What to Know When Taking Your Child to an Audition
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If your child has a twinkle in their eye and a talent for acting, singing, dancing, or any combination of the three, you may be thinking about taking them to auditions to jumpstart a performance career. This can be a daunting task for any parent, particularly amid the dynamics of a dangerous industry. It can, however, be a positive experience as long as you approach it correctly. Here are some things to consider when taking your child to an audition.
There are far too many show parents in the world and unhappy children who would rather be playing than performing. The desire to perform has to be the dream of the child, not the parent.
If you plan to drag your kid to auditions to fulfill a lost goal in your own life, don’t bother. There are plenty of kids who want to be there who will outshine a child being pushed.
Having said that, if the dream is a collaborative effort between an enthusiastic child and a supportive parent, you have the building blocks of a successful beginning.
Emotionally Prepare Your Child
Just because a casting director/agency is auditioning kid actors doesn’t mean they have been trained in adolescent interactions or have pleasant personalities. We all know that auditions can be a nerve-racking experience for kids. Cold, harsh individuals often conduct auditions and can hurt your child's confidence.
Be sure to sit them down beforehand and explain how things work, that the adults watching them act are concentrating and thinking and aren’t mean.
Be Present in the Room During the Audition
One should be hesitant to let a young child enter an audition room alone. Auditions that allow a parent to chaperone have the child’s welfare in mind.
Your child needs to know what's expected of them before they can audition. Make sure that you tell him or her about any special rules in advance and anything out of the ordinary.
Remain Positive
Auditions will result in far more rejections than acceptances. You must prepare your child for rejection and use it as a way to teach perseverance. Your child will grow through the audition process and become better. However, if they decide they want to throw in the towel, that’s their call.
The most important thing is your child’s happiness and welfare. If they are rejected from a role, take them out for ice cream. If someone comments that they don’t have the right look (which is not something they should say to a child anyway), assure them that they are wrong.
Ultimately, auditioning to be a child actor is an admirable pursuit, and the best thing they can gain from it is the social lessons learned along the way.
Final Thoughts
Auditions can be stressful, but they shouldn’t be scary. If you follow our advice and your child is determined to audition for a role in their favorite show, play, or commercial, then we hope that this post has helped prepare both of you for the day when it might happen. You know how much joy acting brings them; now take steps to make sure they have an enjoyable experience with auditions as well!
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
Very informative, thanks for sharing! This is not something that my kids are interested in, yet anyway! They are all pretty young still. I can definitely understand that it has to be the child that has the dream, not the parent.
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Very informative, thanks for sharing! This is not something that my kids are interested in, yet anyway! They are all pretty young still. I can definitely understand that it has to be the child that has the dream, not the parent.
Not everyone dreams of being a child actor and participating in auditions. As long as you encourage your child’s passions you’re doing great!