Your talented kid doesn't need to fail in front of everyone on The Voice.

Do you feel nervous watching those children putting it all out there on The Voice Kids? Me too.

Sunday nights shouldn’t be stressful.

But for me, the last two weeks, I can barely stay on the lounge. I’m hiding behind a cushion, and I’m screeching at the TV.

And it’s all The Voice Kids’ fault.

It might not be fashionable to admit such things, but last night, along with almost three million other Australians, I was glued to the TV as a line-up of children made that nerve-wrecking walk up to the big stage to sing for the back of three chairs.

And as they walk, all I can think is, ‘Why would any parent let their kid do that?’

And then they sing. And they’re amazing. And all I can think, as I’m getting all weepy on the lounge watching the parents embrace them backstage, is ‘Aaaw, they must be so proud. Of COURSE you’d let your talented little kid do that.”

See, stressful.

My attitude to child stars has always been - Why? If my son or daughter came up to me and told me they wanted to be a singer, I'd say, "That's lovely. You can be one when you grow up," in exactly the same way I would if they wanted to be a lawyer, a hairdresser, a doctor or a plumber. Careers are for adults, right? Haven't these parents seen Miley Cyrus? Or Justin Bieber? What good can come from a kid becoming a professional too soon?

Well, apparently,  for some children, their passion and talent for performing won't wait. And holding them back might not be the right answer. As Britney Spears' mum Lynne says,  “You don’t tell your child, ‘You can’t play football because you might get into steroids one day,’ because you just don’t foresee those problem. Even if I had said no to Britney, maybe worse things might have happened because she was frustrated and couldn’t fulfill her dreams.”

Of course, early stardom didn't turn out so well for Britney, who suffered a much publicised breakdown in her 20s, so let's turn to an expert closer to home, who has a few solid ideas for what to do with a talented child.

Jenni Anderson, from the Brent Street talent agency in Sydney which deals with children, says that if your child is talented, letting them perform is the best thing you can do, within safe limits.

"I get scared watching The Voice too - it's just so big," she agrees. "A lot of people don't realise how tough it's going to be, and how brutally they will be rejected. But it's a case by case basis. As a parent, you weigh up whether your child can cope with it. You have to manage it very, very carefully."

Stage-school kids, Jenni says, have already learned a lot about rejection and competition from being in that environment. "It's great for parents who think their child is amazingly talented to come to a class and realise that there are many other amazingly talented children there. If you have a child who loves singing and performing - get them into a class so they can learn about competition and rejection in a really safe and supported environment, by not getting to dance at the front, or not getting the solo."

And the trick to avoiding a Beiber-esque meltdown, is (sigh, of course) all about the parents. "Parents need to keep their feet on ground," says Jenni. "Good parents who won't be seduced by the limelight, and will produce kids who are more well rounded. They have to not make it (performing) the only thing in their life, which is hard because you do want that passion."

I listen to my four-year-old daughter belting out Let It Go approximately 25 times a day. And I have to say, without trampling her dreams, that I don't think I need to be worried about her becoming a You Tube sensation any time soon. But if she decides that being the next Selena Gomez is the ONLY thing that will make her happy, and I decide to put my foot down, apparently I'm not ruining her chances of being a grown-up performer if that's what she wants.

"Working as a child performer is not a pathway to future success," says Jenni. "There are plenty of children who take classes when they're young, but finish school and uni and come back to it later. The competition is the same."

Phew. That's one less thing I have to worry about on a Sunday night.

Do you think you should always let your child follow their dream, no matter what?

Check out the ridiculously talented kids who auditioned last night on The Voice Kids.  Who was your favourite?

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