Do these pictures make you cringe?? They do for me. These children have fallen victim of Child Beauty Pagents. They seem to be having fun...but is this actually healthy for their mental and physical development?
Child Beauty Pagents began in the early 1960's as a marketing tool and tourist attraction. Judges base the scores on individuality,
looks, capability, poise, perfection and confidence. The children that get high scores in all these areas are called "the complete package."children grow up from ages starting as young as 0 thinking that looks are all that matter.
One thing that drives me crazy about these things, are that there are no laws concerning beauty pagents in New York, Massachusets, Texas, Arkansas, Calafornia, Vermont and maine. Because of the larg number in states that dont have laws, Child beauty Pagents are concidered to have no laws at all, any where in the world.
Children modle different pieces including sports wear (that includes beach wear: bekinies and bathing suits), Evening attire, dance and talent. Anything that you would see on the rack for a 25 year old women with open backs, can be found in small sizes for children in pagents. This makes me sick.
Not only is Child beauty Pagents bad for the children, but it is bad for the pocket book as well. One Pagent can caust a parent up to and over $1 200 and that is not including hair stylists, make up artists, false teeth for children loseing their teeth, wigs, dies, spray on tans and accessories.
Some parents say that they use pagents as a learning tool for their children to learn skills that are needed to "move up on the social scale". Why should children have to worrie about the social scale at such young ages. From what I remember when I was in kindergarden was that every one was friends. No one was better than every one. Another parent said, "children need to know that there is always going to be someone better than them". There are other ways to introduce this to chidren. Sign them up for piano, soccer, base ball. these are all competative things. Things that there will always be someone who is better than you. Another mother said, " It boosts poise and Cinfidence" If you dont think that sports and music cant do that...
Parents should know better than to exploit there children. Who knows what kind of people are watching their children marching down that isle in their bekini.
dispite the concerns, there are over a quarter of a million kids competing each year.
Why is this, and how can it be stopped??
