If You Have Nothing Nice to Say, Don't Say It!

A phrase I will never forget. One I was reminded of daily growing up, that now as a parent myself I am constantly explaining to my own kids the importance of this very phrase. I have to say, never would I have thought that pictures of 7 year old little girls would receive almost as much backlash as the positive feedback they have been getting. It truly, honestly, blows my mind!

Believe me, I get it... when you put your family out into the public eye, you open up the door for criticism. Everyone is going to have their own opinion which of course they are entitled to. I guess for me what I don’t understand is why anyone would take the time and energy to leave the negative comments? Why not just find better use of your time... move on from the article or blog or Instagram page that is obviously upsetting you and find something you enjoy reading or looking at instead.

I know the best thing for me to do would be to just ignore the negativity and concentrate on the positive. Well I try! I do... I really, really do! But I’m a Capricorn from the East Coast... it’s basically next to impossible for me to keep my mouth shut! Especially when negative comments are being directed towards my 7 year old daughters or even our family as a whole. I’m fully aware that some people have nothing better to do then to sit behind a computer screen and put other people down, but it still doesn’t make it any easier for me not to want to fire back.

So what type of negative feedback are some of my girl’s pictures getting (if you haven’t caught a lot of the comments for yourself by now). These seem to be the 3 front runners at this point...

1- “They look so sad” :(

Hahahahahaha! Really? Have you met my girls? Obviously not if you are the ones making this comment. Much like an actor or actress plays a character for a movie or TV show, a model plays a part for a still picture. Each photoshoot has its own mood, theme, and concept. Some photoshoots require them to smile, laugh and playfully interact with each other. Other shoots that have that high fashion look require the girls to put on a more serious face. Does it mean just because they aren’t smiling they are sad, miserable or their childhood is being stripped away from them... uh NO!!! So although I appreciate your concern, just know my girls are fine! They are happy! They have an amazing childhood with lots of friends that they get to play with everyday! That a single pose does not define their personality or their quality of life. They are acting... and apparently they are pretty good at it to give off the impression that they are anything but happy go lucky little girls!

2- “Are they wearing makeup!?”

O. M. G. Makeup!?!?! For those of you making this comment, it’s clear you know nothing about the industry. So before you decide to criticize me as a parent or my girls for having a bit of makeup on their face occasionally, let me shed a little light on the subject. Almost every job the girls book through their agency, or any professional photoshoot they attend, there is a hired hair and makeup artist on set. Why!? Because that’s how the industry works. If your looking to get the best picture, you obviously want your model to look their best. Think about children at their dance recital... some of these kids at 2 and 3 years old have a face full of makeup. Why!? Because they are also required to look a certain way (with WAY more makeup might I add- fake eyelashes, bright lipstick, eye shadow and bold blush). But it’s part of the costume, they are playing a part... and the same goes for modeling! At a base level, kids are kids and sometimes they get a scratch and need it covered. Sometimes they get dirt under their chin when they’re playing and the makeup artist catches it. Sometimes their hair is crazy because it dried weird the night before and someone needs to fix it. I’m no professional so it’s a blessing when there is makeup artist on set. Do they cake on foundation and make them up to look like someone they aren’t? No! A little blush here, a little lipgloss there a little highlighter to catch the light, and they are ready to go! And even if they did wear bold colored makeup for some type of fun edgy shoot- so what!! Its fun for them! It’s every little girls dream to get made up which is why moms now-a-days pay an arm and a leg to have their daughters birthday party at some kids beauty salon.

3- Here’s a really good one... “Let them be kids”

This one might just be my favorite one of all. Making that comment about my girls implies that you know them, our family, their hobbies and friends and what makes them happy in life. Did you ever stop to think that maybe modeling actually makes them happy!? If not, let me be the first one to tell you... it DOES! Some kids enjoy sports or dance or playing an instrument. Some kids like to spend all their time staring at iPads, playing video games or watching TV and not communicating with the outside world. My girls enjoy sports and dance AND modeling. So what do they like about modeling? They like the new adventures we go on every week, never knowing where we will end up but looking forward to a new experience. They like spending time in the car with each other and with me... having some girl time together. They love compiling different playlists for our 5 hour round trips and singing along to all of their favorite songs while we enjoy each other’s company. They like when I pack them snacks or surprise them with a treat when I pick them up early from school. They love meeting new people everywhere they go and making friends on set, both adults and other kids. They love trying on the clothes and the accessories and yes, even getting their hair and makeup done. They love that companies want to send them products and accessories just for being them!

As parents we all want the best for our kids. We want them to find things they enjoy doing in life and support them on their journey. I didn’t decide that my girls were going to start modeling, they did. And if the day ever comes that they want to move on to something else, I will 100% support their decision to do that. But for now, kids or not, this is something that they enjoy doing! So don’t feel sorry for them... they aren’t sad, they aren’t missing out on their childhood and occasionally, yes, they wear a little makeup :)