Last month, I described your child's best chance for success and the importance of goal setting for the both of you. As long as you both are focused on the joy that acting can bring as you follow the "rules", the journey won't be nearly as hard as people say and the waiting not nearly as torturous. Will every child "make it"? Statistically, no, but those with a positive outlook, a joy for their craft, and a consistent level of practicing their craft have a much better chance of being (1) noticed and, better yet, (2) sought after.

Although I had planned to talk about headshots and auditioning this month, I decided to instead to talk about another aspect of this concept. We'll talk about the nuts and bolts in future issues.

I had the privilege this summer of volunteering for The World Famous Laugh Factory's Kids Comedy Camp. Every Saturday for ten weeks, about fifteen children gathered in the venerable establishment to try their hand at creating a viable 5-minute comedy "set" to be performed live onstage at the camp's graduation. The Laugh Factory's owner, Jamie Masada, started this camp over twenty years ago to give children in need the skills to be confident in themselves and a chance to prove to themselves and others that they had something special to offer. Since then, some of the biggest names in comedy, including Richard Prior, Daman Wayans, Paul Rodriguez, and Adam Sandler, have come in to help the kids.

Last month, we held the graduation ceremony and live performance, and the kids were amazing. Were they all ready to hit the big time? No, but every single one who performed that night was a very different person from when I first met them. Shy kids were unusually confident. Rambunctious children were incredibly focused and connected with the audience. I saw many parents' mouths hanging open amidst bursts of laughter as they experienced their child's gift either for the very first time or in a new way they had not expected. My voice was a little sore from cheering them on. Jamie truly cares about everyone who walks through his doors, and continuing his tradition, at the end of the ceremony he presented each child a graduation plaque, proving to the world that they did what many of them had originally thought impossible. When you prove to a child that the "impossible" isn't set in stone, there is no limit to what they might achieve with a little guidance and some spurring on.

I share this story, not only because of my sheer joy that I was able to experience so many extraordinarily positive changes in some pretty spectacular kids, but also to encourage you to find creative outlets for your own child. It's great to get headshots, find an agent and try everything you can to book your kid in a commercial, a movie or TV. However, athletes train, musicians practice, and even lawyers run through their closing remarks before they go on.

It is absolutely imperative that your child be "in it to win it". Forcing them to take classes or be in a show is counterproductive, as this tends to make everyone miserable and no one gains a thing. Talk with your child and, together, come up with a plan where your child is acting as much as possible for the sheer joy of it. As I mentioned last month, that joy will carry you both through the process. By constantly staying fresh and invested in their craft, your child will be ready for anything, and, as the saying goes, "luck favors the prepared".