Show-Biz Kids
There are certain criteria though I feel parents should consider before putting a child in this business:
1. The child has got to both want it and enjoy it- If they do, great, then encourage and support them. Unfortunately I see, on a regular basis, kids forced to go on castings causing them to miss baseball games, birthday parties etc. They are not choosing to give up these things, their parents are. A child who is forced to be there, will never do a good audition. They are children who may or may not bring in money for their college by acting. They are not and should never be a source of family income or esteem. I see so many parents who are trying to live vicariously through their children because they wanted to be actors but were afraid to try.
2. They must have rules and discipline in their lives. They must follow the same rules as regular kids when it comes to obedience, manners, grades and such. Child star Kim Fields (Tootie on Different Strokes and Facts of Life) tells a story of when she was 13 years old and earning a large salary as a sitcom star. Her mother told her to clean her room, to which she replied “I can’t mother, don’t you know they’re waiting for me on the set” At this juncture her mother picked up the phone and called the show’s producer, a man with kids of his own. She apprised him of the situation and Kim’s arrogance and disrespect. He replied “Tell her that her contract is suspended and she is not allowed on the set until her room is clean and she apologizes to you for her behavior". Field’s credits her mother’s and her producer’s actions for making her the success she is today, as a director and producer with strong messages directed at today’s youth. The fastest way a child actor will lose favor in a casting, is to talk back to their parents.
3. You must teach and enforce casting and set etiquette- Whether they are children or not they must be on their best behavior on castings and bookings. We all know unruly kids who we dread seeing on our audition lists. These are usually the kids who didn’t want to be there in the first place. They were forced to give up something they wanted, to pursue something their parents wanted and they’re acting out.
If you do know that your child wants to be there, it is your job to make sure they are well-behaved. Don’t give them sugar before an audition. There is not a child on earth who does not become more hyper-active after eating or drinking sugar. Popcorn, peanuts, carrots with water or milk will get much better behavioral results.
The time in the waiting room can be long and tedious. Bring quiet amusements for your child. Coloring books and crayons (do not use flyers or info sheets put out by the casting director), books, Gameboys or radios with earphones are all acceptable. Leave all other siblings at home. Also please refrain from conversing with the other mom’s at this time. Often the loudest noise in the waiting room is the mom’s having a social visit. This makes it very hard for the children auditioning (and us) to concentrate. Please do yourself and your child a favor and hold the conversation for the hallway, parking lot or coffee later. If you do find another mom you click with, whose child is in the same category, perhaps you can trade off who takes the kids in to the audition and who stays behind with the other siblings.
4. Make sure that you and your child understand that this is not life and death- Your child does not need to get the role in order to prove themselves. There are 100 kids auditioning and one will get the part. The others have done nothing wrong. It’s not that they weren’t cute or sweet or funny. It’s the combination of many factors. Does the child have good on-camera presence? Are they comfortable talking to clients? Even more important, do they match physically with a mom, dad, grandparent or siblings who may have already been chosen. Please I beg of you, don’t ever let the result of a casting color your child’s self esteem or confidence. Let them know that you love them and that booking a job is no more important than whether they win a game or contest. Tell them that bookings are just a combination of doing their best and being in the right place at the right time. Let them know that you would pick them every time. That they’re always your “star". Let them know that your love for them will never change, for better or worse, with their booking average. Reward them when they get the job and reward them when they don’t. Remember that their development of a healthy self esteem, a strong spiritual center and a non-negotiable knowledge of right and wrong are far more important than any amount of bookings in the world. Focus on these things before worrying about their careers.