Is Child Modeling Legal?

Your opinion on child modeling and pageants?

• I'm just curious for everyone's opinion. For me, child modeling: If it's not inappropriate, then I think it's ok. You have to be willing to put in the time, get the pictures done, drive to the places for shoots, etc. but most importantly, make sure that the child wants to do it. You should also save the money they make for them, not spend it on yourself. My opinion on child beauty pageants: For child natural pageants (no fake anything) you have to make the commitment, be able to afford it, not punish the child if they don't win a high title, and make sure that it's something that the child wants to do. Natural pageants don't usually award much cash, so you have to know that you'll be spending more money than your child makes. For both kinds of pageants: doing them when the child is under four will usually waste your money. You don't know if the child wants it, and most times when the child gets on stage, they don't do what you want thus not winning high titles. With younger children, I would suggest natural pageants if you want to do pageants because the level of competition is lower, and they don't wear as much make-up. I think for the glitz: If you're ok with your child wearing a lot of make-up, then do them. I think that under a certain age, you shouldn't do them because they cost a lot and if the young child doesn't want to do them and doesn't do anything on stage, you'll just have wasted your money. For an older child if they want it, you're ok with what they have to do to for the glitz pageants, then do them. Some children in glitz pageants (Eden Wood, for example) get well-known because of the pageants. So, those are my opinions, but what are yours! Thanks!

• Answer:

  I would ask two questions: 1. Who is this ultimately benefitting? 2. Is it ok for my child to do it just because they want to? A number of parents claim that these are good options because their child can earn college scholarships or money for education. However, if this parent also had the option to put their child in a full time job to earn the same amount of income, would they? Probably not. No one wants to put their toddler to work. And at the end of the day, is this college fund benefitting the kid more, or the parent more? 2. Children often want to do things that aren't good for them. If I had my way when I was a child I would have owned a monkey, dropped out of school, and made a living picking up pine cones out of peoples yards (no joke, I thought that was a legitimate profession) Point is, that it is the parent's responsibility to exercise reason. Unfortunately, because this sometimes doesn't happen, our children are becoming highly sexualized at very young ages and cheated out of their childhood. Last point: While yes, some children do gain noteriety and wealth from the process, a number of children also gain horrid experiences like molestation and abuse. There is a very high correlation that cannot be ignored. It makes your child stand out and can make them become an object of lust. I know we can't be held responsible for every pervert in the world, but if I have the choice to avoid activites that put my child at a higher risk for sexual abuse, I will.