child beauty pageants - what do these actually achieve?

[coffeeisnectar]

Just that really.

Dressing up 8 and 9 year olds like small adults, putting them in heels and doing their hair like they are off to Ascot for the day.

Why do parents do this with their dd's?

[coffeeisnectar]

I'd like someone to post who does this to hear why they do it.

I know of one person who is putting their dd into pageants regularly and posts photos exclaiming how old she looks for 8. And I shudder. Because she's covered in make up, wearing clothes far too old for her and has hair that has taken hours to do. If she wasn't caked in make up then she would look 8.

[RoboticSealpup]

Maybe some parents think their children will become confident and good at presenting themselves in front of people?

Personally I think some of those American pageants you see on TV (you know the ones, where little girls are covered in fake tan with fake eyelashes and being told by their mums to dance "sexily") are bordering on child abuse.

[coffeeisnectar]

Hadn't thought of the confidence thing but surely they don't need make up and grown up clothes to do this?

Agreed that the American ones are just horrendous. The little girls, some really tiny kids are just grossly over made up and look like minute drag queens. Awful.

[KurriKurri]

I feel the same as you - I think they are awful, I hate seeing little girls made up like mini adults. I'm not that keen on child modelling either (although I'm sure people will argue robustly in favour of that - I just think it look incredibly dull for the children)

There are lots of ways of gaining confidence - drama classes, sports, music lessons, guides and scouts etc etc.

[ifyoulikepinacolada]

I hate them and I was a child model (it didn't take up that much time, i never had to go to casting calls or anything and it paid my uni fees!). Totally pointless and really bloody weird. But I don't see the point of adult ones either.

I totally hear where you're coming from kurrikurri but i think the difference with modelling is that it serves a purpose - it's to sell a product. Whether that's worthwhile or not is a totally different argument, but I could always see why i was doing it. Whereas with a beauty pageant, it's impossible to rationalise the need for a bunch of people to stand around and let someone else decide who's prettiest. Bizarre!

[brasty]

I don't think this is a good way to build a child's confidence. It teaches girls that they are judged on their appearance, rather than who they are. That is not good for confidence building.

[PippaFawcett]

Horrendous. But I didn't think it was a thing in the UK? Are you mostly referring to the US, OP?

[MycatsaPirate]

No, it's a UK thing. A pretty big thing too seemingly.

They are meant to be natural pageants (ie not like the US ones) but still wear make up, really coiffed hair, heels, strapless dresses etc. I mean, yeah the kids look nice but they are like 7 and 8 years old. And don't look their age because of how they are dressed.

I am feeling a bit meh about life just now. Feel sad about the over sexualisation of girls in particular and the pressure on girls about their looks and how they should be having boyfriends instead of friends who are boys. Just makes me a bit sad that girls are still seen as something to be objectified.

[NotTheBelleoftheBall]

They are there to teach little girls to 'flirt' with middle aged men for prizes.

They are there to teach little girls that their looks are prized above anything else about them.

They are there to teach little girls that there is one way it is acceptable look and any other way is wrong.

They make me bork.

[mygorgeousmilo]

Vile.

[londonrach]

Sadly this always reminds me of that sad murder in usa. Didnt know peoplecstill did it. Its abit strange. Very old fashioned, very pre 80s. Hate it. Love to hear from someone who does it and if its them or dd

[ForalltheSaints]

Nothing. They are awful.

[ItShouldHaveBeenJingleJess]

'Dance Moms' is fucking awful. It's completely appearance obsessed. My niece used to do cheerleading and my sis was horrified at the amount of make up/the skimpy outfits they were told to wear at ten years of age. Not on is it creepy, but telling young girls that their looks 'mean prizes' is fucking insane.