Child beauty pageants?

(When I say child beauty pageants, I mean the ones that are generally for girls ages 1-8.)

I can't really decide where I stand on this. In a way, they can be good - they teach girls to be confident, they give them the skills they need such as public speaking, not being as shy, etc. They can help the girls make friends and learn that they're not always going to be first.

What I don't like is how they're so focused on beauty. A five year old wearing fake teeth, a massive amount of make-up, and revealing clothes is just wrong, in my opinion. It's the child's choice, and even if they wanted to do all that stuff, it still doesn't seem appropriate for that age. It seems as if most mothers are just trying to live their dreams through their little girls.

What do you think?

I agree completely with you there. If there was a pageant that was more kid friendly - designer clothing, less make up and removing the feeling you "have to be perfect" - then that would be a good idea. But seriously, revealing clothes? On an four year old? That's just sad.

After watching Toddlers and Tiaras, EW, NO.
Seriously. The things they dress them up in, the pressure their parents put on them, the makeup they wear... that must be taking years off their life 'cause of the stress.
I think they're a horrible idea. They could be out, playing with friends, having fun, but instead they're wearing revealing clothing while having their mothers pressure them into doing what they don't really want to do.

Love them.
I've participated in them for MANY years.
& people who say that they don't like them because of Toddlers and Tiaras...are idiots, to put it simply.
That show exaggerates it soo much. & picks normally the brattiest kids to focus on.

I don't think they should be so focused on apperances like that. I really doubt that a lot of the girls would want to waste their life away doing what they're parents want them to do at that young of an age.

I also agree public speaking is a great thing to learn, but the makeup it's crazy how much they where the complection is going to be ruined by that and fake teeth is crazy too, why not just take good care of them or just use whiting strips if they are a little yellow.

Umm. Well, for me it really depends. When it teaches girl's confidence and such, it's fine, but when parents cake on makeup on three year olds and give them fake teeth... well.
I mean, when the kids grow up to be 15/16 they're either going to look back at their past and go: "What the heck was my parents thinking?"

It reminds me of "The Girl with the Curl" from Bones. They almost couldn't identify the girl, because she was 9 and in a child pageant.
In the end, one of the contestants killed her. Which was really freaky.

Oh dear. I saw Ari's post and looked up Toddlers & Tiaras and oh my gosh... O.o
They were spray tanning these poor little girls! And the girl was screaming! And then they got all this makeup on and huge hair and just... ick. The moms where the only people who wanted to do it. x.x I don't care if it gives them self esteem, when they're that age they should be playing with dolls and running around outside and such, not in such a vain environment.

kaseythegiraffe wrote:Love them.
I've participated in them for MANY years.
& people who say that they don't like them because of Toddlers and Tiaras...are idiots, to put it simply.
That show exaggerates it soo much. & picks normally the brattiest kids to focus on.

Awweh, I'm an idiot?

Well, even if most people taking part in the pagents aren't like the kids in Toddlers and Tiaras, I know there are tons of people like the ones which you see in the show. I mean, otherwise they'd just be acting, right?
And for those kids, even if they're a minority, it's not fair.

I find it absolutely disgusting. Kids shouldn't be worried about things like that at such a young age. Life's so much easier when you don't care about looks...

I've never watched Toddlers in Tiaras, but the thought of kids competing to be the best looking when they aren't even old enough for love anyway makes me sick to my stomach.

If you want your kids to be outgoing, then put them in public speaking or something. Don't teach them to be superficial by putting them in these contests. Of course there's always positive points for beauty pageants, but I think the kids should wait until they're old enough to make the decision themselves.

My friend showed me this show once where these little girls were in a beauty pageant.

It was horrible.

These girls were turning into self-centered, bratty little freaks. They're forced to wear more make up than I, a 14 year old girl, wear (lipgloss and occasionally eye shadow) and they were waltzing around in dresses and high heels having to act perfect and it was just......bleh.

I don't understand those moms who do that do their children. I find it horrible.


Sorry for my ranting.

I totally agree with you, Ave.
They can teach children life lessons, and that they should appreciate what they're parents are investing in them.
But, there's just way to much superficial stuff on them now. Wigs, WAY too much makeup, spray tans, and some of those kids just are horrible. It's their parents fault, too: lack of discipline is what you can always narrow it down to. There are some GREAT little beauty pageant competitors out there though, that actually get that winning isn't everything. And that they don't get everything in this entire world. xP

So, I'd agree with toddler/children's pageants if there wasn't as much "gimme, gimme" or fake items put on the children. xP

It's funny I see this post today, being that I just watched a little bit of "Toddlers in Tiaras" or whatever yesterday.

I think, like you, Ave, that it can be good and bad.

For the little girls who learn from it and who do it for fun, it's a "good" thing in my opinion. On the part of the episode that I saw last night, there was one mother and daughter who stuck out to me and made me think, Wow, they're really just in it for the experience, to have fun. The mother was smiling and was sweet with her daughter, even if she messed up. The daughter was cute and seemed a little nervous, but as if she was really enjoying it. Some of the other girls, too, looked like they had fun going out on stage and rocking out--like a three year old who dressed up in a Micheal Jackson outfit and was dancing. I'll admit, the dancing isn't something that I'd imagine your typical three year old doing, and it was the slightest bit awkward, but the rest of it was cute, and she was very proud of herself afterwords.

I don't know about you, but I sure as anything wouldn't -ever- be able to get up on stage and dance my heart out with as much confidence as those girls do! I'm a chicken like that, I easily have stage fright. They appear not to, though, from a young age. That has to help them later in life!

But then of course, there are the girls who turn out to be little brats from all of this. Not just saying some of the girls from Toddlers and Tiaras, but think about it. If you were spoiled your entire young childhood and taught that you're better than anyone else and that you're going to win this no matter what with such--with such fervor, what do you think the chances are that you won't be so horribly self-centered when you grow older? Plus, there are the serious times when these girls learn that the only way to please their parents is to win something, and if they don't...they're nothing, and they're useless.

But, as I pointed out above, there are the kids who blossom from the experience.

I guess my stand point differs with the situation. If it benefits the child; I'm for it. If it doesn't; I'm against it.

I find child pagents sad
the mothers are crazy trying to live out their dreams through their children and the girls are going to grow up to be in secure and focused on beauty

kaseythegiraffe wrote:Love them.
I've participated in them for MANY years.
& people who say that they don't like them because of Toddlers and Tiaras...are idiots, to put it simply.
That show exaggerates it soo much. & picks normally the brattiest kids to focus on.

It depends what kind of a pageant it is. If it is a true "Kid" Pageant, with littlest kids wearing cute outfits, I'm fine with it. But if it's a pageant where they wear giant itchy dresses, get tans, fake teeth, make-up, hair curled, that's just too much. I once saw a mother push her crying kid back on stage and whisper "don't cry!"