Hot Topic (3/11): What Do You Think of Beauty Pageants for Kids?

[Cafe GroupAdmin]

What is your opinion on beauty pageants for kids?

 

I saw this in CafeMom's Daily Buzz: 

Toddlers and Tiaras: Flippers and Spray Tanning?

Toddlers and Tiaras, the new TLC series, is teaching me new vocabulary words! This week learned for the first time about flippers! When pageant girls are in the tooth losing state of childhood, fake front teeth, called known as flippers, are worn to perfect their smiles.

Photo by: Toddlers & Tiaras/TLC

Let me state for the record that I am from the South. I know women who did the pageant circuit as teens and really enjoyed it. But some of the families profiled on Toddlers and Tiaras represent the worst stereotypes about stage mothers!

On the show, I see the moms say how much their kids love the pageants. But the children seem stressed out, scared and incredibly pressured by their moms to perform. Here are a few examples from the show:

Toddler Spray Tan

Mom takes her kids to get spray tanned to prepare for the weekend pageant. The younger daughter is scared of the spray tanning booth, as any toddler would be! Is it really worth it to scare the heck out of a toddler in order to get a tan? I understand we have to make our kids do things they are afraid of, but getting a spray tan isn't up there for me.

Hobby Lobby

This week's episode followed a mom with two girls on the pageant circuit. We see the mom practicing and barking at the girls, and the little girls admit they often practice all day. One of the daughters says she doesn't like to get her mom mad! The part of watching this mom that made my stomach hurt was when she and her pageant costume consultant went to Hobby Lobby to get fabric for the costumes. They spent $600 on fabric! OMG. Spending $600 for just fabric for a costume seems over-the-top.

As I mentioned, I know there are girls who love the pageants and love performing. Cafe Cynthia over on Toddler Buzz has a good interview with a CafeMom member who is involved with pageants. I know there are reasonable moms who allow their daughters to be in beauty pageants!

But I don't see the normal moms and families on Toddlers and Tiaras! I see moms pushing kids to be beauty queens for their own reasons. If you think I am wrong, please let me know. I'll give you one final example why I feel the way I do about this subject.

Bella Wins and Cries

On one episode, a little girl won...and she burst out into tears. But these tears weren't tears of joy. Little Bella cried because she was relieved she won back the money the family spent for the pageant. Poor little Bella, who is five years old, was worried about the money. When a Kindergarten age child feels the weight of the family finances on her shoulders because of a beauty pageant, it's not fun anymore. 

Talk to me. Am I being harsh or do you agree?

[mamaoftwins9197]

I am very anti-pageant...even the "natural" ones.  I think little girls need to know they are beautiful, inside and out, without being paraded in front of a bunch of strangers to validate it.

[Eilish]

I think beauty pageants for children sends the wrong message! They should be kids for crying out loud.

[luckcharm]

I just can't get my mind wrapped around why you would want to put so much pressure on your kids.  I don't agree with beauty pageants.  I really don't agree with the kind that have children getting spray tans and dressing and putting makeup on in a way that makes them look like street walkers.  Where is the beauty in that?   They look very made up and clownish to me.

Children's beauty pagents should be geared towards children, not just a miniature version of an adult pageant.  Why would children be put in swimwear,  layers of makeup and sequins?  That is ridiculous in my mind. 

[TawnyR]

I think it's disgusting. Look at those little girls. They look awful. I don't know how anyone can look at that an think it's OK. We actually got a letter in the mail yesterday about putting our 3yo in so pageant. It's in the trash where it belongs!

[mommy2isabella]

I do not agree with Beauty Pageants in any shape or form. I think it's horrible what they do to these little girls. Beauty comes from the inside not fake tans and fake eyelashes. 

[3timesoccermom]

I think they're stupid and encourage little girls to be artificial and shallow and to focus on clothes and looks instead of their abilities.   Also, the money would be better spent saving for the kid to go to college.

[Wyldbutterfly]

Quoting mamaoftwins9197:

I am very anti-pageant...even the "natural" ones.  I think little girls need to know they are beautiful, inside and out, without being paraded in front of a bunch of strangers to validate it.

I completely agree with you 110%

[athenax3]

Ridiculous, expensive and not in any way the message I would want to give my dds. jmo though, if it's for you great.

[hsteele]

I think pageants for girls this age are disgusting. I've said it before that this type of pageant is nothing more than dressing little girls up like sex symbols. It is sick. I also think this is about the mother wanting to force her dreams on her daughter, since a child at this age is unable to make a decision like this, understanding the consequences and the work. I think perhaps for older children, preteens or older where they don't necessarily look like vegas show girls is different thing, if the girls make the decision to do it themselves. But toddlers? That  is just wrong.

BTW did anyone see little Miss Sunshine. (the source of that picture) The movie was terrific and the pageant was the funniest thing I've ever seen.

[dr_m]

Quoting Eilish:

I think beauty pageants for children sends the wrong message! They should be kids for crying out loud.

i agree