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Original poster

To let my DD model?

73 replies

AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 07/04/2012 08:49

Hard hat is on. My DD is aged 7 in year three...she is very, very shy but very bright. She is very interested in media, loves learning about the machinations of TV advertising and about film making and animation. She is also very beautiful..(she really is...Im not being vain about her)

She has asked me a while ago how she could get to be in magazines and on TV....I don't even buy fashion mags....the only ones we have here are things like Country Living so she's been looking at the adverts in them and at supplements we get sent from clothing companies.

She studies the adverts and sort of takes them apart...she has hassled and hassled me about getting to audition for TV ads...i have naturally been reticent, not least because she is so very shy....( I mean shy in the extreme) I explained that the auditions would invlve a degree of performance and that she would be asked to talk to people she'd never met....she was still very keen.

So I did some research and found the best kids agency...very reputable...no charges at all except their percentage....no asking us to attend photo shoots for portfolios. They work from snaps....and their client list is impressive....I made extra sure of this companies reputation and it's all good.

They have accepted her for their Northern branch and have made it clear she'll now be put up for jobs. I am having a hear attack thinking about it. Not only will I have to take her...but possibly see her fall apart at auditions..they do tv ad stuff as well as fashion but I also have to deal with her feelings if she doesn't get parts....

WHat should I do? Let her go for it? How can I tell her no now I am having dobts about her self esteem getting affected? SHe wants to do this but I can't imagine the way she will react in these situations.

OP posts:
Original poster
AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 07/04/2012 09:12

purple how old was your DD?

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scuzy · 07/04/2012 09:13

exactly ... before you go to any castings i would be letting her know very seriously that regardless of the outcome school comes first and under no circumstances would it be missed or comprimised.

Original poster
AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 07/04/2012 09:14

married that's interesting...for me it is all about wanting her to grow and to challenge herself. I don't like dismissing her little plans for herself as all of mine were ignored by my parents.

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rainbowinthesky · 07/04/2012 09:14

Not sure how they could be possible, scuzy. As I said dd's best friend misses school. Not sure how often but dd mentions it every few weeks or so.

Original poster
AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 07/04/2012 09:16

The agency told me that some school would be missed due to jobs more ofen than not being filmed or photograped in the daytime...castings are later....so no school missed.

I am open about the odd day off...she's always had excellent attendance and one day here and there won't harm....I understand that jobs are not common...there isn't a LOT of work...I see it as an enriching thing...not like I'm taking her out for cakes nstead of going to school.

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Original poster
AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 07/04/2012 09:17

Obviously if there was something important on at school then that would come first.

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Teeb · 07/04/2012 09:20

I don't know if it is a good idea actually. If she does well in it then the chances of her becoming quite precocious and a bit bratty are highly likely (speaking as someone who has dealt with models of all ages.) She wouldn't really be mixing with other children of her age group, but media people who have time/budget deadlines and need to get a job done. Could a very shy child handle the rejection? The boredom of waiting around all day? The teasing she may get from school if any of the pictures are published?

What in your eyes are the plus points of her modelling at a very young age?

scuzy · 07/04/2012 09:25

well alot (not a couple no more) of school off would be a deal breaker for me.

Original poster
AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 07/04/2012 09:26

Teeb how would she know she was rejected? I mean....can't I just say afterwards "You were too tall" or something? She's not going to hear any blank no's is she?

maybe I am naive but I think if she's interested in it...she loves having her picture taken...I thought the positives would be that she sees that she has skills...she is very creative and good at wearing clothes nd thnking up themes for the "fashion shoots" she arranges at home...she takes pics of her sister and has her sister take them of her too..that sounds silly but she loves choosing clothes and putting combos together....I can imagine she will be interested in the technology and the process. I thought it would do her good if she gets cast in anything as her self esteem would be stroked.

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Ticktock1 · 07/04/2012 09:27

I work with a lot of models and conduct castings on a weekly basis (not for children though so might not be that helpful) a huge amount of models are shy and quiet but when they are behind a camara they come alive. It is a total transformation and I wouldn't cast a girl from meeting her alone her portfolio will show me what she is capeable of.

The rejection is very hard, I would explain that is not that they don't 'like' your DD its that they have a look in mind, I know what I'm looking for and I might have to see a hundred girls before I find the right one. Doesn't mean those hundred girls that were not right for this shoot aren't great. You really really cannot take it personally.

Good luck with it, modeling is a huge amount of fun

scuzy · 07/04/2012 09:28

see now if my opinion thats a slippery slope. its an industry that rejection is a given and if you sheild her from that (within reason) your setting her up for a fall.

book her into a casting and be honest with her of the outcome while still being her loving mum.

Teeb · 07/04/2012 09:30

But even being picked wouldn't always be a good experience for your self esteem.

