To ask what your views on child modelling are?

[toptramp]

At a nye party a lady said how georgeous my dd is (I am going to boast- she is) and that I should enter her for a child model agency. She is also very photogenic.

It is a bit exploitative isn't it at the age of 3? She loves dressing up, clothes, make up etc and posing and I would never do that awful beauty pageant stuff. I just have fantasies about her being in the Boden or Next catalogue. I am being very silly I know and I wish the nice lady hadn't put the idea in my head.

My friend did it as a child and only has happy memories.She has now put her son forward for it and she is one of the nicest most balanced mums I know-any proceeds will go to his college fund.If the child wants to do it then why not?You will do a lot of sitting about at castings and be turned down for more jobs than you get but if you think you will be ok with it then go for it- if you are not at work during the day and can take the time to accompany her.I think some people can be very dismissive of it ( possibly when their children may just not be suited to doing it perhaps) with that unthinking kneejerk reaction to it and make little snipes at mothers who put their kids forward for it, but when kids are that young they don't really have any adverse effects from it, I would not have thought.Beauty paegeants- mm yes I have a kneejerk reaction to them myself. Don't worry what others will think- when you get that commercial job and a chunk of change you will be so chuffed you had the balls to just go for it and disregard the soothsayers with their 'stagemother/pushy mother' put downs....people are so full of their own opinions when it comes to how you raise your child and the choices you make.....As an aside( my friend paid off her mortgage from a handful of commercials) and now gets to do what she wants with her life rather than be a wageslave like so many.She has a fantastic life from work she did 20 years ago- now that is smart and if your daughter is good looking, then lucky her, it is an opportunity to be seized if she wants it.

I would rather get a job myself to pay for my children's 'college fund' than expect them to do it - it seems all wrong to me.

Fabby Chic I agree that it CAN be disgusting depending on how it's handled, but if it's done healthily then is it any different from my mum keeping the local newspaper cutting with my mug in it (not modelling, just winning a colouring competition and taking part in a parade etc)

Is the money really that crap? My bf was in a itv advert recently (ie well played on that channel) and was paid £7k. Considering a catalouge model (adult) would get a few grand for a shoot and the amount of £10 (???) has been bandied about for children I'd expect a childrens tv ad to yield far far less than £7k.
I wonder why they're paid so much less? The amundance of availability?

so instead of mum being "wage slave" daughter was.traipsed about,appraised,accepted,rejected as family wage slave?
so whom could pay off the mortgage, the pushy mum?or did the money go in separate fund to child?who was main beneficiary...whose mortgage got paid. and really do cut the wage slave bs,as by traveling,preening,casting, the mum has demonstrably engaged in a money making venture,...casting slavery to pythe bills.had to turn up,be available or no payment.effort traded for cash, yes that's casting slavery

you're frankly a bit dim missic,if you think misgivings about this are that other parents have unphotogenic kids, or aren't brassy enough to go for it. no as I said I feel uncomfortable at my kids being merchandisable commodites, and the high and lows of castings

I think its just one person who said they got £10 for a job and everyone else is running with it not adding their own experience. Someone else said £50/hr for photowork, more for tv.

I kind of agree with sm- I mean they're only advertising something. It's not like they are being appriciated for a talent.

photoshoots are reducible to photogenic looks and match for brand, the saleability and marketability of chid.it's not a competitive audition, in say dance,singing.it's a straightforward baby zoolander - does kid have compatible look for brand,can kid tolerate a shoot

the ones I know seem to have been picked because they were willing to do whatever activity they were meant to be photographed doing and didn't cling to mum and cry at all the strangers in the room. Not so much about looks asoneofthemumswouldliketothink

Just a thought...

Most little kids like cleaning

I wonder if the same parents whose kids are models, would allow them to also work as cleaners if it were legal?

I mean it's the same principle isn't it? The child likes to do something (ie, have photos taken) so they're put to work advertising for big companies.

Therefore I wonder if they'd let them clean for big companies, because the child is doing what it enjoys....or is it more about the kudos so the parents can say 'ooh that's my child on TV', rather than 'ooh that's my child hoovering that office'?

there needs to be child ability to tolerate a shoot,take direction,be ga felled,posed and have lots of adults in proximity.pretty pivotal to a smooth efficient casting- malleability. it's not cost effective or conducive to have fretful child wanting parent

iPad autocorrect
child be handled,posed,and tolerate adults in proximity to facilitate an effective shoot is as important as looks, the malleability of child in that situation

I couldn't build a little aeroplane, let alone a child!

They also are very cutting

Like too fat next whilest talking to the assiant in front of the child or I don't like her hair get the other girl

Not good for a child's self asteam

of course casting is blunt.it's choosing marketability,saleability and cash kerching good campaign based on looks

kids don't chose this,parents chose it. and initiate it. and it's probably driven by brashness, graspyness, or misplaced showbizz mwaw mwaw mummies

Oh scottishmummy .Soothsayer are we?Only a matter of time before the accusation of the showbizz mummies came out on here as predicted.

The friend who paid off her mortgage did commercials as a young adult.I would say that two years to pay off a house that is now worth over 400K was pretty good going myself.And yes she is one of the few people I know who does not have to work to pay that big expense because she took that opportunity when it presented itself to her.Do you think your time is not a 'mechandisable commodity' to your employer, should you work?I think you might find that it is if you think, just a little about it.

