A special hint to parents of aspiring child actors: more times than not, when we are trying to help our children perform, we get in the way more than we help.

Personally, I have watched my son stiffen and get emotional and my daughter basically get angry and belligerent when I insert my suggestions at a shoot.

Even if I say the same things in the same words as the director or photographer, my children will listen to the stranger sooner than they will listen to me.

I see hundreds of stage, sports and showbiz parents have the same effect on their children. Almost all of them have no idea that their efforts have the exact opposite effect than they want and are making their child’s performance suffer.

If you are thinking “that’s not me and my child,” test it. “Help” your child as you normally do and watch for signs of tension in your child’s smile, voice, body language.

Then, in another similar situation, advise your child that you will be close by if they need you, that they will be fine with the person in charge, but they won’t see or hear from you unless they specifically ask for you and need you.

Think of it like a school with a nanny cam where you can visit your child without interfering with the classroom. If the person working with your child is good with children and you are honest, you see a positive difference when you step away.

You will hear this same refrain from me over and over again whether it is about auditions, headshots, Feature films, student films, TV, stage, publicity or any other aspect of professional acting.

If you are seriously considering acting as a profession for your child, you will find that parents are little more than taxi drivers and baby-sitters when the child is not actively auditioning or on set.

You are expected to have the child at the location on time, well rested, prepared and ready willing and able to do the audition, the photo shoot or the acting job.

On an acting job, you are expected to be available if your little angel gets unruly, cranky, sugar-crazed, sulky or otherwise unable to perform as expected.

Other than that, you DON’T EXIST!!!
You have no opinions.
You have no creative input.
You don’t direct, advise or translate poor direction or fix hair, make-up or wardrobe. You have no say in lighting or camera angles or how to fix a take.

No matter how much you want to help 99.9% of the time, even if your “suggestion” is correct, it is unwelcome.

If this is too difficult for you to swallow, please consider another line of work for your child NOW.

Unless your child is making truckloads of money for the people involved, no one will put up with your interference for very long.

While there are hundreds of thousands of people working in the entertainment industry, it is really very small. Parents and children labeled as “difficult” are ousted very quickly.

Whew, Lecture over – for now.