This weekend, my 7 year old daughter came in and asked if she could go with a foreign co-worker to take pictures. Being busy and stupid, I didn't ask where. I thought this other mother was just taking pictures around our xiaoqu, but that was not the case.

A Chinese co-worker had asked this my other co-worker to bring her children and other foreign children for a photo shoot.

The shoot lasted over 3 hours, and they took hundreds of photos. I got worried when she she wasn't home after a few hours, so I called my co-worker, and she explained that they were at a photo shoot.

Anyways, when my daughter got home, I asked if she got paid. She said, "no". Then I asked if anyone got paid. She told me she saw my Chinese co-worker get paid from lady fixing hair.

The next day, I approached them saying my daughter saw her get paid. She adamantly denied getting paid. I also told her that if she got paid, she had taken advantage of my child. She said she was simply helping a friend.

However, when I asked my daughter if she was sure she got paid, she was adamant that she did get paid, and she even gave a very specific timeline of when the pay took place and that it was a stack of hundreds with a band around it. I've asked her several more times, and her story has never changed.

Today, the Chinese co-worker came to me all pissed off. She was furious that I believed my daughter over her, and she said she would never take advantage of a child.

I told her if she didn't take advantage of my child then someone did, and they need to pay her. I asked if she would expect her child to work nearly 4 hours for free, and she said no. Anyways, the co-worker asked what I wanted. I said I thought it should be worth at least 500RMB, but I think this might even be too little.

Can anyone give me any advice on this situation? I know I made this person lose face, but I think what she did was wrong.

Adult models would get a lot more than that. My friend used to do these modelling 'monkey shows' She would make that in an hour maybe. This woman HAS taken advantage of your daughter and needs to be punished for it. Hit her where it hurts.. for most Chinese, in the wallet. Have nothing more to do with her.

yeah...depending on the product, color of hair, and skin... the lowest would be 4000rmb for that amount of time. foreign children models are rare, and in high demand.

why some of us dont have many/any local friends. i follow agent mulders lead when it comes to trust

most of my friends are chinese. ive never had any problem with any of them, besides them wanting to go drink every other day.

i avoid english majors, chinese english teachers, business wannabes (always ready to bum money for the next fish farm quick rich scheme), and potato kings/queens (people only interested in skin, or ethnic background)

Your child should get paid however much your foreign coworker's children got paid. I'd believe your daughter over your Chinese coworker. Take your daughter for some Haagen Daz either way.

a whole day of professional modeling is 8000rmb/day(year 2008/09). even through a casting agent. so depending on the contract and product and model etc. i would say you are somewhere between 2000 to 4000rmb.

I would be very careful with my child in China. They don't respect copyrights and intellectual property. They will exploit her image in any way they feel fit, good or bad. Let children be children.

@alex, r u sure haagen daz is nonviolent with.the cows they use the milk with?

dont they force bulls and cows into artificial insemination? dont they divide parents and kids? etc...

@ AlexKMG, the other foreign co-worker didn't get paid either. She is new to China, and she thought it would take an hour or less.

Our Chinese co-worker told her it wouldn't be long, and it was to help out a friend. She offered the other foreign co-worker free pictures of her child.

As I mentioned, my foreign co-worker did not call me. My daughter came in from playing while we were cooking lunch and asked if she could go take some pictures with our neighbor/foreign co-worker. I had no idea this was a modeling shoot and I had no idea it would be nearly 4 hours before she got back.