If you’re thinking about your child joining you as an existing female or male adult model or as a new model, then you’re probably wondering if they’ll be suitable for the profession altogether. Let’s take a quick dive into seeing if they’ll be model-ready with Models Direct.

Comfort level

One of the first areas we look at, and a particularly important one at that, is your child’s comfort level. So, the questions to ask yourself would be:

Does my child feel comfortable being around new people?

Do they feel comfortable being in different environments?

Do they feel confident in themselves?

Do they feel comfy in front of the camera lens?

If you answered yes to the majority of these questions, then your child might be ready to move up to the next level.

• Do I need professional photographs to be a model?
• From Blossoms to Big Smiles – Spring Photography Tips for Child Models
• How do I find modelling work?
• Our Guide to Modelling with Models Direct
• The Ultimate Models Direct Guide to Getting Your Child Into Modelling

But remember, if they aren’t so confident you can always go ahead and put in an application for them and see how it goes.

If your child feels unsure or anxious, we’ll accommodate and start them off with a small campaign so the process doesn’t feel overwhelming.

Patience and focus

Two challenging factors for children are their patience and ability to stay focused. Both can be very tricky to manage when work needs to be accomplished and time is pressing. Depending on their age, these factors will fluctuate, meaning there will be phases where their patience and focus levels rise and dip.

Enjoyable moments

Finally, will your child enjoy the experience? This is usually a knock-on effect from the previous points, but will your junior like the modelling world with MD? Only time will tell of course, but it’s good to decipher this before they get into the booking system.

If you think your child’s ready for junior modelling, talk to them about it and see if they would like to try it out. Granted, the younger they are, the more difficult it will be to ask this with a confirmed response, but it’s important to keep communication channels open and honest.

Our child models have enjoyed a multitude of varied modelling assignments, including Zainah on her magical Disney collaboration and Sienna on her TOFT campaign. Read their respective feedback below!

Zainah’s mum shared this recount:

“When I signed my daughter up, the process was very easy and smooth, I was very much in the loop every step of the way. Within a few months, my daughter was offered her first assignment, which was great!

I was over the moon as it was so fast, plus it was for a global kids company. The assignment was well explained to me, and I knew exactly what I needed to do as Claire kept me posted very frequently.

On the day of the assignment, I met with the team who were all lovely and welcoming to both me and my child. It was a very great experience, and my daughter had the time of her life representing her favourite character. We would definitely recommend models direct as we have had nothing but a positive experience since signing up, and we are sure there will be more to come.”

Sienna’s mum left us with this lovely review:

“Sienna had so much fun at the shoot. They were really friendly and it was a nice, child-friendly, relaxed atmosphere with plenty of breaks. The products were lovely and Sienna really enjoyed them. They made her feel very comfortable.”

If you want your child to expand their skills, hit the apply button today!

So, it is important to do everything you can to reassure and prepare them.

First of all, it’s essential to know that your point of contact here at Models Direct will do all they can to help you prepare your child.

They will give you lots of information about the photo or film shoot and tell you whether you need to dress your child in a particular way or bring any special props from home.

They will also suggest you bring plenty of toys, games and refreshments to keep them busy when they are not required on set.

If they have the information, they will let you know who will be there to meet you on the day, the people the crew is likely to include and whether any other child models are taking part.

Once you have all this information, you can spend a little time practising striking poses with your child.

The best way of doing this is to take them to a mirror – then get them to try out a few expressions: happy, sad, quizzical and thoughtful, perhaps.

Ask them to make funny, silly faces and then to be completely normal again.

Try to make them laugh to show them how much fun performing for the camera can be and try different poses with them sitting on a chair, lying on a cushion and standing up.

Then, get out some of their toys or books and ask them to play or read while you take a few more photos.

Turn a light or two on and gently direct it towards them, then ask them to look up at you and smile as you take another round of snaps.

Click away as they play, calling for their attention from time to time to get them to look up.

