Child Beauty Pageants

False lashes, spray tans, fake hair, nails, pounds of make-up and flashy costumes are all things you would expect to see on a Barbie doll, but strangely enough, this is no longer the case. These things are becoming more and more popular in beauty pageants as early as six months old. Some people say child beauty pageants are absolutely great but also many sources that believe as though children are being robbed of their childhood. Beauty pageants are very exploitive because they promote a materialistic belief on young girls, damage self-esteem and encourage young girls to act like “divas”.

How wrong is it to teach young girls to judge a book by its cover? The materialistic belief is that you must look this way and wear this size to be crowned. Girls as young as four getting their teeth whitened because “that’s the look”. I can’t speak for the children but I do know as a mother that children also have plenty of fun riding bikes, playing outside, and swimming with their friends. I do not see how pageants could promote self confidence in any way. However, teaching a child as young as three that in order to win something they must totally alter their looks is sending a negative message way too early.

Secondly, when things do not go as she would hope, sure there is no problem if the win the pageant, the lucky winner gets a beautiful crown and has a great big prize to take home with them. Unfortunately only 25% of the girls at pageants get to be some kind of winner. Some may win, but not the title they wanted. The ones with no prize at all leave the pageant feeling upset, ugly, not good enough, and sometimes even in trouble with their parents. What do you say to a four year old when they come up to you and say they lost a pageant because they are not pretty enough? A good number of girls end up having lifelong mental and health issues as a result of pageants; poor self-esteem, anorexia, depression, and many more issues