The point is whilst that might not be what the OP gets her daughter into, there are opportunities in everything and modelling, whether it be child or otherwise may well be a positive opportunity, that many who are negative/dismissive/cynical won't ever get to realise because of their narrow minded dismissal.I am sure the OP is intelligent enough to be aware of the potential pitfalls as well as the totally obvious stereotypes bandied about on here.

The other friend did it as a kid and had great fun and has some great photos from campaigns she did but mainly just a handful of good memories of fun on the few days she was involved and so is positive about her son doing it.

The fact is that all this stereotyped bs about making your child a mechandisable commodity....come on, have you been reading CHAT magazine a bit too much on your tea breaks?

I imagine you know nothing about it all as is the case when people come out with these sweeping statements.I have to admit I find people who make global statements, frankly a bit dim, to be honest to quote there, not that I would dream of accusing you of that scottishmummy.I mean I only know you from the opinions you present here.

Blimey, people who have never ever done it seem to be able to tell us an awful lot don't they?

All I can say is that my DC earned a lot more than a tenner a pop and there weren't any downsides really. We were always well looked after...to be honest I got a lot more help on set than I did at home looking after the twins. Always someone there to fetch and carry for us, play with the babies. Sometimes I just had a nap .

I did modelling as a child as well as professional theatre and what no one seems to have mentioned on this thread is the competitiveness and rejection.

No matter how much work your child gets he/she will go to castings/auditions and get rejected regularly. Some kids can deal with this well but for most some it can give them long lasting hang ups into adulthood in my opinion.

I don't know what is going on to those castings, but those who say it is no fun for the baby have they been to baby music classes? . I 've seen many babies there who didn't seem very happy. And it was £5 for the privilidge to attend.

as an adult I have capacity and chose my career, and exchange my labour for remuneration. babies, 3 yo et al don't chose to be be at castings-their parents do that. I do think it unnecessary if school or nursery interrupted to attend castings

and a parent escorting child to casting is taking child in hope it meets a specific profile,in exchange for labour for money. it is a straightforward economic transaction. the child is a marketable commodity at casting,monies exchanged for participation, it's not a jolly day at studio, it's work.paid work obtained by fulfilling a profile or suitability

Honestly SM there was no labour involved. DC just laid under play mat, or whatever. It just happened in the studio rather than at home or at nusery.

DC couldn't have cared less. I couldn't have been arsed to do it if it had made life harder for me or them. But really it didn't. Perhaps if they'd been older then they might not have liked it but we moved away and I certainly wasn't going to schlep to London on the train.

That said, I've recently been asked if DD wants to audition for a TV show and I'm retiscent, because of the interuption to school etc. DD is very keen though.

the labour is doing what someone else requires the casting.parent receives monies as exchange of prompted action/request
the labour is
the travel
the assessment of suitability for casting
potential acceptance
potential rejection
ability to fulfil casting specification
...all done with desired hope of a casting and remuneration

it's business,plain and simple. not a bunch of random toddlers,or children sitting about on mats

business with
director
casting staff
pa
lighting
photo graphics
etc
and parents hoping their child gets picked

if it was only sitting about on mat having fun,you'd be at soft play. not in studio hoping to be picked

I dont see anything wrong with it never considered it , but wouldnt adverts beboring with out child models , You have to consider your girl not getting jobs though and not be dissapointed if she doesnt that sort of thing , but if its something she would enjoy then go for it , see it as a hobby and a little earner for her when she leaves school she could save some of her money ,

I hardly think a three year old will have its schooling interrupted and perhaps the OP is lucky enough that her daughter is not already into the scheduled world of full time nursery SM- where workers are paid in order to look after people's children, for they certainly are not prepared to do it for free as parents do.

Transactions for money are everywhere and are part of the world within which we live.I don't really follow your rhetoric.There are many things parents choose for their children that the children have no choice in, full time nursery care being a prime example of such a common transaction for WMs, whether it is what the children want or not, if it suits the parents' desires/needs.I think the odd day out here and there to go to a photo studio and dress up is hardly accurately described as labour and if the OP finds her daughter does not enjoy it ,I am sure she can choose to not do it anymore.As an analogy with something parents choose for their children- if children are unhappy or less happy in say full time or part time nursery, you rarely hear a parent electing to withdraw them from that, because of course it wouldn't suit what they want or need to do- go and labour for the usual monied transaction most of us participate in for the largest chunk of our lives or for the lucky ones, engage in some livelihood that they find immensely rewarding and financially positive.And of course some just find the mundane ease of work preferable to what some find is the mundane repetition of raising small children.Let us not pretend that we only ever make choices for our children that are purey based on their most important needs.

If the OP has the time to pursue it and people have noticed her daughter may be suitable then I think she should pursue the opportunity.I know people who have done it and have been very positive about it.There are downsides to everything- for some children learning to deal with 'rejection' and not winning the first prize in life can in itself be a valuable lesson.
OP- go for it.I am sure you are as proud of your daughter for her lucky good looks as parents are of their children who have some other natural talent, and I am sure your pride goes beyond merely her being a good looking kid.

I did child modelling - it was mostly before I was old enough to have clear memories though. My Mum said it was really boring and hard work, involving lots of travelling to castings and waiting about. Apparently I refused to get in a bath naked with twin boys when I was about 6 for some shoot, and then the next one I announced in a loud voice that I was bored, so we stopped going.

I think on the whole I am glad Mum got me into it because we have some lovely photos from the portfolio and from the shoots I did, and there was some money I earned in a post office account for me when I was older. Just be prepared that it might not be what your little girl wants and never push her.