Your Child And Beauty Pageants – What To Do
In this Article
There’s much debate and discussion about child beauty pageant pros and cons. Should you let your kids participate in them? There are arguments both for and against this. Have a look at what both sides have to say before you make up your mind.
Beauty pageants are looked upon as platforms for appearance rather than personality. Nowadays, there are pageants for kids as young as 1 too. The question is whether it’s appropriate for such young minds to take part in beauty contests. Before you decide to sign up or dismiss your child for beauty competitions, you should know the pros and cons.
Beauty Pageants for Kids: The Good and The Bad
The Upsides
1. Kids Understand the Importance of Discipline Early in Life
In order to prepare for beauty contests, a child has to undergo grooming lessons and hone her public speaking and presentation abilities. Many contests require kids to display their skills such as dancing, singing and acting. This helps them learn the importance of discipline to achieve their goals.
2. They Develop Social Skills
By participating in child modelling, children build on new connections and improve their social skills. They get a chance to mingle with kids from different regions, schools and backgrounds. They learn to be amicable with their fellow contestants.
3. They Learn About Game Spirit
Beauty pageants are fiercely competitive and can serve as a dais to teach a child about the spirit of participation. It’s important for young kids to learn how to win gracefully and not be sore losers. On your part as a mommy, you need to celebrate your child’s participation even if she loses to keep her game spirit high.
The Downsides
1. Kids Face Enormous Pressure to Win
Your child is pitted against a large number of other kids and is expected to rise and shine above them. More often than not, mothers go overboard in their efforts to make sure that their daughters stay ahead of the pack. While deliberating kid beauty pageant pros and cons, parent’s attitudes towards such contests is extremely crucial. You must let your child know what they’re getting into and set realistic expectations.
2. Beauty Contests May Deprive a Child of Innocence
Bright lipstick, heavy makeup, and fancy get-ups –all this is too grown-up for a preschooler.It can make kids, especially girls, very self-conscious of their appearance at a much earlier age than usual. It can also alter their body image altogether.
3. They May Become Over-anxious and Even Go Into Depression
Since beauty contests attach a lot importance to appearance, they can change the definition of accomplishment for your child. When she constantly worries about what others are thinking of her and falls under the pressure to look good, she can become anxious and introverted.
As mothers, you have a sense of what’s appropriate for your child and what’s not. Do your research before signing up your kid for the beauty pageants. While they may have a few benefits, they aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. There are very real downsides, which is why many parents keep their kids far away from beauty contests.
