Our daughter (age 5) is really quite beautiful*, and we've been asked by several people if we were considering having her model, most recently by her preschool teacher (and a professional photographer, most notably). We're thinking about it mostly because she actually enjoys being in front of a camera, and it would be a way for her to earn money and have us save it for her for her future. She already has a separate account where we keep cash gifts for her.
The only way we would "profit" from this money is if we decide to use it in the future to help defray the potentially substantial costs of her current favorite activity, gymnastics. In talking to other parents of older girls in gymnastics, costs start to skyrocket when competitions enter the picture.
We're mindful of the exploitation and the ridiculousness that can accompany that industry, and we're certainly not going to allow her participation, if she does start some work, to get so involved that it impacts her other activities, most notably school but also gymnastics. Also, as soon as she stops enjoying it, she's done. We're not looking to enrich ourselves, though my wife has admitted that the possibility of visiting New York is attractive, which is the most likely place for photo shoots according to a local agency in Baltimore.
I have a friend who did modeling when she was younger, up through high school, and she said it's a great idea for our daughter. She said that she gained confidence and the ability to handle rejection at an early age and also felt that earning money at a job was an important experience for her as she grew up. The money also subsequently helped her later on.
Obviously, there are parents out there who have introduced their children to modeling in such a way that is positive, and the children have emerged better for the experience. There is clearly the opposite situation with parents exploiting their children and enjoying the fruits of someone else's labor. We strive to be among the first group, and we're not raising a Lindsey Lohan!
*Not bragging to reflect positively on us -- she was adopted. And, yes, I may be a little biased, but my wife goes so far as to mess up our daughter's hair at the grocery store so the geriatric crowd doesn't hassle them at every step.
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