Don’t Over Manage
Your Kids

In today’s world many parents manage every part of their child’s lives. The new term “helicopter parents” has been coined for parents who are so involved in their children’s lives. For helicopter parents, their child is the center of their life. Everything revolves around the wellbeing of their child. If their child forgets their homework they rush it to school. If a
coach doesn’t let their son play as long as someone else they let the coach know it is unacceptable. Helicopter parents are constantly trying to protect their child from anything that could be potentially hazardous or possibly a learning experience.

Children whose parents are constantly hovering over them never learn to take responsibility for themselves. In the adult world there is no one to make an excuse for you if you are late for work. There is no one to bring you an important paper if you happen to forget it.
Children need to learn these lessons in order to help them survive in the real world.

Children need to learn that there are natural consequences for their behavior. If they forget their homework then they don’t get as good a grade. If they forget their lunch then they can be hungry until they get home from school. If they pick on a child at school then they should miss recess or whatever punishment the school gives. Children should not always expect to be rescued. That is not real life.

As parents we do need to protect our children from making decisions that will hurt them or that are immoral. But that doesn’t mean we stop them from making other decisions that could turn out badly for them. Children need to learn how to fail and then pick themselves back up and try again.

For children in the modeling or acting world parents need to take even more caution that they don’t over manage their child. Recently my husband was telling me about a radio show that he listened to. The show was discussing how many child stars are managed by their own parents. Unfortunately some of these child stars are the victims of “momagers” or dadagers” who become more concerned about dollar signs than the well-being of their children. Take for example Macaulay Culkin, who for years slept on the couch because he didn’t even have his own room. Then when he was old enough he had to sue his dad for the money that he had earned. As a teenager, Jessica Simpson’s father pushed her to wear skimpy clothing to show off her chest. Country singer Leann Rimes has had a rocky relationship with her over-managing parents as well.

As you are taking your child to auditions make sure that it is something that they like to do and not just what you want them to do. After all, all the money and fame in the world is worth nothing if you lose your relationship with your child.