How can I prepare my child for the rejection they may experience as an actor?
There are many ways you can help your child. If you look at acting like a sport you may be able to better put things in perspective. Before you send your child off to try out for a major baseball league, typically you will start at the very bottom like getting them into little league. This is where they will learn the fundamentals of the game. It is not common for a child to hit a home run the fist time they take a swing at the ball. It is a skill they master from countless hours of trial and error. In the event they make it to the point where they are trying out to play professional baseball they will have put a lot of hard work in. The confidence will be ingrained in them by this point. Now lets look at acting the same way- start at the very bottom and take it one step at a time. This way when they do begin to enter the world of a working actor, they have put in the work and have studied to the point where they feel they are ready to hit a home run. Just like sports, it can take plenty of falling down and getting back up. This is one way you can explain to your children how much work it takes so begin to understand that acting is normally not something that happens over night. I know we hear stories in the media but they are usually exaggerated or very much the exception rather than the norm.
It’s crucial that parents keep things in perspective. You may have a kid that dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. They usually have an understanding that it will require years worth of hard work and when they get older they stand a chance at making that happen. This is how acting can be so different. A child can work professioally at the age of 8! If you have a child that dreams of being on TV they actually may be able to have that opportunity now. If you, the parent, are game for helping them in following their dreams, it is up to you to instill the same type of work ethic as you would for any other profession that one may attempt. Hard work, confidence, perseverance, dedication, passion, and joy are a must. I say joy because just like with anything…if your heart is not in it, the chances of getting to the top of your chosen profession can be quite challenging.
It is also imperative that the family always have something to look forward to. I suggest you plan activities that you do together that have nothing to do with acting…whether it be vacations, games, meals, or just good old family time. Let’s face it…so much can bring happiness besides acting! One thing no actor responds well to is pressure. It instantly puts them in their heads and that is when they begin to doubt themselves. Think about it for a second…what if you went in to interview for a job and you never heard back… then you interviewed for another job and didn’t hear back…and so on and so on. You may start to think that you did something wrong or wonder why you weren’t good enough. Even as an adult, it can be a challenging thing…dealing with rejection. You MUST make sure acting is something your child does for fun, to explore their creativity and to enjoy in the process.
I have worked with a ton of actors, kids and adults. I think the support and love of a parent is the most important ingredient to success. The chances of a child feeling rejected are much less if they are being supported, loved and praised. Olivia
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