Child Beauty Pageants are beauty contests for children under 18 years of age. It is a competition which divided into different categories such as, talent, interview, swimwear, theme wear and much more. Coming to the 21st century, child beauty pageants has become a growing trend in many countries, especially in the United States. There is numerous television show that is specifically organizing the child beauty pageants like “Toddlers and Tiaras” and “Little Miss Perfect” (Kelling, 2016). About 250,000 children participate in child beauty pageants every year, and the number is only increasing.
But for the last few years, the concept of child beauty pageants has flourished, especially in the United States. It may look like a fun “dress up” game for little girls. But it is something much, much more serious. You never know what happens behind the curtains. How are moms actually destroying their girls by forcing them to participate in such contests?
Also, “While you’d think pageant parents would know better, ugly rivalries between them often emerge in the competitive field. Instead of fostering a sense if camaraderie between the children, many moms target their child’s biggest competitor with gossip and criticism” (“4 Reasons to Keep Your Daughter Out of Children’s Beauty Pageants”). A child's biggest role model is their parents. So when kids see their mom being disrespectful and rude, they think that it’s okay to act this way. Overall, some people are under the impression that child beauty pageants are beneficial, but really they teach children to be too
In the United States of America, many young girls under sixteen years old participate in child beauty pageant, having the most beautiful girl in their mind, as Olive, the young heroine of the movie “Little Miss Sunshine,” did. They eagerly prepare for the contest with their family; they have their hair tightly permed and put on high-heeled shoes and gorgeous sexy dress that do not suit girls in such ages, in order to be even a little more beautiful than the girls who will be together on the stage. Some people protest that such child beauty pageants should be banned. This is seemed to be an extremely self-centered insistence; for its main reasons are as follows: 1. Infants and girls are objectified.
For example, a lot of the beauty pageants now a days are corrupted by money, greed and popularity. Sana Hassan author of The Psychological Effects of Beauty Pageants on Children, “Gone are the days when innocence and missing teeth were considered cute. Kids in child beauty pageant competitions am to look attractive and are sexualized, even as toddlers. They wear revealing outfits, flippers (fake teeth for kids who are missing front teeth), and heavy make-up. Girls in these competitions are sexualized so early on in their lives.
Beauty Pageants are an important part of the American culture in the 21st century. Many women, including small children, strut down the runway, dressing up in fancy clothes and makeup and charm, with the only and clear intention of catching the judges eye. Many claim that beauty pageants are a harmless activity that contestants can get a boost of confidence from. However, the sad reality of beauty pageants sends the message that women, even girls as young as 1 year olds, should be valued for judges for their appearance, and gives unrealistic beauty standards. With shows like Toddlers and Tiaras, young girls are facing harsh realities of adults choosing which child is the prettiest, the most charming.
Parents forcing their children to participate child beauty pageants is obviously coming from dismal, over educated, upper middle class individuals who have never been inebriated by the spotlight. Spotlights, the runway and overwhelming applauses are what motivate young children to take an interest, despite the fact that parents likewise have a tendency to be a piece of this excursion also. Reckless parents compelling their child to this contest and obliging them to be the winner in any way for money and fame. Child beauty pageant is a type of child abuse that make children have less confidence. The environment the child is
I have loved competition ever since a young age. I have several friends that I love to compete with. We compete everyday, whether it is sports or if it in school games. We have been competing for as long as I can remember. Although my friends and I believe that competition is a great thing at school, some parents and schools are trying to argue that we should remove competition from school.
This is why I think child beauty pageants should be banned because they get sexualised and also their confidence/self-esteem will be lowered at such a young age. People are convinced that the contestants only turn up on the day and prepare on the day. However, this is not the case, because the contestants go to extreme lengths to win so they will prepare all year, this shows the pageants are being drummed into their brains 24/7. A two day rehearsal then takes place before the show to ensure that everything can go without a glitch. This is basically the theft of childhood, there is plenty of time as an adult to face this pressure without competing and failing at such a tender age.
Many parents force their children into the pageant world before they are even old enough to talk, so they have no say in the decision (Padmore). They try to live through their child in order to try to fulfill their own aspirations of fame and fortune. Often times they do not consider the risks they are taking when signing their child up for pageants. According to Martina M. Cartwright, many pageant parents exhibit “princess by proxy.” This occurs when adults are primarily driven by the social or financial gains earned by their child’s accomplishments, regardless of potential risks for the child. They want their child to be the best, because it makes them feel better about themselves