Child Beauty Pageants

Picture this, your child is being administered shots to prevent wrinkles at the age of eight. This is something a mom did to her eight year old child for a beauty pageant. The worst part about all of this is that the mom said it was pretty common in the child beauty pageant community. Children should not be being administered shots, but instead they should be going to the park and having fun with other kids. The life that these children live is stressful and not a life that young children should be experiencing at such young ages. Child beauty pageants have been around since the 1960s and gives a poor portrayal that woman are just a pretty face. They also set up realistic examples of what beauty really is, which can lead to a lot of insecurities.

Although back then participants needed to be 13 to join a beauty pageant, now a days once you are born you are able to join a certain age division groups. Kids are being ripped of their childhood and education. Going to school and making friends is something they could never experience because the parents are so devoted to making the child win. It is not the media's or the people who support these pageants but the fault of parenting activities that involves them parading kids, sexualizing them, and putting them on display (Kincaid 3). The parents believe what they are doing is right. The boy or girl avide to their parents because they are just kids, and they believe that whatever they say is right. As well as, they are not given a chance to express how they feel or they do but the parent will not listen. Participation in activities that revolve around physical appearance creates the idea that physical beauty and superficial charm are the keys to success, which makes self-worth and self-esteem tied to attractiveness (Cartwright 3). Children need to be taught that looks are not the only thing that matters in life. They need to know that there are jobs such as teaching, nursing, being a

It can also teach the child about healthy competition competition, which can lead to them learning how to be a good and bad winner as well improving from mistakes that might of caused the loss. But studies have shown that for every child who may derive some benefit from the competition, hundreds of others suffer damage to their self-esteem (Reed 2). Damage to their self esteem can lead to a lot more severe problems such as bulimia and anorexia. Both these illnesses are wrapped around how the child perceives and values their body, making them believe they are fat when in reality they are extremely underweight. Of course there’s an argument that it is just for fun and it’s cute. Although, it might be adorable people such as pedophiles have wrong ideas that are fueled by child beauty pageants. In other cases such as in the case of Ashley Berry, former beauty pageant contestant, she fell in love with competing, and three years later is "the most well-poised, outspoken young lady you will meet," said her mother (qtd in Morgan 1). With the help of pageants Ashley is a national spokesperson for an anti-bullying campaign and an active community volunteer. Although she started at a age of 10 and was actually enjoyable because it wasn't forces upon her like most parents do. She liked it and became a outstanding individual but like