford the rent? I think you might need to make a more sustainable plan.

bigbabycooker · 14/02/2023 10:33

No, don't use it instead of working and saving. It's his money. I think you could use a portion of it if you couldn't afford, eg for him to learn to swim whilst you are saving for a place of your own. But absolutely not for your benefit instead of finding a way to work.

Snugglemonkey · 14/02/2023 10:44

ReneBumsWombats · 14/02/2023 09:00

It's not pimping, ffs.

Child models are needed for advertising and other jobs. There's nothing inherently unethical about having children model a kiddie clothing line.

Show quote history

There is nothing unethical about the modelling bit of the child is happy. There is an ethical issue around profiteering from it. The money is the child's!

redbigbananafeet · 14/02/2023 10:48

Clutterbugsmum · 14/02/2023 08:40

Well technically you could as you have to set up an account in your baby's name but you have signing responsibilities. But it's your BABY'S money, not yours. If you want to save up to move out then get a better paying job or a second one.

There's no guarantee that your baby will get any modelling job anyway.

Of course it's the mums money too! Is the baby getting the bus to the modeling gigs himself? Answering his own emails and phone calls? She's his manager so yes, she is entitled to some of the money.

liveforsummer · 14/02/2023 10:48

Sadly, some of a couple of grand isn't going ti get you moved on to a new, bigger place. You need a different solution even if it was ok to use the money. Lots of single parents work - myself included, and I have 2.

liveforsummer · 14/02/2023 10:49

Meant to add especially when a lot of that will be swallowed up with expenses

Snugglemonkey · 14/02/2023 10:49

OhBeAFineGuyKissMe · 14/02/2023 09:39

Surely, given the parent has to be there, negotiates, organise travel then a percentage of the money should go to the parent. For infant modelling the parent is doing more of the work than the child!

Also, as the money is going towards giving the child a better life, that is in their best interests. We are not talking mega bucks here.

Either ‘charge’ a percentage of the earnings for you or work out a fixed hourly rate and pay yourself that. Put the rest into a child saving account.

The adult is the one who wants to do it. They are making choices. The child has no choices. Then the adult in your scenario is essentially charging the child for the privilege of being exploited. The money belongs to the child.

keeprunning55 · 14/02/2023 11:13

Yes, and don’t feel bad about it. If your baby enjoys modelling and you’re using the money to help your family, I think that’s fine. They’re not going to remember and you’re the one doing all the work taking them to shoots.

MyriadOfTravels · 14/02/2023 11:32

Tbh, I think it depends a lot of what you want to spend that money on.

A couple of grands a year and buying a house.... it's not going to make a dent for many years unfortunately.

If its about litterally putting food on the table, id have no hesitation using that money.
If its to allow you to pay for Disney Chanel (even if it's for him) then i think its more debatable!

IF a couple of thousands can make the difference between buying a house or not, then I think that's fair enough tbh. You could also ring fence that money at the time of the purchase and ensure it stays his too.

Blort · 14/02/2023 11:34

Everyone talking about a baby doing a job.

Who's managing his jobs? Taking him to and from shoots? Making sure he's happy and healthy at appointments etc.

Totally understand why you would want to use some of the modelling money to better yours and his environment.

Chimna · 14/02/2023 11:38

I don't personally have experience of this as I can't imagine anything worse than any old wierdo having images of my beautiful babies to use as they see fit. But I know when I set up my sons bank account I had to sign to say the money would be used only for my DC and I could not personally spend the money on anything I wished.

MyriadOfTravels · 14/02/2023 11:39

@AliceMcK these examples are parents who use the millions their dcs earnt just for themselves. That's hardly what the OP is talking about there.

Also the other side of the coin...
Parents don't touch their child's money but also are on the bread line.
Do you think the child would be happy to have lived their whole childhood with very little/struggling with money etc.. when they knew there was money there available but it wasn't used?
Or in the case of the OP, had to do with no bedroom, cramped housing etc... when they could have had a bedroom of their own?

