Ensure Your Kid Has Right Reasons to be an Actor

To be or not to be an actor? Indian kid actors from Slumdog Millionaire

Is your kid really wants to be a model or actor? Did you seriously think about this?

Or you just pushed your child into it because... 

A. You think your child is cute and can be a great model or actor?
B. Neighbors or school teachers?
C. You met some modelling, TV or Cine industry people who commented on your child, ‘You should be an actor or a model! Get some headshots of you and go to some good child artist coordinators?
D. Or because your child says “I want to be famous” or ‘I want to be like so and so in so and so TV serial or film’? You readily agreed because you just love your child.
E. Some of the scaring reasons are ‘I want to make money’ or ‘I want to be on “Udan” TV Serial.’

When you get that kind of answer, you know that they don’t love the art. That answer tells you that they bought into the an imaginary fame myth, or they haven’t actually done any acting. If this is their perspective, they are unlikely to have the stamina for the real job—they just want the result (fame), not the career itself (acting). They probably don’t understand that fame for a child is usually not very fun, and not very likely.
As an acting coach, I don’t agree that the above or similar type of perceptions is the right reasons for your kid to an actor. Think of what is at stake-studies, future and life!

However,

Here’s what I actually want to hear, directly from an aspiring child actor: 

1.  'I asked my mom if she could get me involved in acting because I just love it. She said no, but I kept asking her every year and she finally said yes'. 
2. 'I’ve been in plays at school and I would like to join an acting class and be a good actor'
3. 'Because I have to. I need to tell and play the stories.' 
4. A wise little girl told me, 'I just love to play out other people' 
5. ‘I love to make people laugh.’ 
6. ‘If I couldn’t be a professional actor, I’d still be performing somewhere—at my school, in a class, or in my locality’s functions.’ 

Look for these sort of answers that tells you that the child likes the day-to-day job of acting.

Don’t ask directly why they want to act. Ask them about their favorite acting experience and why it was great.
Their answer will tell you a lot.
     

• When I talk to the parents of committed successful professional child actors, they say things like ‘My child has been reading, making up stories, and performing different characters’. 
• Wise parents will talk about doing everything they could in their local community, society, and watching their child have success and accolades from lots of different sources before kids enter the professional arena to be a model or actor in films or TV.
• A regular dialog with your child is of paramount importance before and during their journey into acting to make sure they’re here for the right reasons.

Based on source