‘Quiet on Set’: The Dark Side of Kids TV
I am a practicing stage mom. A mother to Alyssa Milano.
This is a hard job! It is not for the faint of heart. To give your
child a chance is heart-wrenching. I have been in the stage mothering business for some 40 years. I did not trust anyone. I was always on the lookout for trouble, and believe me, there is always trouble. We were blessed. Alyssa went from the stage to a long-running sitcom from age 10 to 18. The cast of WTB kept my child safe.
There was always adult supervision, you cannot leave a child
alone on any set. We also had a great social worker who was on her mark.
I find that show biz parents are afraid to speak up because they think their child’s career will be affected by it. As a family, we did not care. On my watch as a stage mom, no job and no amount of money will mess up my kid. Like anything from sports to arts, it will always leave a mark.
I blame this not only on Nickelodeon, but the industry’s poor child labor laws and unions. Kids pay dues just like adults so there should be better laws.
Shame on you, Nickeldeon.