April and her best friend decided they wanted to be models for their 8th birthday party. To demonstrate their desire for this they hosted a fashion parade in my friends living room. They went all out for this fashion show. The seats were arranged, the catwalk laid out , teddy bears where set up ready to watch the show. They even prepared refreshments for after the show. Tea, cakes, pizzas, (all pretend food of course, although the tea pot did hold water). They chose their outfits and practised their walks. It was time for the SHOW!
My friend and I were ushered to our seats by two beautiful models with big smiles and loads of excited, yet nervous giggles. They modelled their outfits with style and finesse, it was a joy to watch. The highlight was when they demonstrated their best cat moves as the crawled down the catwalk saying meow!
It was too cute for words, well at least it was cute until they turned the tables around on us! Yes that’s right, they made us have a turn at being the models. Only we had to pretend we were animals. It wasn’t exactly a glamorous performance, but it was hilarious. That was until my friends husband arrived home from work to find us looking utterly ridiculous. But on the bright side we had two very happy daughters, even if their mothers looked silly.
Let’s just say their plan worked and we arranged a joint 8th birthday party for our mini models. The venue was booked, the guests invited, they insisted on matching outfits and the cake was designed to match their cute balloon inspired tutus.
The big day arrived and it was a huge success! I guess it was bound to be. When you have a group of eight year old girls, a catwalk, lighting, nail polish, music, outfits, make up and cake what could go wrong? (Well probably a lot, but luckily nothing).
It was so much fun watching them get their make up done, their nails painted and have lessons on how to model. I feel so blessed that my daughter has gorgeous friends. The parents had to all be seated ready for the show and then the music came on. Out walked the party girls and they strutted their stuff down the catwalk. All the girls had several turns and even when April’s newly made necklace broke she held it together like a pro. (I would have expected tears, but she just kept going).
To finish off they all posed together for loads of photos and then they did their best cat impersonations as they crawled along the catwalk. Clearly eight year olds think that is what a catwalk is meant for. It was gorgeous.
April was besotted by this experience and has been nagging us (her doting parents) to let her be a ‘real model’. To be honest it is something that I have been really unsure about. Is it really a good idea? Would I be setting her up for disappointment? Will it help or hinder her self-esteem? A party is one thing, she was with friends in a safe, comfortable environment. It was a decision I wasn’t going to make lightly.
We let it go for a while, thinking she would let up, but she didn’t. I had to admit that when I am taking photos she is always there wanting to be in the shot. My daughter Aspen can’t stand her photo taken and Adam sometimes loves it and other times hates it. To be honest he only loves it when he is photo bombing (yes he is a five year old boy)! I feature a portrait of April once a week for a linky I join up with on my photography website. This is not because she is my ‘favourite child’, it is simply because she is the child who wants to be photographed.
After lengthy discussions with friends and family, my hubby and I decided we would look up the best agency we could find and see what it was all about. The agency we chose required us to send in 2 photographs of April. We chose a close up and a full body shot, and emailed them in. They also wanted her height, clothing size, shoe size and a few other details. After submitting the email, we received an automated email back pretty much telling us that we would only hear back if they liked what they saw.
They explained that they get so many people and don’t want to waste our time if our child isn’t suitable. It was all quite confronting. But I didn’t want our time wasted. If they weren’t interested then I was fine with that. We chose the top Melbourne agency for that reason really. I didn’t want to be told she was suitable for modelling if she wasn’t. It is not about being pretty. Of course April is pretty, every child is beautiful. I think that is the one thing about modelling that turns me off. Modelling is not about who is the best looking, or has the best body. Modelling is about having an exact look for that outfit or the particular designer. And being comfortable in front of the camera. Aspen is beautiful but she is so uncomfortable in front of the camera so modelling is not something she is interested in. I would just hate for April to feel she is not ‘pretty enough’ if she wasn’t chosen.
It really is controversial. I have had people tell me it’s great, that it will do wonders for her confidence. Others say it helps build resilience. Others think it is just plain wrong. It could also be a waste of time. Just because an agency signs you does not mean you’ll get any work.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. I am sure there is many opinions on this topic. It is never something I have considered for my children. I would never push them into something like modelling, or competition sports. But if it is a child’s desire, if it is their dream, should we allow them to give it a go?
Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks for joining me, love Mackenzie xx
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9 comments
So cute, can totally picture them crawling, meowing down the catwalk. Hilarious.
We’ve taken our baby to a few model castings. I think as long as he’s happy and not being asked to do anything that makes me uncomfortable it’s OK. Each to their own though, whatever you feel is right for your kid.
#twinklytuesday
Thanks so much for the feedback, I agree, if they are happy and feeling comfortable then there’s no harm
I think what matters is that no one is being force to do things. Modeling or children working early is only also good when there is a proper guidance from the parents. #TwinklyTuesdays
Really thankful for your insight xx
This sounds like a really fun party for the girls. At first, I was thinking that a “modeling” party was too grown up and focused on looks – but it sounds like you kept it fun and child-appropriate. I love that they acted like cats on the cat walk!
My eldest (9 years old) has been approached about modeling a few times (we live quite close to NYC), but so far we have not agreed to it. I modeled myself when I was a teenager, and found that it gave me less, rather than more, self esteem. That said, I think the world of modeling, especially for kids, is different than it once was – and certainly more accepting of different types of beauty (as you say, all children are beautiful!) A child with supportive, understanding parents who loves to be in front of the camera – but also knows that she is valuable for much more than her looks – should be allowed to enjoy the opportunities if they come.
#TwinklyTuesday
Yes, that is my fear that it would give her less confidence rather than more. She really wants this, but she is still so young. Thank you so much for writing to me, I am so grateful for this feedback xx
such an adorable idea – love their little manis! found you at #twinklytuesday ♥
stop by and chat with me! http://storybookapothecary.com
Thanks, I will check out your website
Wow! What a tough spot. Modelling is such a fraught profession, but I’m completely with you on wanting to support April’s dreams. I hope that however it turns out, it’s what’s best for her.
Thanks for linking with #TwinklyTuesday.
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