TIPS for Parents

TIP 1. It is very important to provide supportive encouragement to your child. This is the most important tip. Your child’s confidence will soar, if you praise his/her efforts along the way.

TIP 2.  Help your child practice in front of a mirror. This allows you to see what the audience will see when you actually perform the trick.  Hint: Watch your angles. The mirror will show you ONLY the audience’s view of those who directly face you.  Think about the audience members who are on the sides.

TIP 3. Never perform a trick before you are very comfortable with the routine. Practice. Practice. Practice.  

TIP 4.  Never allow your child to perform in front of his/her peers, friends, or family until he/she is ready. Your child will be extremely eager to perform, but be sure your child does not perform until he/she is very smooth with the performance.

TIP 5. Even if you perform the trick regularly, do a quick rehearsal prior to performing.

TIP 6. Rehearse a funny line to say when you make a mistake.  Here are my favorites:

·        “I am only pretending to be a magician.”

·        “The magic store said there was 100% money back guarantee if the trick didn’t work.”

·        “Hmm… The magic store didn’t say I had to practice before performing.”

·        “Well…. the magic book did say I needed to practice the trick before performing.”

·        “I don’t understand. It worked when I did it at home.”

TIP 7. Don’t teach ALL of the tricks to your child. Reserve some for ONLY you. The master magician must keep some secrets. As a parent you can withhold a few tricks and perhaps teach it to them later. Continue to learn new tricks to replace the ones you withheld earlier so that you always have a few tricks that your child does not know.

TIP 8. Teach the children to NEVER reveal the secret behind the trick.  When asked, “How did you do that?” have your child respond, “With great skill and I hope you enjoyed it.” Have your child role play this scenario several times so they know exactly how to respond.

TIP 9. Always avoid repeating a trick to the same audience. Many magic tricks work because of the element of surprise. If the audience knows what will happen next, they will more likely be able to figure out the trick.  A few tricks are designed to be repeated, but most have the maximum magical effect ONLY the first time they are performed. 

TIP 10. While you want to be a funny magician, avoid embarrassing an audience member. The audience should be your friend. Be kind to them. Teach your child to laugh WITH the volunteer and not laugh AT the volunteer. It should be done in good fun. Set the tone to be polite and respectful.  At the end of the trick, sincerely thank each volunteer. 

TIP 11. Teach your child ESP skills. This acronym will help your child remember the elements of a good performance.  E=Energy in the performance. S=Smile during the performance. P= Personality should be appealing. Energy. Smile. Personality.