If you are interested in getting your child into modelling, you first need to ask yourself whether they would be a suitable candidate for the industry. Modelling can be competitive and lots of hard work. Here, we put together the best advice from professionals in the industry for parents of child models.
Not All Children Are Suitable
First, it’s natural to think your child is the most beautiful human on Earth. But being beautiful doesn’t necessarily mean you will be suitable for the fashion industry. There are lots of other things to consider, such as work ethic, focus and personality. Many children don’t want to be working or taking orders from a stranger; these children would not be suitable for the world of modelling, no matter how perfect they looked aesthetically.
Your Child Needs Specific Qualities
Leading on from the above, it’s not enough to have the right look. Your child also needs specific qualities that will make them suitable for the modelling industry. These include being photogenic, confidence, a cheeky or funny personality, the ability to listen and follow instructions, and plenty of energy.
Agencies Receive Hundreds of Applications
A modelling agency may receive over 700 applications a week. That means you have to stand out from hundreds of other hopefuls. It’s likely that your application may not even be seen; you can imagine the quick glance most applications receive when there are so many to go through.
You need to be resilient and determined to succeed – as does your child, who may be required to go to numerous interviews before being accepted.
You Both Need to Handle Rejection Well
The modelling industry is infamously tricky to get into, and rejection is all part of the gig. It’s all very well if you can cope with rejection as their parent or guardian, but your child also needs to be able to understand and handle criticism. You must both be mentally prepared for the gruelling business of modelling – which, unfortunately, can include negativity and regular rejection.
You Need to Be OK with Travelling
Modelling is not a remote job. You will need to be free and flexible to transport your child to any interviews and jobs. These will take place in major cities like London, Liverpool or Manchester, so if you aren’t city-based, you need to consider the impact of time and money required to transport your child around, along with the fairness of expecting your child to travel all day for a single hour-long shoot. These costs are likely not to be covered by the agency themselves unless you are in demand for work or of a certain stature in the modelling community.
You also need to be OK with dropping plans to attend jobs or interviews. This may require your child missing school, so you’ll need a good relationship with their teachers. Your child will likely be expected to catch up on school work in their own time, so they need to be OK with extra homework.
Shoots and castings can often come up with as little as 24 hours notice – so be prepared to drop plans and be as flexible as possible. Having a half-hearted approach will not work. Castings usually take place between 4-6pm, while shoots typically occur between Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm.
You Need to Step Back
During a shoot, the parent or guardien will be expected to step on from occasion. But more importantly, you will need to know when to take a step back and let your child shine. You need to learn to let go just a bit so the professionals can do their job. You will, of course, be expected to step in if your child becomes upset or needs something explaining to them.
It Should Be Fun
There is a lot to consider when it comes to child modelling, but the most important thing is that both you and your child have fun. The moment it feels like work, it’s time to think about taking a step back – there is a lot of hard work involved just landing gigs, let alone travelling to and from different locations. And there is always the possibility of rejection, which can take its toll on anyone.
How to Get Started
The first step is to have some high-quality modelling photos of your child taken so you can send them to some reputable agencies. It would be good to include both modelling photos and more natural shots showing off their personality.
Be sure to include the whole face – no hats or dummies in photos. Each agency does things differently, so be prepared to find some time to sit and really research each one to give yourself the best chance of success.