The team on the day will know how to get the very best from your little one and from the other models on set – but practising striking a few poses ahead of time will certainly help put your child at ease.

Important factors to consider

As a parent or guardian looking set to have your child become a child model, you’ll need to first become familiar with the industry. This means finding a reputable agency that can represent your child, actively put them forward for work, negotiate a respectable amount for the work, have a solid safeguarding policy and procedures in place and ongoing communication for advice and continual support. Models Direct can already offer this for your child.

Take a look at some of our recent junior models’ modelling assignments here:

Client: Say It With Diamonds

Models: Zuri (3), accompanied by mum and gran – Deborah and Sandra.

Brief: Mother’s Day assignment

Date of experience: 6th February 2024

Client: Bluewater (with Inkling)

Model: Madison

Brief: Christmas campaign

Client: Jet2holidays

Model: Holly

Brief: New children’s meals campaign

Here are the corresponding firsthand parental accounts straight from the source:

“Our second time shooting with this client and it was honestly just a dream. They not only accommodated us for the Mother’s Day shoot (ages 3, 38 and 70) but they made it the most enjoyable and memorable family experience for 3 generations of the women in our family.

Models Direct were as conscientious and professional as ever ensuring we were not only fully briefed and debriefed but our every need on the day was exceeded.

Zuri (aged 3) has the absolute, best time on the shoots and it was great to see the same photographer she has worked with before and has an excellent rapport with.”

“Madison has had an amazing time doing the photoshoot today at Bluewater’s Shopping Centre having photos done with Santa by the Thanksgiving tree. All the children looked amazing in their Christmas jumpers supplied by the clients. Would like to thank Models Direct for all the communication and for making this a fun experience for Madison, looking forward to next week.”

“Holly had a really great day doing the Jet2 new children’s meals campaign, it was a good first experience for her. The shoot was very informal, and all involved were extremely friendly and made us feel very comfortable. I hope Holly is able to have more experiences like this as she really enjoyed working with the other children and Tom the photographer was very friendly and put her at ease. Thanks for the opportunity and hope there will be many more in the future.”

Thanks to everyone involved!

Budget-friendly tips to consider

We’ve rounded up some of the essential advice for you to review in bite-sized chunks because we know parents are busy people!

Talk to your child (depending on their age and understanding) about modelling. What it means, examples of work which they can see here, and skills such as punctuality, communication and teamwork.

Help your child feel comfortable in front of the camera. Practise in familiar environments and dry run poses and expressions.

Create a versatile portfolio of season-themed props and natural settings (you can be the photographer! No need for a pro.)

Compile a wardrobe of sale or pre-loved apparel that follows the latest fashion trends and use these in your child’s shoots.

Speak to your agency’s team about balancing life commitments such as education and extracurricular activities. We offer free advice!

We hope this gives you an insight into the world of child modelling. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our modelling expert team who are available to help.

If so, this Guide to Child Modelling in Seven Steps should hopefully shine a little more light on it for you…

1. Suitability

Most children will really enjoy child modelling. They enjoy the fun of doing something different and the opportunity to see themselves in the final campaign, promotion or advertisement. Read the reviews from other parents to find out what other child models enjoy about working with us. As long as your child is confident, sociable and able to listen then they should be suitable for assignments with Models Direct.

2. Clients

Modelling jobs for our child models may be with all sorts of clients, from supermarkets and high street stores to companies providing services for families. Most of them have worked with us before and we always research every new client and every assignment thoroughly before sending one of our child models along.

3. Process

The process of working with Models Direct is simple. You fill in our form and send us an image of your child and then we will contact you and explain in much more detail how the process works. This is your opportunity to ask questions. If you decide to stay with us, your child may be put forward for any jobs for which he or she meets requirements. Our clients contact us requesting certain kinds of child models (ie a four-year-old boy with black curly hair and glasses) and we offer them a selection to meet those requirements. They then make the final choice. We then contact the parent to see if they still wish to accept the assignment – and, if they do, we remain in contact with them from that point on to offer them support and deal with any concerns.

