Any upside to allowing my 8-year-old to compete in beauty pageants?

[DrewDevil]

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But who am I to stand in the way of my kid's dreams?

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You're her father, and it's your job to protect her from harmful situations when she's too young to know better.

If she still dreams of being Miss America when she's 18, she can do it herself, but you should let her know while she's young that beauty contests are shallow and grotesque.

Beauty pageants are [censored], everything about them.

[DrewDevil]

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I agree with Blarg. It seems that many parents push their kids to continue an activity long after the initial impulse is gone. It starts with the parent thinking they don't want their kid to be quitter. It continues with the parent thinking the kid has "potential" or they see considerable improvement and then they become overly invested. You see this with the stage moms and dads.


I didn't want to go off on a rant about this yesterday but I woke up in a funny mood this morning and think I will.

This is not directed at you, OP. I'm just tired of all the moms and dads and people in general that I see who place such emphasis on girls being beautiful and skinny. It's just like VR said, too many really pretty girls grow up in life thinking that's all they have to offer and also looking down their noses at the rest of us who aren't super beautiful and perfect. In my opinion our society is shallow and vain. I'm pretty sick of it. I blame everyone including myself. We all love to look at beautiful people and try to put our best foot forward, but why burden little kids with this? I think these beauty pageants send the wrong message to little girls.

I'm not one of those people who puts a lot of value in the concept of self-esteem, especially where adults are concerned. I think it's annoying and overplayed for the most part. But asking a little child who is not obese to lose weight so she can stand a chance in a beauty contest seems really sad and puts that little kid in a precarious position don't you think?

Ok, sorry, couldn't help myself [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

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I didn't know they asked the kids to drop weight. I'd say no just on that account. Plus, I wouldn't want wierdos near my young daughter.

But, I'll have to disagree with you on some of your points K. Life is competitive. Why should she forsake a natural avantage to advance herself (with her beauty)? Money she wins could go toward her college, inventions, etc. If she can compete justly and respectibly, why stop her?

The notion that she will develop a weak value system is mostly up to the parents. Desire to excel at competition /= immorality. Even though the invested skill level is low for modelling next to sports competion, looks only get you so far.

An aside, I've come to the conclusion that there are no ugly women. Just lazy, plain, or plain & lazy ones. If more lazy woment (not just chubbers, but ones who don't optimize their aesthetic), were encouraged to invest in their beauty the world is a better place for them and others. Remember, if we don't know a person, and have nothing else to go on, aesthetics matter. I'd be much more inclined to chat up a plain woman that carries herself in a way that conveys interesting personality traits, than a potentially pretty one who appears to have low self esteem/bad hygene/un managed vices (too many twinkies).


Competition makes people put their best foot forward, especially if they have a good morals to guide them.

IMHO,

O. Salazar
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now for the white, as I address that sexy toed KS. I can tell you're a bit chubby but I'd still massage you feet and lick your toes, among other...ohhh nevermind, i'm done harassing KS </font>

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Wow, this is one of the worst posts I've ever read.

[katyseagull]

Man, DrewDevil, are you in a bad mood today? How is it one of the worst posts you've ever read? Please expand on your point. What exactly do you disagree with...the statement that there are no ugly women? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[MediaPA]

I'm too lazy to read the thread, but did you see the 10 year old 'beauty' queen on Kid Nation. I'm thinking it's not the best thing as it leads to a sense of entitlement and being better than other kids. That's definitely not something I want my kid thinking or starting to wonder about at 8 years old. It'll happen eventually, but there's no need to accelerate it.

[Blarg]

Agreed. Also was not a fan of much of Salazar's post.

Just like you shouldn't criticize someone for something physical about themselves that is purely genetic and that they therefore did not choose and cannot change anyway, it is just as perverse and mentally and morally undisciplined when you admire a beauty for more than her luck.