Replies to '03/06 To Be a Child Star'

The delusion is that every one of these "stage parent" adults thinks that their little darling is going to be the next Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron, or, in the athletic realms, Tara Lipinski or Tiger Woods. The reality, is the chances of "making it" are somewhere between slim and none, even if the child does have the talent. As jetta said, why not let the kids be kids, certainly the adults can support them by providing appropriate enrichment. Then when the child is mature enough to start planning his or her own future, a more informed decision can be made as to whether to pursue such a career, and the child can be aware of both the tremendous dedication required to "make it" and the potential pitfalls that await.

Re your last 2 sentences, you're right, the landscape is littered with screwed-up, washed-up former child stars...didn't Danny Bonaduce ("Danny Partridge," 1970-74) appear on Dr. Phil a while back (I'm showing my age...LOL)?