To ask you to show your face painter some consideration

[Pinkginhelps]

It’s half way through the silly season for face painters and I had to share my perspective…
If there’s a long line waiting, do the maths. Even a super fast painter may take up to 5 minutes to paint each child. If you don’t want to queue for a long time…walk away. If you do decide to wait in line, don’t huff and puff whilst you wait, moaning and groaning about how long the painter is taking. They can hear you and I promise you, they are working as fast as they can.

Don’t present a child with a face covered in food/ boogers or both. Seriously, it’s not cool to paint over all of that and then use the brushes on the next child. Just clean their face.

Painting moving targets isn’t easy. Wait until your child’s face is painted before deciding you need to talk to your progeny and please don’t practically stand on the painter to take pictures whilst they are painting your child’s face. When they are finished, let them get off the chair before taking pictures so the painter can start on the next child in the line.

Finally....

Painting a butterfly on a boy or a superhero on a girl isn’t going to turn them gay. It’s just face paint. Let them have what THEY want.

YADNBU!!!

Used to do face painting and loved it - except when they would sit down with a face covered in snot! 🤢

I used to do it after my act, gave up in the end as hardly made any money and was too time consuming. The liability insurance was expensive too.
I kept wipes for them if covered in food or snot and passed them to the parent when doing one before.
Also a system like clarks have with the next number displayed stopped the queues and they could go off and do other things.

@chakano Agreed about the numbers system. Works fine at parties but not at big events. The same with face wiping! When the line is over an hour long, I haven't got time to wipe or wait for faces to be wiped. I don't understand why anyone would think it's okay to present a child covered in food or snot in the first place and then look shocked when asked to wipe it off.

YANBU!! I couldn’t do your job for exactly the reasons you have stated. Getting up close to little kids that are not yours is only for the brave and strong of stomach. Painting over booger’s

Pink

It was the opposite for me, better at big events than parties. far fewer complaints as they didn't have to queue, weren't bored and I could save time from having the faffers round me.
Parents tended to send their dc over at their turn too so no parents ranting, chatting all day.
It's far better to paint in calm than being pushed and stressed.

@chakanoI love big corporate events. Very civilised and calm as you say. However, I get paid to offer face painting free to the public at a couple of big events in my area each summer. It's carnage! Even with line managers to help and signage explaining the choices and asking for clean faces. It's full on, non stop and very grouchy parents which I understand given the waiting time! Every year I tell myself I won't do it next year but it pays very well even though it takes me a day to recover from the madness. A bit like childbirth, by the time the next summer comes around, I've forgotten how shocking it was and just remember all the lovely pink fluffy bits about it .... I think I just need a few weekends off and some self medication via intravenous pink gin.

Pink sounds similar to my past work, for me many years ago now
I can sympathise with the carnage events, and agree with the pink gin

I apply for funding and manage budgets for festivals and events, as well as performing, now. The spring, summer and early autumn in vans and tents, the winter working from home.