Explaining Hollywood: Your child wants to act. What do you need to know?

Being a parent of a child actor can take up as much time as a full-time job. “Your family has to have the structure to be able to support the sacrifices that will have to be made,” Henry said, which includes being able “to take a kid to an audition on a moment’s notice, or tape one at night, or take a leave of absence to go on an eight-week film shoot.” A mother or father who is a child actor’s “primary career parent” could easily spend as many hours in that role as she or he would as a full-time employee. Know your boundaries Smith said it’s OK to want to be a child actor, “but you can’t want it to the point of sacrificing everything.” Canceling soccer games, birthday parties and vacation trips because you’re waiting to book a gig can become problematic for the kids as well as the parents. And if your child decides two years later to drop acting in favor of playing video games, rescuing shelter pets or pursuing some other hobby, he said, “go see a therapist, talk to your friends, share your loss — but don’t take it out on the kid.” Your child will feel guilty enough about leading the family into a Hollywood cul-de-sac, and probably will stick with acting longer than he or she should as a result. “How do they feel about their kids being introduced to language, to violence on set.. Do I want to have conversations with my kids about these adult topics?” Help your child have a life outside acting Smith said that the child actors who’ve been successful “in life, not just in the industry” are the ones who had a robust safety net of parents and kids outside the film business.