Maybe not so model at all…

Welcome to Model Mom. The title has two meanings (at least). On one hand it is a label and a new identity, to be the mother of a model. On the other it is a bit of satire, aimed at myself, that while I strive to do this well, I am not always such a model of motherhood.

My 14 year old daughter has been ‘discovered’ by a modeling agency and of course, wants to do it. The irony is that I am a child development professional, feminist and educator who teaches primarily parent and family education, but also about media representations of women, and has counseled women with eating disorders for many years (I have a graduate degree in nutrition). I have very mixed feelings about this whole thing, but am venturing into this world with Alice, my daughter, to keep her safe and happy. She may decide she really doesn’t want to work so hard. The agency may decide they don’t want her after she fails to grow or grows too much. And the reality of this may finally wake me up to the social and personal evils at play. Until then, share my thoughts and our experiences – and let me know your’s.

~ by modelmom on July 2, 2008.