Getting Toddler into Modeling/Acting

Whatever you do, don't sign up for AdKids. You can check out http://www.themodelchild.com/ for more information on legit agencies. The 3 main ones I know about are Wilhelmina, Ford and Product.

Best of luck.

Keep your child a child it goes too quickly as it is. This is really not fair to children - you are doing it for you not them.

I'm in show business myself and have two children, 9 and 11, who are also in show business. There are upsides to the business: developing a work ethic (what else can a child work at when she is that age?); getting them some spending money; putting the rest in the bank for college and later life; making them less shy about speaking in public. The downsides are having to run into NYC on short notice; spending money on tolls, gas and parking; sitting in dingy old buildings' corridors and waiting 30 to 60 minutes to be seen at the audition. Print jobs usually pay about $100 an hour, but you only work an hour or two at a time. The big money is in national TV commercials, if you can get one. But they are highly competitive and very hard to get. Call me at ###-###-#### and I will talk to you about getting your baby into show business (modeling, acting in commercials, etc.). I. Collins, Executive Senior Sales Director for Mary Kay, Inc.

Hi B.,

I signed my 10 month old daughter with an agent as we were constantly being told she should be in modeling. There are a few agenecies in Westchester but the major ones are in NYC. The major agencies require you submit pictures and wait 6-8 weeks to possibly hear back. We signed locally as I didn't want to waste time waiting to maybe never hear anything. It is very competitive. We started in March and have been on numerous open calls with nothing to show for it yet. We have decided to go through the summer and if nothing comes of it to stop as it is quite time consuming. It is a huge commitment - have to be able to have someone take your son on a call the next day or possible the same day, all our calls with the exception of two have been in NYC the other in NJ so between commuting and time it is an expense. If you are willing/able to make this commitment then contact the agencies and go for an interview but don't sign anything until you are comfortable and have explored all the options you wanted to. It was interesting to experience but the novelty of it has wuickly worn away. The hard part is you never hear any feedback so you don't know if you child has a good look or has a look that no one is looking for now. Good Luck

When I was a Nanny in NY the adorable child did some photo shutes for magazines. It was hard work and we soon dropped it. Make sure you really want to do this. They call you when ever and you have to been someplace in the city when they say regardless of routines, naps etc. Your child cannot have any scratches, marks etc on thier face. I cannot remember the agency his parents used but they are in the phone book and can be hard to get into. I am a Mother now of 2 boys 7 and 9. My 9 year old has gorgous colour hair and I was told often I should model him by people but luckily for me I had seen that world and did not do it. Also some of the places they sent us you were waiting out in a dark, dirty corridor waiting for your turn! and the waiting rooms were not clean or kid friendly often. so my advise would be to make sure you really really want to do this to you and your child, good luck.

B.,

I signed my daughter up for modeling with AdKids in NYC when she was 6 months old. They called her for many auditions but she did not get any jobs because there were at least 100 other kids at each one. We live in New Jersey so it cost us more to go into the city and park than it ever would have paid out for us so we stopped going.

M. Targi
Area Manager
Arbonne International
www.mariatargi.myarbonne.com
____@____.com
Find out how I was able to leave my full-time job in only 6 months thanks to this wonderful opportunity!

My oldest daughter was in "the business" back when she was 3 and 4. My mother in law pushed me into it. Even though my daughter ended up in a Revlon commercial and on the Today show, I would not recommend it!
You need to be ready in a day's notice- they call you 24 hours before and give you an address. Your child also has to have that sort of temperment that he can separate from you because moms are not allowed in the room.
My kid did have that sort of personality, but overall I have to say it's not a real healthy environment to put a child into. They either end up with a big head or else the opposite: you're basically giving your kid the message that looks matter above all else! I took my daughter out of it before she hit 5 because it just wasn't the kind of life I wanted to live, running to auditions and cattle calls every day of the week. I will admit, she still has a chunk of money in the bank and an IRA due to the Revlon commercial which ran for 2 years. Print work doesn't pay nearly as well.
If you want a sane balanced toddler, I would not recommend it.