Whether your child has the ability to be the next Adriana Lima depends on whether a parent has the confidence to take the leap of faith and enable their child to pursue a career in modeling. Although it's good to start young and enroll in a child model agency, there are hard choices to make.
Cons First
Firstly, modeling is like any other job, requiring time, sacrifice, patience, and discipline; hard to ask from adults, and harder to ask from a child.
Children in their formative years are very active, constantly want to run and play, and rarely have any affinity for posing patiently in a studio. But this is only a con if a child doesn't like modeling, or in worse cases forced into the industry. Remember this always, looking good alone isn't enough. Anyone who wants to excel in modeling must have a good personality and work attitude as well. Hence, parents should only enroll a child into a modeling agency if he/she has the aptitude for modeling or loves the job.
Modeling has assignments throughout the day and you may get an important job during office hours. A child must be dedicated to going for a shoot after school, and a parent might have to request for time-off to send the kid to the assignment. It requires sacrifice to make it work. This then drives home the reason why a child must want to become a model at their own will.
There are many fake artists and scam agencies out there to exploit hopeful parents and families who want to see their kid become a famous model. Read Child Actor LA scam prevention advice to identify and thereby avoid them.
Key indicators of fake agencies by Child Actor LA experts include:
Located in suspicious areas
Guarantee you a job on the first day (Professional agencies know this process takes time)
Call you for an appointment after office hours or odd timings
Do not require a portfolio or contract (All good clients are attracted by your portfolio. It's as important a resume.)
Pros
If the child has a vibrant personality, photogenic face and has aspirations of being a successful model, then modeling can be a very big pro. Kids, who become good models, do so because they like the perks of the work such as fame and attention.
A good kid model agency will have an extensive network of contacts, and your child might get exposed to big names and companies at a very young age. It presents a good opportunity to network, socialize and progress rapidly in later stages of a child's career.
When the child hits their prime (teenage/youth) years, they can out beat their competition with more than just looks, but with significant experience in the industry. It's always hard to tell if a kid wants to pursue modeling long-term, but if that is the case in future, acquiring experience from young matters.
Travelling is a possibility when joining a big modeling agency dealing with overseas clients and contacts. A family can use this opportunity to travel together while being the support for the child in their modeling endeavor.
A child filled with passion for modeling is sure to excel in it. As wise Confucius once said, "If you do what you love you never have to work a day in your life". Modeling can complement a child's development by giving them confidence with their physical body and instilling good work ethic and values. If there's a child shows interest parents should not hesitate to create a new talent in the modeling world.