Our Mommyhood

Posts Tagged ‘modeling’

By Jesslyn, Guest Writer, Image Interpreters

So… you probably have cute kids. And you’ve probably heard this. “She’s so cute she should model!” “Have you entered her in the Cutest Baby on the Block contest?” “My sister/cousin/friend/coworker started her baby modeling and they just bought a new car!” I don’t know about you, but for some reason, comments like this irk me.

Now, I’m not hard to look at but I’m sure not going to be winning any beauty pageants in this lifetime. And while my husband is very handsome (a wonderful combination of Tom Selleck and Colin Firth), he would say the same thing. But when our genes combined to create our three little girls, they took the very best of the chromosomes we had to offer and worked wonders with them. They are most definitely cuter than the sum of their parents.

And I say that, knowing full well that I am completely and utterly biased. My children are adorable angels and it doesn’t surprise me when others agree. But having said that, I also like to base my life in reality. I think every adorable baby goes through an awkward phase. I certainly did. Those pre-teen years are especially rough, before we evolve and morph into our adult forms. I’ve seen gorgeous adults show frankly funny looking baby pictures of themselves, and perfect Gerber babies sprout facial features they plan to alter with plastic surgery. The end result is always a mystery and that’s what’s so wonderful about life. Forest Gump was right, you never know what you’re going to get. What a boring world indeed if we all looked the same. But back to my cute kids…

What with the little pigtails, flouncy dresses, pudgy thighs and ruffle bums, they are in the prime of their cuteness. I have fun dressing them up when we go out and every once in a while I come across a somewhat vehement advocator of baby modeling. Last year, when my first was 19 months old, she and I hopped a plane to meet up with my husband for a short weekend getaway. Peanut quickly fell asleep and the woman sharing our row on the plane commented that she was cute and had she ever done any modeling. I nicely said no. She persisted, touting it’s benefits as she saw them, and when I continued to resist, she gave me a condescending look and said, “Well, you’d be smart to let her model.” With extremely concentrated effort, I just shut my eyes, snuggled my girl closer, smiled and fell asleep.

A woman at Target one day a few months ago said, “They’re so cute they should model!” I said thanks, they’re at a fun age, or something like that and then she told me how her niece or cousin or something of hers modeled and they “made good money.” I said, “Well, we prefer to play.” Her answer to that was, “Oh, you’re really missing out.” I couldn’t resist saying, “I doubt it.” (as nicely as possible) as we walked away to continue our shopping.

I’m sorry… I’d be “smart to let her model?” and I’m “really missing out??” There are so many things wrong with those comments. First, never question my intelligence and second, it’s not a matter of “letting them.” My babies haven’t been begging me for the green light to endure grueling hours at a photo shoot, stylists futzing with them to keep the hair and makeup in place, and photographers desperately trying to get them to pop that perfect pose. And I’m “really missing out” on what?? Profiting from my own personal sweatshop? If my girls can land enough gigs I score myself a new wardrobe? Or even thinking more altruistically, if they work hard enough when they’re babies, they can pay for college? I don’t think so. I saw a documentary on baby and child modeling and while the children were treated very well, it was still quite an ordeal. Long, long days of casting calls and photo shoots. To me, that means missed naps, grumpy kids, and time not spent in the blissful play and exploration of childhood.

I know my babies are adorable and I couldn’t care less whether anyone else in the world agrees with me. I don’t think I would take it very well if they were rejected for a job, which they most certainly would be. I think I’d be angry that someone had judged my child somehow imperfect. The rational side of my brain would remind me that it was just one agents opinion and they wanted a different “look” for that shoot. But the lion mother in me is much more powerful. I’m afraid she would want heads on a platter. And I grew up being taught that what I accomplish in life has nothing to do with the beauty I was or wasn’t born with. I hope to impart the same to my girls.

This is just one mom’s opinion, but it’s not for us. My babies’ cuteness is well documented in our family archives. So will their awkward stages be, their braces, glasses and gawkiness, as well as the beautiful womanhood I’m sure they’ll blossom into.