Toddlers and Tiaras

Toddlers and Tiaras 2 Screaming crowds (mostly hysterical mothers), make-up, hair extensions, teased hairstyles, clouds of hairspray, fake teeth, false eyelashes, spray tans, elegant costumes, weird postures, twitched face expressions, tiaras, trophies, money and more or less talent are the ingredients for the usual children . Those young girls that compete in these beauty contests are between ages 3 to 10 and sometimes even younger than 2 years old and usually have one only goal, get the money and get the tiara (tiara and/or trophy and/or ribbon).

Of course, these insane mothers/fathers (so called parents) enter these little beauties not at their own request into these pageants. They fill in the applications on time, pay the participation fee, create or buy the outfit, establish the type of performance for the talent section, usually some song or dancing is a very popular talent to be displayed. The moms create and exercise the hairstyle and make-up, keep a strict rehearsal schedule, hire trainers if the mom herself cannot coach the whole thing, travel hundreds of miles with their children just to spend a weekend on an emotional roller coaster and hopefully win the competition.

So why do these mothers put their young girls through this experience? Well, first of all, “For them to have fun and experience dress-up in a more complex environment. ” Because she likes it and because she is beautiful, etc. Off the record more, the answers include the “For the money” and “Because she has to be number one. Anyway, for myself, the most feared answer to that question would be “Because I used to participate in such contests myself”, and no matter how that sentenced ends (I always won or I’ve never won, but I know she can do it! ). What can a child learn by being a professional/serial contestant?

Well, encouraging the sense of competition and having a to be dedicated to is okay, spending time with mom is great, but when you become a winning machine, and a Tiara chaser collector, serious psychological problems can occur. These contests promote as the main value, with the talent section being a close second. These children, especially these little girls are going to pay so much attention to her looks and knowing she is being judged for it, will be very susceptible to develop , such as Anorexia or Bulimia.

Also, paranoid features can occur as a response to the, “No other girl here is your friend” between mother and daughter and you just smile on the outside and develop a little hatred inside for all other competitors. This also brings another problem to my mind, dissimulation as a form of interaction, which can be used outside contests too and become a habit. All those screaming crowds and rivers of tears and having to put on an act and playing a role could lead to learning hysteric behaviors. Anxiety is no stranger for these young girls either.

If at first sight they seem to learn how to be prepared for stressful situation, think of this: what if the girl does not really want to participate and does this only to please her mother? What if she can’t actually dance or sing, but she has to do that anyway? And what if she feels embarrassed? What if she would rather like to in her home town and not in some cheap hotel miles away from her house? Then I believe yes, anxiety and frustration are near these children at all times.

These and many other psychological problems can emerge from having to be something that you are not at a very early age. And inner problems are not the only ones. Displaying such a mature look (these girls are five or six years old, yet their faces look like those of at least 16 years old) may attract unwanted public, such as pedophiles. Paying the fee for your child’s picture to be posted on a website with is again, in my opinion, not the best choice to be made. Toddlers and Tiaras 3

Unfortunately, there have been cases of young pageant participants that have been victims in murder cases, so things are not as simple as one might think. In most cases, mothers are trying to live out their dreams through their children that they couldn’t accomplish themselves when they were younger. Playing dress-up with your daughter can be great, but why transform it into a full-time job? I must also mention that these competitions occur on weekends, so these children have no downtime or time to themselves to unwind and just play with their friends and do what children do best, “PLAY. So many things can be discussed about children beauty pageants, ranging from ethics, , mental health, development, competition or interpersonal relationships, but before I end, give your children time to make their own choices and fulfill their own dreams. Toddlers and Tiaras 4 References http://psychologycorner. com/toddlers-and-children-beauty-pageants-%E2%80%93-risk-factors-for-severe-psychological-turmoils/