Beauty pagents for kids....

[Michele]

Good thing or exploitation? Do you think they give a negative impression to children as to what is important? Or is it harmless fun?

[sarah]

i have to say personally i dont agree with them
neither do i like baby contests either. I think it all gives off a very wrong impression about what beauty really is ( and that is within )
Its not something that i would stop being friends with someone over though. If a friend chose to enter her child into such a thing i would let her know its not for me but that would be it.

[Humdinger]

ONE WORD......



EXPLOTATION!!!!!!



Yeah I'm sure a 9month old can really sit up and say "yes mommy put more make up on me and give me false hair and eyelashes. I just love all of this." Or even more so my 5 year old can't even make up his mind on what to eat let alone wear and I'm going to let HIM CHOOSE to exploit himself? I think not.

[mom2burgess]

Depends on the typoe of contest IMO. If it is a contest that is just done for fun, no make up, no 400 dollar dresses, no false eyelashes etc, something done a few times,and is something that the child themselves want to do, I see no problem with it. Now, on the other hand, pageant mother, the kind who make thier kids do the pageant, put more make up on them than a hooker wears, spends thousands on the clothes, and freak out when thier kids lose, there is a problem. Those are the ones that I can't stand. Kids should not look like mini adults, they shoudl look like children.

[Melinda-Q]

Pageants in themselves are not exploitation. It all depends on how the parent approaches the activity. It's like any activity for children. If it is well approahed it can be harmless fun and a good time and even a learning experience. If not approached well it can meam pressure, exploitation and even sexualization.

My biggest grievance with pageant debates is that the world is under the assumption all pageantry is like what you have seen in TV documentaries since the death of Jon Benet Ramsey. And the reality is that TV documentaries have only ever focused on one type and style of pageant. They focus on what are known as southern style/glitz pageants. The reason the media focuses on them is because they are extreme and make people gasp in horror. So now the mainstream public thinks all pageants are about makeup, big hair, false eyelashes, dancing like strippers and money money money. That just is not the case. There are actually a lot of what are referred to as "Natural Pageant" systems out there. They do not allow makeup, big hair (some do not allow hairspray either), false anything (not eyelashes or hair extensions, or dental veneers) and they stress "age appropriate" attire. The dresses are still pricey, although you don't have to be in a pricey dress to win. However they are appropriate for young girls.

A lot of pageants also do not focus so much on "looks" as talent. If you look at the score sheets there is your answer. I once saw a score sheet for a Natural Pageant that had 60% of the total 100 point score based on talent. Only 10% was based on appearance. I have no problem with that because we should teach our children to be cleaned and well groomed and dressed apporpriately.

I think there are pageant moms out there doing southern style pageants that push and hurt their children. There are also women out there pushing their children in scouts, academics, sports--and they do as much damage. On the other side of the coin are the parents who are approaching it with a level head.

[Echo2]

The whole idea leaves a bad taste in my mouth. In my humble oppinion it is exploitation. Some are worse than others but they all exploit the kids for the parents entertainment and sometimes financial gain. Why can't parents just let their kids be kids.

[Melinda-Q]

See my post above yours :thanku:

[Mabel]

I don't give a CRAP if they are about talent as well as looks. People are putting CHILDREN out there - kids with very moldable self esteem and sensitivity - and scoring them. Unless it's a TALENT show, part of the score card deals with looks. I would never ever put my child in something where a judge is going to look her up and down, and say "Yeah, she's the cutest here" or "Nope, her nose is crooked, or that dress doesn't fit, or her eyes are too close together" ---------it's exploitation. And it's damaging. It feeds something, an attitude, that needs to die in this society.

[Mabel]

There are also women out there pushing their children in scouts, academics, sports--and they do as much damage.

I agree!

[Echo2]

I'll bet if you got all the kids in pagents away from their stage momyms and daddys that less than half of them would say they really enjoyed them and looked forward to them. MOst kids would rather be playing outside with their friends, riding bikes or building forts or collecting frogs.

[Melinda-Q]

A lot of people who don't know any better think the "looks" scoring is based on if one is gifted as beuatiful (fits some mold of what is beautiful) and, at least in the natural pageants, that is not the case.

The "appearance" score is usually broken down into sections in such a way that even a child who is not very easy on the eyes can get a perfect appearance score. It usually consists of items such as "cleanliness", "Well groomed", "smile", "clothing appropriate for age of child, fit properly, etc". I have no trouble with anyone judging these things because to me, I believe in teaching my children it is important to be clean, well groomed and put together. When they go for job interviews down the road the same things come into play.

If a child WANTS to do it, is happy and healthy and well adjusted and the parent is just out there to support them in having fun, then I think it is fine. I feel the same way about any parent who supports a child in a chosen activity. It is when parents live through the child, push them, exploit them...that I see an issue. But that is not restricted to pageants...it extends to sports, scouts, band, chorus, dance, karate, and so on! :thanku:

[Melinda-Q]

I'll bet if you got all the kids in pagents away from their stage momyms and daddys that less than half of them would say they really enjoyed them and looked forward to them. MOst kids would rather be playing outside with their friends, riding bikes or building forts or collecting frogs.


And I know children fairly well. Have worked with more than my fair share. I think that could be the case with children in glitz style pageants because they tend to draw the more extreme personalities. However in the Natural circuit, I will bet you would find that the children doing it are mostly all there because they enjoy it.

That is like saying a child who dances would natrurally rather be hunting frogs, or a child who plays a sport would rather be riding bikes. Children are all very different. My daughter would rather be at a ballet class than riding bikes. In fact she hates riding bikes. Every child is different.

[Humdinger]

:puke: I think it is sad that they have to name the pagents "natural" "southern style" ect...

Pagents suck plain and simple. I totally agree with Echo on this one!! *gasp* why the hell am I agreeing with her more now? :paranoid:

[Echo2]

Hum - It scares me as much as it does you. :faint2:

[Humdinger]

Hold me! I'm askeered!!

[Melinda-Q]

:puke: I think it is sad that they have to name the pagents "natural" "southern style" ect...

Pagents suck plain and simple. I totally agree with Echo on this one!! *gasp* why the hell am I agreeing with her more now? :paranoid:


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Let's you know what you are getting into. I think it is great. I wish they would get rid of southern style/glitz pageantry from a personal perspective, but I think theterm "Natural" pageant is great. Children should be natural