Parents

Parents

In the same way you get a variety of models, there are a wide variety of parents too. I think there is a massive stereotype about parents of child models. It is really easy to just presume that the mum (or dad) is controlling everything and does not consider what their child wants to do. I suppose, if you have never met a parent of a child model, this view is pretty understandable. I mean, the parent is the one who gets notified of the jobs and they don't have to consult their child about it. Also, quite often parents will take the child to a job or casting and organize everything regarding the practicalities of it. To some people, this looks like it is the parent who is controlling everything and the child doesn't have a say in what happens to them.

In many, many cases this is not the case. By people presuming it is, they are only enabling modelling to become something only for 'pushy parents' and 'spoilt kids'. The more people who think of it as this, the less people who put their children into an agency.

What my parents have ALWAYS done, and what I'm sure many others also do, is to ask me whether I wanted to do the job before committing to it. Since I first started, they have always explained what the job or casting was for, where it was, how long I would have to be there, and asked me what I would miss at school. If, for whatever reason, I didn't want to go, they would always say no to the agency. It is really important to be able to say no to your agency, because, if you couldn't make it but felt pressured by the agency to do the job, you might end up missing something special to you and your family. A good agency will NEVER force you to do a job - they should understand that you have other important commitments.

Of course it goes without saying, that there are a tiny proportion of parents who could be labelled as a 'pushy parent.' I have seen quite a few that were waiting with us in waiting rooms. Here is how to spot a 'pushy parent.'

• To start with, their child will nearly always look really bored. They will usually be on some electronic device and looking like the casting or job is the very last place they want to be. The mum or dad will most probably be giving them little nudges every now and again and telling them 'stop being embarrassing and speak to the other kids!' If they don't look bored they will be really dressed up and most probably trying to impress everybody with their latest 'major campaign.'

•  Secondly, they will be absolutely surrounded by other parents hanging on their every word. They will certainly feel the need to tell everyone about which job 'we' did that didn't live up to 'our' high standards, and can't resist mentioning the company that only used 'us' for two shots. Everything will be about their child and them - never just about the child. Everything is a competition; if one mum says their child's done Dior, suddenly 'they've' done Dolce Gabana.

•   And finally, a pushy parent will ALWAYS get too involved in things. All they do is get in the way. They will insist on helping their child get ready and always sneak in behind the photographer. They take photos on their mobile and reminding their little 'star in the making' to keep up that fake smile. They will grab an unlucky member of the crew, demanding immediate dates on when the photos will be out, and probably grilling them on the amount of hours the child's worked and how much they get will get paid.

Pushy parents are a real pain, crews don't even like them and it can even stop the child from being booked again. Although it's nice to discuss what you have been up to -many mums are just interested in what goes on in the studio, but make sure you know when to take a back seat.