Would you let your child model?

[Firebird]

The pageant thread got me thinking about something that I sometimes wonder when I'm at a mall and see ads for clothes with little kids in them.

I don't have kids, so this is all theoretical for me. But would you let your baby or young child model if they were asked? I imagine that the extra income could be helpful for college years down the line, but I wonder about the self-esteem implications of getting a kid into a looks-based career so early in life.

Of course, if your kid only modeled as a baby they wouldn't even remember. And I'm sure it would be different than modeling as, say, a teenager when you've internalized your looks. Anyway, I'm interested in other people's take on this.

[zibazinski]

My son did until he was about ten. He was a cutie that's for sure. We were accosted on the beach/resort in Cancun and that is usually how it happened. Mostly resorts and vacation areas. Boat magazines and bathing suits, kids clothes. Made a few grand a year and it bougyht his first car and paid 2 years worth of insurance for it. We didn't go looking for it, though, and he thought it was great fun to get his share(50 bucks) for spending money (we saved the rest.) Few hours work, few hundred bucks, great deal. The best ones he says were boat ads cuz you rode around in a boat while a helicopter took pics from above.

[whoisjohngalt]

Only if he made good money and I could keep it all

I have boys (so far), so I think it's a bit different, but I would probably be OK with that on two conditions 1) it didn't completely disrupt the entire family's time/money, etc and 2) he wasn't getting into it TOO seriously. Unless my kids are SUPER SUPER SUPER talented in one area, I don't want them to be involved in any one thing too much.

Lena

[Sum Dum Gai]

Probably not.

[tloonya]

You sure picked a correct topic after the other one goes on and on by people who are incompetents and they are just wasting everyone's time by posting bizzare things.

NOW get ready for more bizzare posts from people who had not ever been there...
I am all ears.

[Firebird]

Probably not.

Same reasoning as the pageant, Dark, or different?

[Firebird]

I have boys (so far), so I think it's a bit different, but I would probably be OK with that on two conditions 1) it didn't completely disrupt the entire family's time/money, etc and 2) he wasn't getting into it TOO seriously. Unless my kids are SUPER SUPER SUPER talented in one area, I don't want them to be involved in any one thing too much.

Why not? If they focus on one thing they've got a better chance of improving than if they spread themselves too thin.

Plus, less driving around for you ;D

[Firebird]

Few hours work, few hundred bucks, great deal. The best ones he says were boat ads cuz you rode around in a boat while a helicopter took pics from above.

That sounds like a great deal to me ;D Where can I sign up??

[Sum Dum Gai]

My gut reaction was something along the lines of; it would be selling my little girl's looks to some company so they can prostitute her for cash. It sounds sleazy as all get out. In reality, if I were to do it, any money earned would go into a college fund or something, but still... it's selling my little girl's face... I don't like it.

[tloonya]

May 13, 2011 13:10:57 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

My gut reaction was something along the lines of; it would be selling my little girl's looks to some company so they can prostitute her for cash. It sounds sleazy as all get out. In reality, if I were to do it, any money earned would go into a college fund or something, but still... it's selling my little girl's face... I don't like it.

So...what were dinosaurs like Dark Honor?

[zibazinski]

Right place at the right times I guess. We never went looking for jobs, they just fell in laps so to speak. He thought it was great fun especially the boat ones, of course. He also complained though that the girls butts weren't covered up and he thought they were GROSS!!!!

[Cookies Galore]

BF's cousin was an Abercrombie Kids model. I've seen the shopping bag he's on, it's pretty cool.
From what I'm told, it was no big deal. He did a few shoots, made a few bucks, ended up on bags across the country.

BF's entire family is tall and thin. I hate them all.

[Firebird]

Right place at the right times I guess. We never went looking for jobs, they just fell in laps so to speak. He thought it was great fun especially the boat ones, of course. He also complained though that the girls butts weren't covered up and he thought they were GROSS!!!!



Great kid you got there!

[midjd]

One of my childhood BFF's was a model until age 15 or so - mostly circular and local ads for the closest city, population about 300K. The money wasn't great at that level, but certainly not bad either - about $250 a day (this in the early-to-mid 90s). It pretty much paid for her college, and she is still a very grounded person.

I think - as with pageantry - it all comes down to whether the child seeks it out and WANTS to do it, or if the parent wants to live vicariously through the child. My friend was spotted at a mall during 1st or 2nd grade - her parents didn't pressure her at all, the money got socked away in a college account, and she quit when she decided she had better things to do on the weekends

If the parent is using the child to fund the household, that is a problem. IMO any money a child earns should be set aside until after they turn 18. Look at Miley Cyrus. How much discipline can you exert when your kid knows they're funding your lifestyle?

[zibazinski]

Well, in his behalf, he was under 12 so naked butts are gross. He doesn't feel that way NOW, of course.

[Deleted]

No. But it is easy to say no if you have never had the opportunity to say yes.

[whoisjohngalt]

As much as I am in favor of less work/driving, etc for ME, I just think that childhood is the time to explore. Unless the kid shows tremendous talent in one thing, I don't see the point. I like the variety, the opportunity to learn and experience as much as you can.

Lena

[Deleted]

For a young child I wouldn't do it. She doesn't need to earn college money, that will be provided. If she was a teenager, I would discourage it strongly. I guess I don't want her to make money based on her appearance. It just seems like a bad idea.

