How
To Make Your Child a  Star!!!!
By
Mrs. Stuart Thesman
Susan
Wentworth gently dries her daughters tears. "Sangria, we talked about
this, what did we say?"
Sangria
takes a brave sniff and raises her trembling chin "You said if I
ate like a little piggy no one would love me and I would never get to
be on TV."
Satisfied,
Susan smiles and hands a fat free Nutribar to Sangria. She takes Sangria's
hand and they leave the casting agent's office humbled by rejection.
"It's
harder than it looks" admits casting agent Jenn Whitney Macran "Not
only does the child have to have a certain oomph quality, he or
she has to be intelligent, attractive, or if not attractive at least ugly
in an interesting way, and it does not hurt to have talent".
Sound
discouraging? Well statistically, the chances of your child being a major
television star are a million to one, but there are many, many avenues
for ambitious mothers to explore. It may not be Dawson's Creek,
but if all you're looking for is second hand gratification and a way for
your child to earn money, acting may be just the way to go.
Getting Started
Photos
and Representation: Have your child's photos taken by a professional photographer,
if you don't know of a reputable photographer then check the classifieds
of any big city daily. Look under the sections that start with "Earn
Big Money Acting in Commercials" If your child meets the criteria
that Jenn Whitney Macran stated above and you have $5,000, you are well
on the road to stardom.
Pursue
leads on your own. Don't just wait for your agent to do all the work,
you have to do some legwork on your own. Enroll your child in beauty pageats,
enter them in any contest that requires a photo and offer free modeling
services.
A
little known fact is that casting agents are known to roam malls in search
of talent, so hang around the entrance to major department stores. Dressing
your child up in theme clothing is a guaranteed attention getter for example:
a pilgrim for Thanksgiving, a football for Superbowl. You are only limited
by your imagination and by how much weight your child can carry on their
head.
The
Circus is often overlooked, but opportunities for travel abound.
Be
aware that this is a full time job. No child ever made it to Full House
by eating Twinkies and rotting away in a classroom. If you are diligent
you will be rewarded with more money than you ever dreamed and a precocious
little moppet that anyone would be proud of!
Tips
Side
Stepping The Coogan Law
This
law requires that 15 percent of a child's earnings be put in trust until
the child turns 18 but luckily
the law doesn't extend to the 37 states without child labor law, so you
may consider moving.
Acting
as your child's manager will increase your earnings.
There
is a wide interpretation of "due diligence" in handling finances.
It
is not unethical to charge a child of 8 room and board. This is fair and
even common in many countries around the world.
Mrs.
Stuart Thesman is the author of The Art of Coupons and The Big
Book of Coriander. Her new book Drier Nails in Seven Days
is due out in September.
© Sharon Grehan-Howes
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