Due to the recent events of a California mother injecting her 8-year-old daughter with botox, I have been asked more than usual if I participated in "Toddlers & Tiara" pageants as a child. The answer is no, I did not participate in "Toddler &Tiara"-like pageants. Personally, I am horrified that child glam pageants have gotten so out of hand and dislike the amount of bad publicity they give pageants in general.
Toddler's And Tiara's Pageants (Glam Pageants)
photo from here
I believe that pageants can be good for girls to compete in. I'm not talking about the "glam" pageants such as Toddlers &Tiara's that we see everyday on TV. I'm talking about the pageants that focus on the young girl's inner beauty and help her to develop confidence, self-worth, and esteem. These pageants, such as Cinderella International Scholarship Program, National American Miss, American Co-Ed, and International Junior Miss and local festival pageants are focused on providing an outlet to develop these characteristics and provide scholarship opportunities.
Cinderella International Pageant (Natural Pageant)
photo from here
I started to compete in pageants when I was 15 years old. My two younger sisters started at 13. All three of us greatly enjoy competing in pageants and believe that they have helped us develop into the young women we are today.
At 15 I used to be incredibly shy. During the on-stage portion of my first pageant I froze up on stage. Through preparing for pageant competition, I developed skills such as public speaking. I transformed into the confident young woman that I am today.
The good things about pageants:
-develop self-confidence
-community involvement (many pageants focus on community service!)
-scholarship opportunities
-helps a young girl develop into a well-rounded young woman
-a great networking opportunity
-form friendships with girls all across the country
-develop public speaking skills
-a sense of self-worth
-interview skills!!
Am I supporting Botox mom? Absolutely not. An 8-Year-old does not need botox, cosmetic enhancement, or plastic surgery at that age. I'm all for pageants, but I'm not for "glam pageants." I believe they are doing opposite what pageants are meant to do. Pageants are meant to enhance a girls natural beauty from the inside, out.
What are your thoughts on the pageant matter?
With Love,
Ashliegh
P.S. Here is an awesome interview that the 700 Club did with Miss America 2009 Katie Stam. Enjoy!
Girls this age shouldn't be taught that their looks and how well they cater to what a bunch judges want is the way to be a better person.
ReplyDeleteThe best way to stop things like this is to stop having pageants for girls who barely know how to read.
If you've never been in pageants, you wouldn't have any idea what good they can do. and they do have them for boys as well.
ReplyDeletePersonally I prefer natural of glitz/glam. But they can help the girls feel better about themselves, they get to play dress up, they get prizes, they get money and scholarships, etc, etc. I personally loved pageants because I got to dress up and have people listen to me sing :)