From fantasy to fact
Discussing the realities of famous people’s lives and showing your child what goes on behind the cameras will get them thinking about how much effort goes into celebrities’ appearances and the images we see on screen and in magazines.
“We discuss the fact that celebrities have chefs and personal trainers, and how far removed that is from our reality,” says Martine, mom to 12-year-old Lucy. “This keeps Lucy grounded about what is achievable.”
Real reality versus hyper-reality
Does your child know that celebrities often outsource management of their social media profiles to external companies? What they’re reading as their idols’ innermost thoughts and feelings may be written by someone the celebrity doesn’t even know.
Young people are bound to be influenced by their favorite stars and seek to imitate their behavior while working out their own sense of self. By helping them see behind the celebrity veneer, you’ll help them become more discerning and confident in expressing themselves.
To protect privacy, we’ve anonymized or changed the names of people whose stories we tell on these pages, but the stories are genuine.