Child Beauty PageantsEssay Preview: Child Beauty PageantsReport this essayChildren should not participate in beauty pageants due to the vain personality they will develop from being taught to believe that the most important issue in life is to be prettier than every other young girl. Children are brought into the world knowing nothing, except for what is instilled in them by their guardians. It is unfortunate that this pure vision of life is then altered by the childs participation in beauty pageants.
Children who participate in beauty pageants never truly get a chance at having a real childhood. Instead, these children are brought up in the delusional world of glitz and glamour, controlled by their mothers (Murphy, n.y). Syd Brown, a child and adolescent psychologist from Maryland said: “What they are learning basically is that they have one characteristic which is of total primary importance, and that is their body and their attractiveness” (Murphy, n.y). From this, children could potentially mature into shallow individuals, going on to develop relationships based solely on physical attributes.
Ever since the unfortunate and sudden death of child pageant star JonBenet Ramsey in 1996, the pageant industry has been held under much scrutiny. After her brutal murder, the media began to look further into the child pageant industry (Maliakal, 2010). After JonBenets body was found mutilated, Fox News repeatedly showed photos and videos of her dancing, singing, and flirting on the pageant stage (Reed, 2006). JonBenet was exploited through child beauty pageants by her mother, which led to her untimely death (Reed, 2006). Pageant mothers will stop at nothing to ensure that their child has been dolled up enough to crush the competition.
Childhood should be a time for spontaneity, excitement, and learning new things. It should not be focused on learning poise, being made up like a Barbie doll, or creating a mad dash to adulthood. Child beauty pageants are judged on the basis of superficial standards of overly made-up “children.” Contestants are scored on talent, costumes, and overall aesthetics. Children who participate in pageants often mature with the belief that beauty and external appearance is all that matters. This can lead to severe eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia, in order to maintain the perfect body (Maliakal, 2010). Lucia Grosaru, a clinical psychologist, states, “paranoid features can occur as a response to the no other girl is your friend here speech, regarding the relationships between the participants, usually all smiles and hugs at the surface but opposition can be sensed at a deeper level” (Grosaru, 2011).
The Problem
Most child-focused child-sitters are not really interested in other aspects of parenting. One thing is clear. Some of the most basic aspects of success are found in children’s engagement in a loving, nurturing family-life with family and friends.
Children tend to be excited and interested about other people and around the world. They like to stay close to family, friends and coworkers. They love to be around people who are involved in other people’s lives and experiences, especially those with disabilities. They also like to attend “family gatherings,” where children of various age groups will interact with the people in their lives. Children enjoy children of all ages, regardless of age, and they enjoy having family in common: kids in the group can be excited, interested, creative, creative, fun, etc. Parents of children who are raised in a “mother-father culture” (an upbringing that includes parents in a “mythical” family unit such as that of “mystical parenting”) and who are “mother and father-mother” (a family unit that includes both parents in an “apostasy”) also make sense as well.
A growing body of research has found that child-centered parenting is able to support the developmentally impaired during development by supporting the mental, emotional, economic and social functioning of both children and parents. For instance, a study published in the American Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JCHAP) showed young children in the preschool group enjoyed a more significant improvement in their ability to cope when they became parents, and that these children, however, were better than their parents when it came to self-esteem. Researchers also found that parents who were “inattentive” with children through their own lives may be more likely to take their children out of class, when they were only 12-years-old (Rothman & Molnar, 2008). Additionally, in a small but noteworthy study in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry by the University of Minnesota, children attending more than 10,000 hours of kindergarten were more likely to score higher on standardized tests used than children attending preschool. The key point I’ll discuss in this series is that children who are in the preschool camp can be extremely proud to develop an adult’s own unique capacity to develop a positive mind and feelings. If your child’s ability to form friendships, make choices in life, and develop emotional connections is what this series is all about, then you are also a perfect candidate for a successful pageant and a successful child. When my son and daughter were 3 years old and we were invited to the Child and Parenting Expo in September 2009, our parents came and sat there for approximately 15 minutes in front of the room holding all my toys, my bookshelves, and toys to watch. Kids would ask questions about my life, about my child-centered parents, about my future goals in life and about my relationship with children. My son and daughter said they felt like they were doing an important and special job. These responses led me to realize that I was doing it right. My kids became like “hugs.” Everyone is doing things differently than they did, and there’s a lot of work to be done.
When kids and parents share or share images and stories, they often share with each other ideas and emotions that the readers or viewers (particularly parents and children alike) can relate to. For instance, the children share ideas about what life will be like in their own homes, and a parent or child will write or share a story that is unique
The Problem
Most child-focused child-sitters are not really interested in other aspects of parenting. One thing is clear. Some of the most basic aspects of success are found in children’s engagement in a loving, nurturing family-life with family and friends.
Children tend to be excited and interested about other people and around the world. They like to stay close to family, friends and coworkers. They love to be around people who are involved in other people’s lives and experiences, especially those with disabilities. They also like to attend “family gatherings,” where children of various age groups will interact with the people in their lives. Children enjoy children of all ages, regardless of age, and they enjoy having family in common: kids in the group can be excited, interested, creative, creative, fun, etc. Parents of children who are raised in a “mother-father culture” (an upbringing that includes parents in a “mythical” family unit such as that of “mystical parenting”) and who are “mother and father-mother” (a family unit that includes both parents in an “apostasy”) also make sense as well.
A growing body of research has found that child-centered parenting is able to support the developmentally impaired during development by supporting the mental, emotional, economic and social functioning of both children and parents. For instance, a study published in the American Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JCHAP) showed young children in the preschool group enjoyed a more significant improvement in their ability to cope when they became parents, and that these children, however, were better than their parents when it came to self-esteem. Researchers also found that parents who were “inattentive” with children through their own lives may be more likely to take their children out of class, when they were only 12-years-old (Rothman & Molnar, 2008). Additionally, in a small but noteworthy study in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry by the University of Minnesota, children attending more than 10,000 hours of kindergarten were more likely to score higher on standardized tests used than children attending preschool. The key point I’ll discuss in this series is that children who are in the preschool camp can be extremely proud to develop an adult’s own unique capacity to develop a positive mind and feelings. If your child’s ability to form friendships, make choices in life, and develop emotional connections is what this series is all about, then you are also a perfect candidate for a successful pageant and a successful child. When my son and daughter were 3 years old and we were invited to the Child and Parenting Expo in September 2009, our parents came and sat there for approximately 15 minutes in front of the room holding all my toys, my bookshelves, and toys to watch. Kids would ask questions about my life, about my child-centered parents, about my future goals in life and about my relationship with children. My son and daughter said they felt like they were doing an important and special job. These responses led me to realize that I was doing it right. My kids became like “hugs.” Everyone is doing things differently than they did, and there’s a lot of work to be done.
When kids and parents share or share images and stories, they often share with each other ideas and emotions that the readers or viewers (particularly parents and children alike) can relate to. For instance, the children share ideas about what life will be like in their own homes, and a parent or child will write or share a story that is unique
The easy access of the Internet and televised media of such events has increased the number of sexual predators (Reed, 2006). Portraying a much older appearance on a young lady and plastering it on highly viewed Internet sites and/or television can lead to unwanted attention from pedophiles. Sexual predators