How to Successfully Prepare for Your Child’s First Time on Set

Everyone has a first day of work — even our little child models. And it’s extremely important to be prepared for that day so that it goes as smoothly as possible. For a child model it can be a challenge to adapt to this new world they’re stepping into. It is important to support your child model through this tough day, and learning the best ways to prepare can make all the difference. It is very important to understand that being on set changes from job to job, however there are certain things you can do to help your child succeed on their first day. Nothing will feel better than watching them do great work their first time, but they shouldn’t get discouraged if things don’t go perfectly. They need to prepare for anything and everything that could happen. This way they have no surprises.

We feel that there are certain things that can be done ahead of time to properly prepare for your child’s first day on set. Here is our list of what we think are the keys to success for their initial step in the modeling world.

X Marks the Spot

Sometimes the set can be in the middle of nowhere or in the middle of an industrial park or even in some random part of town you’ve never been to. If you don’t know exactly where you’re supposed to go, not only do you run the risk of being late, but your child will feel anxious in the process of looking for the right location. You want to keep things as normal and problem free as possible so that your child doesn’t get nervous before they even step on the set. We suggest reading your call sheet very closely and mapping out your route and parking options ahead of time. You can always call the producer if you need last minute information on where you are expected to be.

Food, Glorious Food!

You do not want your child working on an empty stomach, and while they are on set they may not have tons of time to eat. Make sure they get a nice big breakfast so it will keep them running until they have time for a snack. In that same breath, bring as many snacks as you can. You never know how long you might be there depending on how the job goes. It is very important to make sure they are not hungry on set because their work will suffer. Child models are expected to have high energy and should be excited through their day on set. This will be very difficult if they start getting hunger pains, or worse, they get hangry. Be sure to bring allergy-safe snack options, as other child models on set might have allergies.

Let’s See Some Energy

As with all of our suggestions, keeping your child model’s energy level high should be a priority. One of the best things you can do is stay extremely positive from the moment they wake up until they are done on set. Your child feeds off your energy and so the more positive and upbeat you are they will follow in tune and be ready for an amazing first day of work. If you seem nervous they will pick up on it and they won’t come on set feeling excited to be there. Instead they will be scared. The key is to make them feel like they can take on the world and everything they do will be wonderful. The more confident they feel the better they will perform and the more they’ll believe in themselves. 

At Bensimon Models and Talent we want to make sure your child is set up for success when they walk in the doors on their first job. The best way is simply to make them feel excited and comfortable with the idea that they are going to change their life at that very moment. Their first time on set could be daunting but the better they feel the more likely they will succeed. And that’s all anybody wants!