5 Traits of Successful Child Models

Young female child model wearing a red sweater.

Child models are always looking to find success in the industry, but sometimes they have a tough time adapting to the personality traits it takes to achieve it. While every child has the potential to become a star, they need to have specific qualities to really dominate the scene. It’s important to remember that a lot of these qualities come with age and experience, but if they learn early they can get a huge start on their careers. As you work with your child to develop these personality traits it’s important to make sure it happens as naturally as possible and does not come off as fake. They must embody these traits and make them a part of who they are; this is the best way to take over the industry and reach high levels of success.

Confidence

We all know that confidence is key to finding success in any industry. However in the modeling industry it’s probably the most important quality to possess. They need to feel that they believe they are the best model walking into any audition. It doesn't matter who shows up to the audition or who the casting director is, they need to own the room the second they walk in. This is the best way they can make a lasting impression anywhere they go. One thing that can be done in order to help foster this is to always remind them how amazing they are. The more they continue to feel as if they are a star, the sooner they’ll act like one.

Discipline

We think this is the hardest part of being a model and can be difficult for people to master in their own lives. The best way to start them on the path to being disciplined is to create a world where they have responsibilities they need to accomplish. This could be from chores, to tight rules around homework, and even exercise. The more responsibilities they have the easier it will be for them to be disciplined about their time. In modeling it’s very important to remember your lines and learn about the brand you’re auditioning for, and the better organized your child is, the likelier they are to succeed.

Commitment

When your child decides they want to be a child model they will have to commit a lot of their time and effort towards succeeding. They’ll need to skip sleep overs, birthday parties, and even their daily play time so they can do whatever it takes to become a great child model. It also takes a lot of study and practice so they can walk into every audition with unmatched expertise. The only way to become an expert in anything is to commit oneself to it wholeheartedly and leave all other distractions behind.

Determination

A lot of models fail early because they lack perseverance and quit too early. The modeling industry has a lot of denial, especially early on. Your child will have to learn how to handle rejection at an early age which is probably the hardest part of being a child model. As one of our favorite TV coaches, Ted Lasso says, “You have to be a goldfish”. Short term memory is the best way to deal with rejection. However, they also need to have the determination to keep moving forward and go into the next audition with no fear.

Passion

Something that always needs to ring true in the eyes of directors is that your child model is passionate about what they are doing. This is something that can really only be done if your child feels the need to be a model and loves the industry. This is the final piece of the puzzle in order to find the most success as a model. It also makes all the traits shine brighter and easier to acquire. When someone loves what they do and feels passionate about it, they become even more dedicated to succeeding, which is why it’s the key to all five traits mentioned above.

While we know that not all children naturally have these qualities, we believe that anyone can develop them as long as they work on it, and have the support of their family. You can help your child find ways to strengthen each of these personality traits, and these are skills they can use in anything they want to achieve. At Bensimon Models and Talent we want all our child models to find success, and we know if they can master these traits, they’ll be at the top of the industry in no time.