I think maybe you should go to a photo studio yourself with your daughter, and have a photographer who can be slightly...demanding to take the photos. Not for any work, but just for you personally. See how she can cope with communicating with a grumpy photographer who might be having a bad day. Then add onto that the pressure of 5/10/20 people milling around telling her what to do at an actual shoot.

Ticktock1 · 07/04/2012 09:30

Sorry missed that post AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb, she would not be told no at a casting, she will just be thanked for coming. You just won't hear back unless they want to put an option on your daughter

rainbowinthesky · 07/04/2012 09:31

Not sure doing it in the hope that her self esteem would be stroked is such a good idea. There are lots of ways to improve 7 year old girls self esteem rather than modelling.

perceptionreality · 07/04/2012 09:32

If she's keen to do it then let her have a go at it - you'll soon see whether it suits her or not. If it's a decent agency like Kids London or Urban Angels then she probably will get work.

I agree that drama classes are a great way to build confidence - if her school runs them maybe consider enroling her?

marriedinwhite · 07/04/2012 09:36

FWIW also, my mother was a ballerina, did a bit of beauty queen stuff too in the early 60s (even though she had a child) and modelled throughout the 60s and 70s.

She is without doubt the vainest most appearance obsessed person I have ever come across but she's also one of the kindest and most popular and always has a string of people dropping round. At the end of the day, she found her niche and she probably wouldn't have been happy doing anything else.

Original poster
AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 07/04/2012 09:37

Teeb I find that interesting about so many models being shy....she does seem to light up when there's a camera...not so much a film camera but stills....she loves having pics taken and seeing the results....She's a simple little thing in many ways....she loves money Hmm and the agency give a very small fee just for attending a casting...I think that would do her good too!

"Here's your fee for turning up" kind of thing...she'd like that and as she's so practical, she would understand not having the right look....I will see how she enjoys the first one we get and if there is ANY sign of her not having fun then I will reevaluate. Maybe we will try two castings....if she likes it then all well and good. I can't see how modelling alone turns kids heads unless their parents feed them a lot of crap about them being better than other people.

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Original poster
AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 07/04/2012 09:40

Perception It's Kids. Her school has no drama club but I've put her down for a new gymnastics club there. And a parent who has acting experience is hoping to start a drama club on a voluntry basis...so that might be good...she'll be with kids she knows.

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MigratingCoconuts · 07/04/2012 09:41

I also think you should give it a go.

I'm a secondary school teacher and have seen quite a few budding actors etc go through. I do think that it is a part of developing interests. And it isn't always the kids you'd expect (far fewer little princesses!) and it is meeting somthing that is a part of who they are.

From what I can see, its about keeping things in perspective, like trainee gymnasts or swimmers.

Original poster
AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 07/04/2012 09:45

That's it Coconuts I woud be happy whatever she were intersted in...if she wanted to be a bricklayer I would encourage her just as much! She's only 7 and it may all fade off once she sees how it works...but I think it's important to listen to them and help them to get to try things out.

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Original poster
AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 07/04/2012 09:46

Can any of those on thread who have experience of the industry tell me what goes on in a typical casting? DO they chat to the child a bit and then take a few shots? Or is it more formal than that?

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fluffylegs · 07/04/2012 09:50

I work in this industry sometimes and I'll put my tuppence worth in for you Grin

As with everything a lot depends on the parents. If the child is grounded and polite and happy then it's all good. Pushy stage mums usually have irritating, insecure children. If you can make sure she realises this is essentially a superficial industry about selling things but a way of having fun too, then she'll be OK.

If you can try to manage the success and knockbacks - if she gets the job great if she doesn't no big deal.

She is very young and a love of all things advertising / clothes related doesn't mean that she has to be modelling. However it sounds like you need to at least try.

Good luck!

Original poster
AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 07/04/2012 09:58

Thanks Fluffy I have exxplained how advertising works and she's utterly fascinated by the way we all fall for it....

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MissTapestry · 07/04/2012 09:59

My sister and I both went for some kind of casting sessions when we were about your DD's age. We wanted to and my mum was happy for us to try. We didn't get anywhere, I can't remember why, but we both shrugged our shoulders and moved on.
It's never been a problem that we were rejected for it, and we both now have careers that we love and are very good at.
I think you should let her try, see how it goes after the first one and then think about it again. Why shouldn't she be allowed to try different things?

Mrsjay · 07/04/2012 10:02

If she is interested then why not try . I dont see the harm as long as you dress it up as fun and a hobby and not to be taken too seriously she may enjoy it or she maybe bored rigid by it all , Im sure adverts would be very boring if they didnt have children in them , I dont think it has anything to do with body image at 7 it could be a fun thing to do ,

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