handing parent who want to help

I recently did two gigs that the parents did not feel like waiting very long so they offered to help me paint...so basically let them use my supplies to get the line moving. I said no thank you, but seriously? Has that happened to any of you?

"Oh, gosh I'm sorry, my insurance doesn't cover you" is a diplomatic way to distance the issue. (It also works well for the mommies who let their little tykes grab your stuff.)

Oh yeah. Used to happen a lot... parents who think that they can jump the line by painting their own kids... ha. Not likely. I use the insurance line too - and it is the truth.

I actually haven't had that happen for years, come to think of it.

People are just weird. I think I would burst out laughing honestly. I know people will wait for hours if the painting is free, but they will complain the whole time....jeez...

Yup, I've had it happen. I usually use the insurance line as well, it's convenient, mostly true, and they don't have a retort for it.

I had a visiting artist pick up my brushes- "oh, you'll keep the money, I'm just helping cause you have a line" . . . Oh No. thank you but no, now you can leave my tent.

I was at a local country festival - a free community event sponsored by church groups and a gal was face painting...She was doing amazing eye masks with tear drops and outlines. She was swamped by gobs of kids so I offered to help IF she wanted it. She said sure, I sat down to dip a brush in the pots of paints and then....I noticed in HORROR that she was using Palmer Brand...face paint - a sort of cheap sticky gooey mess that dissolved when water was added or it glugged on the brush... Oh Boy, I thought! I did not want to be associated with this situation if any fair faced hot and sweaty young child had a skin reaction to this paint....I ducked out as soon as possible!

Scary!