March 12, 2010

I said I'd remind you, and here it is: clocks go forward tomorrow night!!

I know for many of us it's the first night of March Break, and though it sounds like a cruel joke, it is true.  And don't you wish you lived in Saskatchewan where they don't succumb to this?

So, how to overcome your grumpiness and make it to that first cup of coffee without unleashing the Wrath of Khan on your loved ones?

a) Make sure anything flammable is safely stored

b) Give them some graph paper and pencils and assign them the task of building your escape route. 

c) While you go for a mani-pedi with other sleep weary mums, let them, with hubby's supervision, replace the batteries and test your smoke and carbon detectors.

Labels/Tags: Racheal McCaig, Energizer Mummy, Fire Plan, Batteries, Spring Forward

Posted by RachealM at 09:47:01 View Comments | Click Here to Comment

March 08, 2010

Class clown?  Ham at the family suppers?  Voice of an angel?  I think we’ve all had moments where we’ve thought ‘you know, my child could be a star.’   But in light of what we’ve seen and heard of child stars, is it really a good idea? I decided some expert advice was in order, so I took it to Charlotte Moore and Mindy Cohn, who are both in Toronto right now starring in the hit comedy “Glorious!”

Let’s get their credentials out of the way: Charlotte, one of our country’s best musical theatre performers, is part of the 3^rd generation of an acting dynasty –her family’s the Barrymores of Canadian Theatre. 

Mindy almost needs no introduction.  Many of us grew up right along side her as the loveable Natalie Green on The Facts of Life.  Still loveable and very open, she got quite serious when I started asking about the risks of “the biz.”

We’ve all heard the horror stories about child actors –River Phoenix, Emmanuel “Webster” Lewis, Danny Bonaduce, and pretty much the entire cast of Diff’rent Strokes.  What is it that makes them self-destruct?

“It’s not the business, it’s the person,” says Mindy.  Those people “would be like that whether they were an actor or not.  Family makes all the difference.”

And she would know.  Both parents were professionals and neither was in the business.  They kept her grounded.  “They treated it as an extra curricular activity.  Some kids were on the tennis team, I did this.”   Just like my grandma used to drive me to swim lessons, her gran would drive her to the set.  It was this attitude that helped her realise it was a job, not her life: it was what she did, but it was not who she was. 

It's a sentiment Ron Howard has echoed numerous times over the years.  He and his brother both escaped “Child Star Syndrome” because his parents kept them in check.

I ask then about Andrew Koenig, who tragically took his own life in Stanley Park during the Olympic Games.  He had been best known to us as ‘Bonner’ on “Growing Pains.”

Mindy firmly states being a child actor did not create his problems.  In his case, it was a medical condition and perhaps nothing could have prevented his unfortunate demise.

So what about Gary Coleman?  Would he have still gone down the same path if he wasn’t a star?  Mindy pauses for a moment before answering.  “Gary’s different.  I would never say a word against his parents, they’re wonderful people, but he was the breadwinner in the family.  And that’s tremendous pressure for a child.”

“You see it happening,” Charlotte adds.  “Child stars are surrounded by people who won’t say “no” to them.  So they change.  And it happens so quickly.”

“It’s not just kids who that happens to,” cracks Mindy with a wry smile.  “I know a lot of adults who’ve gone the same way…”

Charlotte makes an excellent point when she says “Don’t live through your kids.  Make sure it’s something they want to do, and not just your dream.”   She goes on to talk about her experiences auditioning with stage parents who could give the “hockey moms” a run for their money.  “These parents can be so harsh with their kids.”   The stress and the pressure they put on them is unbeliveable.   Charlotte puts it bluntly when she says “if it’s not fun, don’t do it.”

Labels/Tags: Racheal McCaig, Energizer Mummy, Mindy Cohn, Charlotte Moore, Child Stars, Facts of Life

Posted by RachealM at 10:59:37 View Comments | Click Here to Comment

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