KANSAS CITY, Mo. – From
Little Miss Sunshine to
Toddlers & Tiaras, are we teaching young kids it’s
good to look good?
The Wall Street Journal reports that more kids than ever are going after modeling careers these days. Besides the influences mentioned at the beginning of this article, experts cite the rise in popularity of “reality” shows like
America’s Next Top Model, and it’s model-turned-celebrity host, Tyra Banks.
Top modeling agencies like Welhelmina, Funnyface Today, and Peak Models & Talent say they’ve seen the numbers of child applicants grow as much as 50% in the past few years.
Is that such a bad thing?
Some people think so. While kids can—and most assuredly
will—face rejection at some point in their fragile young lives, whether from their peers, their siblings, or that cute girl (or guy), rejection based solely on how they look can be especially detrimental.
A mother of a young would-be model says she’s tried to explain to her daughter, who she says is "sad" about not having landed a single modeling gig yet, “that for different reasons they are looking for different looks.”
That can be a lot for a child, especially those already-image-conscious tweens, to grapple with.
Some parents, like Natacha Andrews, whose 4-year-old daughter would like to be the next Tyra, acknowledges the inherent contradiction in "teaching her that how people look is not supposed to be the most important thing, and then saying, 'Oh put on your pretty clothes and smile.' "
How
do you tell your child, “They’re just not that into you”?
Clinical and neuropsychologist Syd Brown says young children don’t—and can’t—understand those kinds of concepts. “They don’t know that if your body changes in the wrong way, you may not be wanted anymore," he says.
But not all parents see that as a difficult concept. Many see it as a way to develop a child’s coping skills; to prepare them for that aforementioned inevitable rejection.
Jill Ormond, mother of two young models, says it’s a harmless hobby—or career. “It’s something that I think is fun, and it doesn’t hurt the child.” She says, “It’s a way that they can have a little money set aside, and if it’s not touched for 18 years, I think that’s a good chunk of change.”
But what do the
kids think? That may be the more pertinent question.