4. On the day

You will be told where to take your child and when you need to be there. You will also be told what they should wear and whether you need to bring anything additional. We always advise you to arrive in good time and to take spare clothes, as well as books, games and snacks for your little one. When you arrive you will be well looked after by the crew. Everything will be explained to you and you will find out when your child will be needed. Refreshments are often available and your child will be given ample opportunity to rest between shots. You may wish to take some behind the scenes photos of your own to show us.

5. Afterwards

We will ask you to let us know how it went and whether your little one might be keen to take on another assignment in the future. You will be paid within a few days of completing the assignment.

6. E-portfolio

Throughout your time with Models Direct you will be asked to ensure your child’s e-portfolio is kept up to date with new photos uploaded regularly – this is because we and our clients need to see how your little one is growing and changing.

7. Building a strong relationship

We go on to build strong relationships with many of our child models – some start with us as babies and are still with us as teenagers! It is important to us to ensure all our models are happy and therefore we always explain to parents that as our journey together continues they must always feel able to contact us with any concerns or questions.

Okay, it might not just be bold that’s grabbing our attention this season. Add in some pastels, prints and of course smiles; we love to see them all-round. Get that whirlwind of fashion fixtures and mixtures and have your junior oozing with confidence with ultimate look-at-me outfits that will get our clients envisioning your little model for their next campaign. We want winning assignments as much as you do, believe us, where we help our trendsetters, up to the age of 12, carve out a promising part-time career with our Models Direct agency

Stand out with strong colours 

There’s a lot to fill you in, so where shall we start? Oh yes, the bold and the beautiful! Models Direct have seen some bold in-your-face prints yelling at us to include in this trendy blog – lots of bright, vibrant colours to capture the essence of this time of the year. Summer isn’t summer without wearing something striking, playful and confident because that’s what this season is about. It’s about having fun, exploring and discovering new and old roads. Glam up your child with a striking colour such as red or yellow so that they’ll be popping out of their ePortfolios.

 Pastel beauty 

Next up, get ready for an elegant touch with soft pastel hues like Edgar Degas’ paintings. Getting the right balance isn’t difficult as pastels flow so well in real-time and then are captured for the camera in front of the blazing sun and clear blue skies for a perfect addition to your photo album. Snap your junior up in their next at-home or outdoor setting photoshoot with you. They’ll be relaxed soaking in the summer sun and having a jolly good time.

And there you have it – our summer trends for juniors in a nutshell. 

If you’re set to get your little one on board with a modelling agency, then you’ve no doubt come to the right place! We’re not being biased but it’s true. We call for diversity and inclusion like you wouldn’t believe. It isn’t just a movement we’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon with. We’ve been calling for and promoting models of all ages, shapes and sizes over our 30 (yes, 30!) years of presence in the industry, and there’s no stopping us. We value our models unlike most agencies and care about how their journey is. If you’ve liked what you’ve read, there’s more where this has come from! Our blog section is pretty extensive with plenty of insightful hot topics and fun afternoon reads, or whenever you grab a moment really. Our social media platforms, including TikTok which we recently joined, are bustling with extra info and inspo so reach out to us and we’ll reach back. 

Melissa and her family spent the day in London working with a professional production team  starring in a commercial campaign celebrating Chinese New Year.

It was particularly exciting as this was Melissa’s first assignment with Models Direct, huge well done to Melissa!

Marie at Models Direct was coordinating the booking and so worked closely with the client and Melissa’s mum to ensure everyone was up to date, had all the relevant details and was happy.

Melissa’s Mum’s Feedback:

“Melissa had a fantastic day in London, shooting for 2018 Chinese New Year and China town! Everything was very organised and well planned! Thanks Marie from @modelsdirect”

The commercial will be shown on Chinese New Year on the screens in Trafalgar Square and also used on Chinatown’s social channels.

Melissa spent the day in London with her family for this assignment and along with her payment all her travel expense were also covered – what a great day!!