What are your thoughts on child beauty pageants? Are you for them or against them?

My daughter is a very pretty girl, and has been told since birth that she needs to be in pageants. we won't because i believe it harms a child more than anything. If a child comes in second place it would destroy their self esteem. Look a jonbenet, she was not a child. she had the makeup, dresses. yes she was a beautiful child, but was she really able to be a child?? I want my daughter to know she is pretty, without all the pressure. I want my daughter to be able to be happy and to be a child!

If the pageants focus soley on beauty, I'm against them.

However if they also focus on education and perhaps talent or poise, that's a good thing. Pageants can instill a lot of confidence in a young girl, but you have to be careful they don't instill an unhealthy sense of competitiveness in a child. If a little girl shows an interest, let her try one that is WELL looked into. There are a lot of scammers out there! Look for credentials and really investigate a pageant. Go into it with a relaxed, "lets have fun with this" attitude. It's better to teach a girl how to have fun dressing pretty, learning manners and posture, and finding that special talent...and not going into it with a "you must win" attitude. If the girl starts to become bored, intimidated or upset with the pageant, then it's time to try sports!!

I see the good and bad in them, I think it's up to the parents to make sure your child is safe and learning things that are beneficial and productive.

I am against parents forcing a child to do beauty pageants. If it is their idea, and they are passionate about trying it, then i would be supportive of my child's interests. It would be the same as if my child wanted to play football competitively, there are risks and dangers involved, but again i would be supportive of their interests

I think that child beauty pageants exploit children and allow predators to gain access to innocent little kids who don't even want to necessarily do them in the first place.

For the most part, kids are forced into these pageants because their mothers become obsessed with the idea of their little girls (possibly little boys I suppose) being in these pageants and winning crowns and ribbons....

I think these parents are selfish and are fooling themselves when they think the children really want to participate in them....they would rather be playing with dolls or riding bikes not parading around in makeup and dresses looking like 20 year olds....

I am against them. It teaches a child that beauty is the only thing that matters and is setting them up for problems later on in life if that is what they base their worth on. Plus many of those pageants dress all these little girls up like hookers. Its horrible.

Against

Sounds like a great way to teach beauty and build confidence, however only if the child enjoys it and is not forced in anyway shape or form. It is just as good as joining a sport or playing an instument, you have good and bad in everything. Playing sports you can get injured, playing an instrument can damage the ears.

I would support it. The beauty pageant contest will build up the child's confident and self-esteem.

When a child is having fun playing dress-up and dancing around the stage... I think it's great. There is nothing wrong with it. It's when the mother is forcing her children to do it and it's no longer fun for the child that I think it's wrong.

I don't see how it can be good for a child's self esteem to be put under that kind of pressure. And I don't think I would want my child to believe her self worth was based on her beauty. It's kind of sad to see a small child looking so grown up, let them be little.