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Should preschool children be in talent contests and beauty pageants?
Results so far:
| Yes | 26% | 157 votes | Total: 612 votes | |
| No | 74% | 455 votes |
Yes
by Francesca Pawlak
Created on: February 26, 2009
It is unfortunate that so many people do not see the changes that the pageant and talent industries have made in the last several years. Since the murder of pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey, many believe that pageants and talent competitions foster ill behavior and sadly that is not the case.
More and more pageants and talent competitions have taken a "natural" approach. Natural pageants do not allow make-up or pro-am style outfits and/or dance, no matter the age of the contestant. Contestants are encouraged to come in their "Sunday Best" and present themselves as naturally as possible. The practice of showcasing natural beauty without the glitz and glam fosters self-confidence in young children and allows them to see past the overly acknowledged world of glamorizing today's youth.
Preschoolers are finding their independence without straying too far from their parents. Encouraging a preschooler to participate in a beauty pageant or a song and dance talent competition nurtures their curiosity and allows them to be themselves by showing they are independent on that stage. The independence a preschooler has on stage teaches him or her that they are able to do things on their own that they won't always need someone else do things for them, but doesn't shove them so far away that they don't know the parent waiting at the end of the stage will be there if they fall.
My oldest daughter, now nearly 4, participated in a natural beauty pageant at the age of 12 months. It was a rare occasion that we were in a location where pageants frequently occur and had the opportunity to participate. She wore a subdued pageant gown about knee length with a infant/toddler headband that matched. She had no make-up, no hairspray, no false eyelashes or teeth, just a one year old showing her personality in a pretty dress with frilly socks and dress shoes. The other girls in the pageant, ages ranging from two to twelve, were all dressed similarly. The older girls took part in the casual wear competition, wearing summer shorts and a t-shirt with flip flops or jeans and a tank, no fancy western wear or swimsuit competition. When I look back at my daughter and her participation in that pageant, I see how important it was for me to let her be on the stage toddling around being allowed to express herself freely without the pressure of being "doll-like".
The pageant and talent world has grown and will continue to grow and change. If more people push towards naturalizing these industries, then they truly offer preschoolers more good than bad. How can a preschooler exhibiting personality and confidence be a bad thing?
Learn more about this author, Francesca Pawlak.
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No
by Ganelle Davis
Created on: February 26, 2009 Last Updated: April 10, 2012
Beauty and talent are both subjective and very difficult to judge in pre school age children.What is beautiful to one person, may not be beautiful to another person.A talented three year old may have the talent to captivate the audience with their personality and winning smile.While, another three old may be a violin virtuoso. Both of these talents are pretty amazing for a three year old. Who has the heart to judge these preschool children in a talent and beauty contest and should preschool children even be in these type of contest and pageants?
Preschool children should be encouraged,motivated and praised at that age. They should not be subject to judgements on the merits of their beauty and talents. These contest promote competiveness and rivalry between small children. The desire to win the coveted crown and or prizes may derail a small child's self esteem and create issues with their self image and abilities.
Sadly, many promoters and advertisers play to the emotions of the parents and entice them to be part of reality shows that exploit little ones for their own advancement. There have been reported cases of mothers concocting special energy drinks to stimulate their children to perform with high energy.
These drinks might be a mixture of sugary soda pop, such as Mountain Dew given to a small child in large amounts during these pageants. It really is shameful what some of these parents do to their children so that they might win one of these contest. Have they consider the physical affects of loading up a small child with sugar to get them energized?
The rejection should not be a feeling any small child should ever feel. There is plenty of time to learn the ways of the world. This short period of time should be spent building up a small child and encouraging them to be the best that they can be.
How many beautiful and talented people seem to have humility and graciousness? Humility and graciousness are learned by acceptance and thankfulness of your own unique beauty and gifts. Theorectically, small children should not be taught that they 're better than another child.
How can we judge the content of our children's character? We must first show them by example, the characteristics of humility. "Humility always comes before honor". What do we see, when we look at young children?We see the beauty and the innocence of youth, not marred or tainted by judgemental people. Why judge our children? Appreciating their diversities is a great reward.
Who really wins in these talent contest and beauty pageants? More often than not there is a fee for entering these contest. The expensive miniature dresses and costumes can also really add up. Dedicated moms most devote a lot of their time traveling with their child to the many sponsored events of the contest. Certainly, there is a lot of involvement and way too much involvement for a pre schooler. Haven't you heard, "they need their beauty rest"?
Learn more about this author, Ganelle Davis.
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