There was a time when I used to work on commercials - in the props department - so yes, I was in close contact with actors, child actors and sometimes stage mothers. And there are stereotypical stage mothers, believe me, who shriek because their child has green grapes instead of red and surely this will throw little Jack off when the time comes for him to walk around that tire and emote (not say) his two words of script. Actors may be
needy, but with child actors I have definitely found the parents to be of the neediest sort.
Which brings to mind a recent experience with my own mother.
Yes, I may be 40 years old, with kids of my own and all that goes along with that. And usually my mother is totally focused on her grandkids and leaves me pretty much out of it. But she is somewhat of a sewing superstar, and when I expressed a mild interest in making my own skirts she turned her focus on me and I was pushed into the limelight. 'Experts' from the local fabric store were consulted, materials were purchased, and a master class of sorts was quickly arranged. My own children were sat in front of a video, indefinitely. And when the experiment faltered and snagged (the sewing machine itself was in crisis), phone calls were made and a second video quickly followed the first.
It was exhausting! And it brought to mind those film production days, which brought to mind instances in which I have pushed my own children to do things that are probably not all that important in the long run, which ultimately, thankfully, put a lot of things in perspective. Because you can be a stage mom even in everyday life. And I just don't want to go down that road.
Leave a comment