To all those who have a problem with child modelling

[mykidsmum]

Why???
My dp and i are kind of okay finacially but we live pretty much hand to mouth. My children all model and the money they earn goes into their bank accounts for the future. I often see references on here to mums trying to live their lives through their kids but the reality of my situation is that one day my childrens modelling may one day give them the oppurtunity to attend uni, something sadly at the mo i cannot afford. So why is this a big deal to so many of you? My children are well rounded individuals and despite my financial situation i want them to have a chance. Your thoughts would be apprecaited as isee alot of hostility on here to something which i feel is of no detremnt to my kids

oh dear - you may open a can of worms

I don't THINK I have a problem with it. I can see the financial incentive. But I kind of think it takes their privacy away. Hmm no, didn't explain that very well.

Tonight we watched "The hand that rocks the cradle" and I couldn't decide whether the little girl was the same little girl from "Mrs Doubtfire", so we looked it up on the net. Turned out it wasn't; it was a child called Madeline Zima. She now had her own website, fan club etc. I noticed she hasn't had many major roles since she did that film.

The thing is, I thought it was a bit rotten for her, really. Firstly, she'd become an actress without ever having a choice (couldn't help thinking she was working when she ought to have been playing) and secondly, she had to deal with having relative success then fading into obscurity. I thought the website was a bit desperate.

Not criticising your choice, perhaps I would do the same, but your question struck a chord because I just looked at this girl's website.

My own opinion on child modelling is that I worry that can be exploitation. I guess it depends on the reasons of the parent. - I think it is very very wrong of those who make their children do it to make money out of them - "my child does modelling and we go on holiday/buy ourselves designer gear with the money" type of thing! - a child is not a cash cow!

I also think it is very wrong of those parents who make their children do it because they themselves (the parent) wanted to do it but couldn't, for whatever reason (I think the whole living thru your child thing is awful! - you weren't good enough to be a dancer - force your child to be one, live the dream thru them!)

However, I think that as long as the child is having fun and the parent is not exploiting the child, and the money raised (minus expenses, eg travel, perhaps), goes directly to benefit the child, not to fund a particular lifestyle for the parent, then there is no problem. If the child doesn't want to do it in the first place, but the parent makes them - that is, imo, wrong. If the child gets exhausted or is missing school, or has no time for fun or games - that is not on either. If the child at any point decides they no longer want to do it and the parent does not immediatly stop, then I think that is wrong too.