Topic : 08/14 Trouble in the Spotlight

With the exception of Jon Benet, I can't remember the last time a national news story involved an abducted/abused/kidnapped child beauty queen.  Most of the time it's some poor child minding their own business playing outside or it's where a family acquaintance/relative has snatched them up.   That said, if any hobby is ruining your life you need to get yourself together.   I appreciate the "sensationalism" of pageants draws viewers but the problem isn't pageants, its how their handled by the mom/family.   

letting kids try different things? If my daughter wanted to try a pageant, I would let her. I think you have to have balance. She also likes gymnastics and Tae Kwon Do.  If she expresses an interest in something, we let her try it to see if it is for her or not. (Assuming we can afford the interest. I won't be buying a horse anytime soon! LOL! :) )  I think if something is starting to take over your child's life and does not let them have free time, it is time to step back. Any activity that suggests that your child is not good enough the way she is should also be suspect. Just make sure there is balance and everything will be OK. 

Steph 

I've had lots of great family times with my daughter doing pageants.  What some people don't understand is that it is like a sport and like many sports there are some people that get obsessed and go overboard. When I was 3, I won a tiny paper crown in a photo contest. My mom and I never did more with it and I grew up taking gymnastics, swimming and going to Girl Scouts etc. Over the years I went through a lot of  the same peer pressure that many kids go through today  but everytime another child would try to tell me I was ugly or worthless I wouldn't believe them.  Why???  It sounds crazy but it was because I won that little paper crown!!  After doing pageants with my daughter I know now that is wasn't a huge deal but I gave me a LOT of confidence. I know  you don't need a tiara to be confident it was probably my parents love that got me through my preteen years unscathed.  I mention above that I have had many great times with my daughter in pageants. Trips to Florida and Cape Cod, and group of great friends that come from all over that get together with the same interests many weekends a year. There are fathers, mother, grandmothers and siblings and they all make up a great big family that share good times and bad times and all keep in touch via the computer during the week.  Like sports some one is going to win and someone is going to lose  but in pageants usually with consolation prizes so the child is clueless they all think they won.  It is a myth that the prettiest kid wins these contests!!  That's not true all all. It's the contestant that can "get it all together".   And lets face it it is a visual world out there and in the business world it is the guy who can get it all together and focus that is going to succeed.  Yes, I know we are talking about children here and it is unfair to keep a child involved in an activity that they don't like to do but if as parents we let them quit all the time after they started something???  You know what I mean take piano, quit, take skating quit, etc etc  One day they will find something they like and if that is beauty pageants with my daughter then fine, if it is acting fine,  soccer etc etc I will support her.  If she says sjhe wants to quit after I've invested a lot of time & money they we need to continue for a while and think about it.   One thing I will say is a child will not consistantly win at pageants or any other sport unless they enjoy what they are doing most of the time.  Flippers aren't anymore harmful to a kids self esteem then braces.  They are used when the teeth aren't perfect and the child isn't old enough to have them corrected. I saw the make up on Madison on the website re: flippers and wonder who did it because that isn't pageant type makeup and it is not the norm in the pageant world.  

 I have a beautiflu 17 year old daughter of my own.With all that make up and fake teeth.Where is the child > I have seen many pictures of child pagents.I think in many ways it is telling the kid your not good enough if you aren't made up.I think they don't have enough time to be kids.As it is when amny parents get to envolved in wat they want and not what is best for the child.I think it would be good to be in a pagent IF there was not make up aloud.No makeing the child do some rediculas dog trick. I belive young kids should be kids.little girls should not be made to or aloud to ware make up.I did as a parent let my daughter play with my make up and I did but her play make up.But thier is a big diffrence in what they do in pagents.