Child Beauty Pageants: A Good or Bad Thing?

You know, where the child, usually under the age of 14 or so, dresses up in makeup, in beautiful clothing, and then walks the catwalk?

I think it's an okay thing. It teaches them awesome makeup skills for future reference, they get modeling skills as well. Since they are 5 years old or a bit higher, that's a pretty good start for modeling. I think kids today with the Child Pageants will become super models someday. I also think they look so adorable x3
I'm going to teach my niece very early skills like this, and if I have a daughter, I hope she will take interest in modeling. I can only do so much until she'd best me C':
I admit, some moms on the shows are harsh to their kids, one thing I dislike about a lot of pageants, the moms in many cases yell and actually hurt the childs' feelings. Also it makes the competitive "I have to be skinnier then her" deal to kick in at an earlier age.

So, what do you think? Child Beauty Pageants a good thing, or a bad thing?

Master Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 599

Bad. There's no need for such competitions. Children should be allowed to be kids, those who really want to be models can be such when they grow up. And children's beauty pageants are all about what the parents want, not what the children forced to perform in them want.

Master Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 4402 Location: Korriban

Excellent Rouge 77. I can't even add much to that. Child pageants seem to have the feel of what the parent wants and not the child, and they need to be kids. Otherwise sure, they'll have skills in the field of looking pretty, but being a regular kid develops other, possibly more important skills such as social development, normal self esteem issues, and networking capabilities.
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I tend be be indifferent on a lot of issues, but I feel strongly about this. It really saddens me how children "grow up" so fast. To me it's not really an issue of who enjoys it more, it's more a matter of kids getting older. I forget if it was J.M. Barrie or C.S. Lewis (both have the best quotes), but he said "The most 'grownup' children are the most childish." I'm only 15, so I'm still a kid in a sense, but a lot of childlike qualities that most grownups lose I intend to keep forever.
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Where the waves grow sweet,
Doubt not, Reepicheep,
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Hmm, i am kind of neutral on this issue. The only thing i dont want to see is a child getting forced to do this by a parent, or any other abuse that goes along with sports, or whatever this would be classified as. Other than that i cant really see a problem with it.

I think it's wrong for kids so young to be obsessed with self image.
Not that it's ever a great idea. Wink

_________________

Where sky and water meet,
Where the waves grow sweet,
Doubt not, Reepicheep,
To find all you seek,
There is the utter east.