What's your opinion on pageants?

[seaweed eater]

My opinion is that they are going to be judged enough in life. I don't want to add to it and, worse, maybe send the message that I am judging them in the same way.

 

[Larkspur]

My opinion is that they are going to be judged enough in life. I don't want to add to it and, worse, maybe send the message that I am judging them in the same way.

Thiissssss, exactly. It's not okay with me to have other people judge my child's value on the basis of how he looks or how people-pleasing he is, and I don't want him to get the idea that that's how I judge him, or how he should judge others.

 

[onetwothreebp]

I was in pageants as a child, along with one of my sisters. I enjoyed them for the most part but I'm competitive by nature so I didn't like losing, especially to my sister. I don't think my mother helped that though.

I don't know if I would put my daughter (if I had one) in them or not. I believe it's important to learn how to gracefully lose but I'd rather my child lose based on skills, not looks, I think.

I have some deep rooted insecurities and a need for attention. I don't know whether or not pageants play a part in that.

 

[AnneD]

I'm very much against them.

 

[alaskagrown]

You better red-neck-anizeee!

 

[septemberbaby]

I don't know...in my little world pageants are for sheep, pastries and big tomatoes. I wouldn't want my daughter to mix with that kind of crowd!

Besides focusing entirely on looks, which is bad enough in itself, I feel like pageants would teach kids to be competitive for competitions sake...it's not like they do anything to win, they just turn up.

 

[Louise88]

To be honest I don't know anything about them, me personally wouldn't only because I wouldn't want my daughter growing up thinking looks are important as she's more then likely judge the poor kids at school who don't meet 'standards' if that makes sense which could potentially cause my daughter to be a bully this is just how I think though and I know pageants are popular in other countries so I don't think I have any right to judge anyone and feel if you want to place your children in pageants then that's you decision no one else's

 

[GracieGoo]

No I wouldn't, op you said that your family see as another just for fun sport. Sport in my opinion isn't just about competition, it's learning skills, about how your body works, respect, team spirit. I can't imagine pageants doing that. I want to teach my little girl that she can achieve anything in life IF she is willing to work hard for it, pageants to me seen to create confidence based on the outside presentation. I want her to ooze confidence from the inside out....

Plus obviously because my daughter is the most beautiful girl in the whole and would be guaranteed to win everything, it would teach her that it is ok to lose ;-)

 

[chickenlegs]

I used to hate them and the idea of them. I hated the judging, the prizes, the outfits, everything. But at some point I kind of changed my mind a bit. I mean, if a kid wants to dress up in sparkly clothes, prance around on the stage to huge applause and then receive a crown (assuming that they all get one) then why not? Most kids would love it surely? As soon as there was an understanding that looks and beauty were important in order to win, I would stop entering. But for as long as they were naïve to the true judgements being made, I say go for it! I can't because I we don't really have them in the UK and plus I have no fashion sense! But I have genuinely changed my opinion of them for younger kids. I foster a 4 year old with special needs and I know for a fact that she would love it. She would have no idea what they were actually judging her on so I don't believe she would be affected by it in any way other than positive.

 

[Aoifesmum12]

Absolutely no way!!! I'd certainly let her dress up at home/going out for tea or at a party and she can play with my make up and paint her nails but there's no way I'd stand her on a stage and let people decide how pretty she is. I find the whole fake tan, false eyelashes and fake veneers hideous on such a small person (nothing against any of them on adults I constantly have tan and lashes on!). I just really don't understand why it's necessary for such young girls to that extreme??

Just to add- I know these are the extreme pageants (t&t) and others aren't quite as fake but I'm still not up for the natural ones just for the reasons of being judged and also see it pretty pointless IMO) xx

 

[SaraEmily]

I'm not saying that how they view it is correct; I agree with what you're all saying. It's not the message I want to send to my daughter. But to be fair, it's not ALL beauty. Half the competition is based on whatever talent you choose, so you can't win based on looks alone.

 

[tristansmum]

I really don't like them. I have an old school friend who lives over in USA and she puts her daughter in them. Lots of pics of fb and it makes me cringe! Her daughter is stunning and the fact she puts make up on her seems so wrong! She is 2 like my son. She puts the pics up of swimwear sections.... I mean a 2 year old on stage in a bikini! To me that is not appropriate. Even the more natural pageants are still focused on looks and people pleasing. I really feel that early childhood is about play and fun and innocence. You will spend most of your life being judged on first impressions so surly a toddler should not need to be. I think healthy competition is good and kids do need to learn you can't win evetytine but it being based on who is cuter isn't the way to do it.

If the child really wants to do it then fine but for me I would discourage my child from it. Also the cost of all those outfits, makeup, travel, hotels! No idea how people afford to do it.

 

[iwantabub]

My baby is gorgeous and amazing enough... I don't need judges to tell me that!

He's a boy anyway but I would much rather my step dd plays sport of some kind... Contribute to a team atmosphere ... Buildings relationships with other children as friends rather than "competitors" ..
Plus these days with obesity and stuff I'd rather they be active and play as opposed to being negatively critiqued on their figure etc and feeling pressures into being "a certain image" rather then just healthy and happy!

 

[Button#]

I have the same concerns as other people have mentioned but also I'd really worry about the sort of people who judge babies on their looks, especially ones in little bikinis. I don't think I'd like to parade any child of mine in front of someone to see if they find them attractive, too creepy for me.

 

[TheNewMrs]

Absolutely no freaking way, never ever ever!!! I am repulsed by the thought of anyone subjecting their confident, innocent little person to being told "no your not pretty enough, you dont win"- How on earth could you put your BABY through that? Don't the face enough of that once they hit highschool?

If my 14mo wants to prance around in sparkley dresses and glitzy shoes and wear a tiara then it will be at home, in front of her Mama and Daddy who will lavish love on her and tell her how beautiful she is! Because THAT is all she needs to know right now. That she is beautiful and wonderful and that we LOVE her no matter what.

So in short. NO.

 

[randomrach]

If the question is would I personally put my daughter into pageants, the answer is no! Definitely not.

However, I do think there are things to be gained from them (which probably can also be gained elsewhere.) They can teach confidence both around children and adults. Yes, they do teach 'people pleasing' and certain manners which can be beneficial in later life ie when it comes to job interviews and work etc. Everyone has to be a people pleaser at some point in a customer service job.

The reason I wouldn't do it is because I wouldn't want too much attention brought to appearance and weight.

 

[katherinegrey]

I did pageants in my teen years. It was MY choice to try and break into modelling, and honestly? It was a bear pit in there, despite doing well in them and even winning one, I HATED every second of it, it was ultra competitive and very stressful.

So, would I put my baby through that? No freaking way. Not ever.

 

[marymoomin]

Definitely not. It's the sexualisation aspect that creeps me out.

 

[bumpbear]

I think they're horrible in the values they teach children so I wouldn't allow LO to take part in one even if she asked and really wanted to participate.

 

[SillyMoo1983]

I personally wouldn't enter my DD in a pageant. I've only seen T&T but it looks so stressful! Tiny little girls with fake eyelashes, plucked eyebrows, spray tans, fake teeth, wigs and uncomfortable outfits.......nah, not for us. Most of them seem to be filled with sugar too and the whole thing just looks exhausting. My toddler would much rather be running around playing in the mud and climbing straw bales than having make up put on her!