[Wisconsin Beth]

I don't think I'd let my toddlers do it. DH suggested it, back when everyone was telling us how cute DD was. I told him if he wanted her in modeling he needed to do the research on it. He poked around online for a couple of days and that was it.

[Firebird]

I think I would let my baby or toddler do it. Probably not much after they turned four or five. I don't want my kids growing up thinking I'm pimping them out. (Before they're aware I'm doing it, though, why not? ;D)

[kgb18]

I would probably not let DD model. Several people have said we should see about her modeling now as a baby, but I just don't want to start down that road.

[debtheaven]

I worked as a journalist for a major magazine group here, for 18 years. Their main focus is young people's mags. So my kids have modeled for them. Not for ads though, for illustrative photos.

The pay was good, and they had a lot of fun. DS2 was featured in an article about different religions and races and it was an incredibly interesting day. He did something else for them too but I can't remember what. DD was featured in an issue cooking for kids. She got whisked off to this fancy Parisian restaurant for the day with another kid to help the chef cook, take photos, and then eat everything. LOL.

It was always very occasional. AND, I never had to go to casting calls, drive all over creation, I always knew the Art Director of whichever magazine it was for, and I often knew the photographers as well. DS2 got "hooked" and really wanted us to pursue it, but at the time I still had all four kids at home and it just never happened.

Oh, and DS1 did an ad for Vache qui Rit that was only shown in Morocco LOL.

One plus is that I got some GREAT professional photos of my kids for free!

All this to say, I definitely wouldn't push my kids, make them miss any of their regular activities, nor pursue this with one kid at the detriment of my family. But if it comes up, it can be a learning experience, a way for the kid to earn some money, and a lot of fun.

[Firebird]

One plus is that I got some GREAT professional photos of my kids for free.

My friend is an amazing photographer, and I am so jealous of her kids. They are going to have the most awesome records of their childhood I have ever seen. Doesn't hurt that they are both gorgeous enough to model anyway...

[debtheaven]

The way it works Firebird is that if she can place her own photos, she gets her fee, and then her kids get theirs.

DS3 (our youngest, 13 next week) has never modeled. But, he does voice work. He's the voice on many of the English-language CDs the younger French kids use at school when they are learning English. Again, it's very irregular work. There are two sound engineers who do all the language / textbook work here. I know both of them, and they are best friends LOL.

DS3 is allowed to use 1/3 as spending money, we make him bank the other 2/3s. He has been doing it occasionally for two years, and he now has 1600 euros in the bank. Not bad for a 12YO!

Again, it's something new, a learning experience, and a lot of fun. I obviously have an advantage in knowing these people. If I didn't, I would not feel comfortable with just dropping my kids off (now, I didn't at first), so it would be much more time-consuming.

[commentator]

Sure. Once the kid was old enough to start making some of his/her own decisions, it would be that kid's choice whether to continue (or start).

The child's earnings, by the way, belong to the child, not the parents. The parents may be custodians of that cash but they are obligated, morally and legally, to ensure the funds are safeguarded and expended only for the child's benefit. Be advised, the child's money spent on/for the child risks the parents' right to claim the child as a dependent.

Another by the way. Using "prostitute" as an analogy is cute and all but it overstates the opponents' case unless they consider repairing an automobile as being prostitution of one's mechanical skills and performing a knee replacement as being a prostitution of both one's fine motor skills and medical knowledge.

[debtheaven]

Touché, I'll change that. I'm sorry, you're right.

ETA: Done. Sorry, my bad.

[debtheaven]

This message has been deleted.

[kadee79]

Both of my grandchildren did a little modeling when they were younger. My GD did clothing ads for children's magazines and my GS ended up doing some stuff for Walmart & even ended up on the front of one of their month circulars.
It didn't hurt them & they learned how to take direction & how to get along with others. Monies are put away in the college funds.

[tloonya]

May 13, 2011 13:15:10 GMT -5 midjd said:

One of my childhood BFF's was a model until age 15 or so - mostly circular and local ads for the closest city, population about 300K. The money wasn't great at that level, but certainly not bad either - about $250 a day (this in the early-to-mid 90s). It pretty much paid for her college, and she is still a very grounded person.

I think - as with pageantry - it all comes down to whether the child seeks it out and WANTS to do it, or if the parent wants to live vicariously through the child. My friend was spotted at a mall during 1st or 2nd grade - her parents didn't pressure her at all, the money got socked away in a college account, and she quit when she decided she had better things to do on the weekends

If the parent is using the child to fund the household, that is a problem. IMO any money a child earns should be set aside until after they turn 18. Look at Miley Cyrus. How much discipline can you exert when your kid knows they're funding your lifestyle?

How refreshing to see a smart post!

[qofcc]

I used to work for JCPenney and they had a program where children of employees had a chance to try out to be catalog models. My DD was about 6 and really adorable she really wanted to do it, so I took a day off work and brought her in and let her try it. She was having fun until it came time to put on the clothes for the photo shoot. There was a big changing room with all of the other moms and little girls and she was really upset about the idea of changing clothes in a group instead of in private and she started crying and her face got all red & puffy. They gave her an hour to calm down and try again, but she didn't want to, so I took her home, no big deal. She went through a phase in her pre-teen years where she wanted to be a child model/actress and I told her if she did well in the school plays for a year we'd talk about it, but she didn't even make it through to the performance, she realized during practice she didn't like being onstage.