For years, your child has been telling you what she wants to be when she grows up. You’ve heard a variety of interesting goals, including veterinarian, firefighter, pet shop owner, lawyer and ride operator at Disneyland.
Lately, however, your kiddo’s future dreams have remained consistent. For months, she has mentioned her desire to be an actor. Unlike the previous goals that came and went, the acting bug seems to have taken hold. In order to help support your child who wants to spend time on stage, consider these tips:
Devote Time to This Dream
Kids who want to be actors need a lot of their parents’ time, and you’ve got to have a flexible schedule. Fortunately, since you homeschool your kiddo, your schedule is not as set in stone as other parents. Having said that, you are still a busy parent, so take a look at your schedule and figure out ways that you can free up some time or incorporate acting into your homeschool day.
Take Your Kids to See Plays
One terrific way to add acting into your curriculum is to schedule some field trips to see live performances. A great place to start is with a local children’s acting theater, so they can see kids their age up on stage. If you live close to or in New York City, you can also arrange to take your budding actor or actress to see a Broadway play. In addition to spending time at the show, teach them about the city’s theater-rich culture and a bit about the history of Broadway shows. To make sure the experience is a positive one, choose a kid-friendly performance like “Matilda the Musical.” During one of your school days, spend some time with your child on the Telecharge website and show her the list of current performances in the Big Apple, and decide together which one to see. The site includes a thorough write up of each show, so it will add some nice reading time to your homeschool day.
Work on Memorization Skills
In order to be a successful actor, kids must be really good at memorizing lines. To help work on this skill, encourage your daughter to practice memorization in a variety of ways. Your homeschool curriculum has ample opportunities to promote this, from singing new songs without looking at the lyrics to reciting the times tables. You can also encourage memorization outside of the classroom; for example, have your child summarize a TV show you watched together or see if he can remember most of the grocery list when shopping at the supermarket.
Work on Stage Presence
Bashful kids will have a really hard time cutting it as actors. Even if your son loves to perform songs for you and your daughter stages shows in the living room, it’s not the same as standing on stage for an audition. Watch your kids when you are out and about and see how they interact with people they don’t know. When you meet new people, have them introduce themselves and teach them the importance of eye contact. Consider inviting neighbors or family friends over to watch your children sing or put on a small play. In addition, consider signing your child up for some professional coaching and acting classes. Start with your local community center to see if they offer affordable classes; this will give your aspiring actor the experience he or she needs to do well at auditions and performances.
