Urban parents are sending their children to model classes at a very early age

“We are looking for a 6-year old girl with western-style beauty for our lookbook. The shooting is scheduled for next Saturday,” an ad posted by a kids’ model club on the internet said.

Parents posted images of their kids on the website and registered them for casting. To persuade the club to choose their kids, some parents stressed that their kids ‘had experience’ and they were ‘well trained’ at model training centers.

“Mau nhi” (baby model) is one of the hottest keywords on parents’ forums. Urbanites now are willing to spend big money to train their kids to be models from a very early age. They believe that the kids need to prepare for their future careers as soon as possible. 

That is why model training centers and singer clubs have increased in number. The toddler model and singer classes at districts’ cultural houses set ‘reasonable’ tuition, just VND500,000 a month for two lessons a week. 

Meanwhile, the companies and centers owned by celebrities set higher tuition, about VND2-4 million. The centers are a favorite of parents, because the celebrities, with their fame and relationships, can bring opportunities to child singers and models.

An analyst estimated that 30-40 percent of trainees at model centers are below 18 years old. 

Like adult models, the toddler trainees also have to learn smiling, walking, facial expressions and communication skills. They also have to follow strict diets to keep a good figure.

“One day, I posted the pictures of my daughter on Facebook. A fashion shop owner called me and asked if I would agree to let my daughter take a picture for the shop. And my daughter began working as a professional model,” Minh, a mother in District 1 in HCM City, said.

Minh said the demand for kid models for lookbooks, ads and photo collections is high, and the remuneration is also high. She revealed that her daughter could receive several million of dong for one show.

Unlike their grandparents and parents, children now begin practicing different skills from a very early age.

Communication skill classes are the biggest choice for parents. Most urban parents believe that in modern times, communication skills play an important role in people’s lives. 

Meanwhile, some parents cherish the hope of training their kids to become show hosts. Vietskill, InterGen, You Can Now and Elite Arts Academy are the best choices for these parents. They receive children aged 6-15.

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