I really think that the most important is to use that money FOR THE WEELBEING OF THE CHILD. It might be that they don't need it just now and then it shoud be kept aside for them. It might be that actually for their own wellbeing, that money should be used now - even if that also means <shock horror> the parent also 'benefits' from it (lets say because they can have their own house)

adamsaboutnothing · 14/02/2023 11:44

My daughter was signed as a baby but didn't get her first job until she was 8. In that time I must have spent thousands on travel to and from castings. She loved it, but it's a huge commitment for us as parents. I worked which made it harder. The job she did get though was overseas and was an incredible experience. Since then she's had a few more but it has dwindled in the teenage years. All of the money though, and I mean all of it apart from the agent fees have been paid to her. I got paid a small chaperone fee for taking her abroad, but that was it. I don't recall it ever being an option to go into my account. I suppose it could have gone into a child's account which I could access, but I set up an ISA which she can't access until she's 16. I think there's about £6k in there, from 4 jobs, so I think your expectation of earning a few thousands over the next year may be a little high.

liveforsummer · 14/02/2023 11:45

I really think that the most important is to use that money FOR THE WEELBEING OF THE CHILD. It might be that they don't need it just now and then it shoud be kept aside for them. It might be that actually for their own wellbeing, that money should be used now - even if that also means <shock horror> the parent also 'benefits' from it (lets say because they can have their own house)

I don't think, with no other income aside from UC and child benefit, that the OP is going to be able to buy their own house from the proceeds of a couple of baby modelling jobs though. She probably needs a different plan

fruitbrewhaha · 14/02/2023 11:51

My DD modelled for some years and has a nice nest egg that I’m investing, she could by a house already. But it’s hers, not mine. I’ve not taken any of my costs out of it so in theory it has cost me money for her to do it. I could have taken travel expenses and chaperone fees but I was happy for her to have it.

If you need money to live OP this isn’t going to work for you. It will cost you time and money to get to castings etc. Although once established you don’t have to cast anymore, they know your child and request them back. But the money comes waves not regularly.

Itstarts · 14/02/2023 11:52

@Littleeggycustard

You should be paid a chaperone fee which is yours to keep. About 15 years ago I believe standard was around £130 a day. Not sure what it would be nowadays.

But yes, your dc's earnings are their own.

It's very, very rare to actually make a decent income from baby/child modelling though. Some won't get any work, some lots of auditions but only 1 or 2 actual jobs. It's a lot of running around for very little gain.

DRS1970 · 14/02/2023 11:52

I feel it would be unethical to use your child's money in this way.

Mugparrot · 14/02/2023 11:54

It's not something I'd do (the modelling tbh) but presumably a parent is entitled to a cut or even a salary as the child's manager?

I doubt you're going to make the money you're expecting though OP and please be careful of scammer and anyone who asks for cash.

Loveskipping · 14/02/2023 11:55

@Itstarts the chaperone fee is only for tv/commercials/films. Photographic work doesn’t offer a chaperone fee.

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 14/02/2023 12:10

My son was a child actor (on some high profile productions from 6-18 years old). I’m not sure how the law applies today, or how the modelling agencies handle such things, but I was paid a daily rate to chaperone him. The fee changed pretty much per production & where in the world we were. It was also subject to the standard agency deductions (as technically I was being given chaperone work via his job & agency).

At 16 he was doing it all himself as he didn’t need a chaperone by law (now sure if that’s changed).

However, besides the usual Agency deductions (his was 10% if memory serves), every penny went into his account because he had worked bloody hard to earn it. He’s still getting residual cheques on some work now at 30!

I’ve known some greedy bastards taking 50% of their child’s earnings (why they’d brag about this is beyond me)! Bastards.

Some days (including rest periods, tutoring, travel, rehearsal, make up, costume & finally shooting) were up to 14 hrs long- one job he’d be in make up for an hour alone - he worked bloody hard for every penny!

Don’t do it.