Modeling for Children Allowed By Law?

By Frank Vanderlugt
In a society where child labor is prevented by law, the industry of child modeling and child acting must proceed carefully. This is good because it helps to protect child from exploitation from overwork and unethical photographers and filmmakers.

Every parent and grandparent thinks their child or grandchild is the cutest baby to ever be born. Most are wrong in this opinion. Others however truly do have a child that possesses not only the physical attributes but also the personality to be successful in front of the camera.

For these lucky few the road catalogs, commercials and even movies is long and involved. And the journey is made worse by unethical people along the way who do not have the best interest of the child in mind. For parents or caregivers who are seriously considering taking their child into the world of child modeling, they should learn as much as possible about the industry and find a trusted agent to help manage their decision.

Some families decide to have one parent become the manager for the child. This can seem like a perfect solution at the time. The parent thinks that he or she is the best decision maker for the child. But because the parent is so closely involved with the child they can ignore important criticisms about the child’s appearance or performance. They can become blind to any imperfections in their child and unwilling to correct them.

Parents managing a modeling career or acting career for their child can also lead to tragic riffs due to business relations going wrong. The parent will maintain financial control of the money the child earns. If the parent mismanages the money the child may be caught in an impossible situation. If the bad manager is not a relative, it is easy to fire them. If the bad manager is your mother, well, that’s going to make for some awkward Thanksgiving dinners.

To get started on a modeling career for your child, most agents will begin with a professional photo shoot to have a portfolio to present to modeling agencies, casting directors and others in the industry that hire child models. The beginning may be far less than glamorous with the child taking jobs for minor roles in local and regional commercials.

Many children will never progress beyond this point. In some cases the child will not have the desire to continue the work. This can often lead to tension between the child and the parent because the parent may pressure the child into work the child simply does not want to do. Parents should always remember that this is a child and children are not supposed to be forced into work – even something that may seem harmless on the surface like modeling.

Other children will not progress because they lack the personality that is needed to complete the package. Looks alone are not enough because models and actors of all levels have to interact with photographers, directors, coworkers and the general public. It takes a certain personality to be able to do this well.

Other children will not progress because their particular look is not what is in demand. Trends come and go and sometimes the demand is for blondes with blue eyes. Other times the industry is looking for olive skin and dramatic eyes.

Parents and caregivers should always keep the interests of the child in mind and let the child decide if modeling is something they really want to do. If the desire is there, the time and hard work are more likely to be rewarded.


Frank j Vanderlugt owns and operates http://www.modeling-for-children.com 2 Modelingforchildrencom

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