Toddles and Tiaras

Brenda that's just it, beauty pagents of any type focus on thin and perfect and sends messages to all kids that chubby and ugly is wrong.  There was a two or three year old on and she pranced around and shook her hips like a pro.  I mean a PRO.  And she said when it was over, I won because they loved me more.  How sad.  The whole point of winning isn't because you gloat in it afterwards.  It sucks

 WAIT....  don't cha remember playing with dolls and we would dress them up, change there clothes and fix their hair?  We played "pretty princess",  we were Cinderella or one of the other make believe characters?

Well, some of the girls never really grew up..... and still have the need (sic) to play dolls.  Unfortunately the dolls are human.   

I wish there was a mind set that shows our daughters how to be happy with who they are, the way they are.  AND teach guys to see and respect "real" women.

Millie

I think those mothers are living vicariously through their children.  They want to be the pagent girls but couldnt' or cannot.  I feel so sorry for the kids.

Hi Jeannie. The first thing that comes to my mind is Jon Binet Ramsey. Exploitation at it's most tragic.

That being said, obviously I agree with you and the others, but I'm in an interesting position with my profession. I have a client with a 9 yr old daughter. One day she called and asked to schedule an appointment for Ashley to get highlights. She said she was having a hard time finding someone that would do it. After thinking for a bit (really, thinking) I said I would do it. My thought being this woman was hell bent to have her daughter's hair done and she would keep looking until she found someone. Might as well be me. I know that what I use and how I do would be the most appropriate, in spite of what she, or her daughter said they wanted.
So the day came for Ashley's appointment. I could see them coming across the parking lot. This child was a carbon copy of mom, dressed WAY beyond her years, lip gloss and toting a Dooney & Bourke bag!!! I have to say, I was pretty shocked. I did her hair, very subtle and pretty and they were happy.
Now, in the 18 months or so that I've been doing her hair there have been many instances where Mom wants more highlights, lighter, heavier, what ever, and I just steer her away from that direction. More than once I"ve used the term "age appropriate" and done my own thing. They keep coming back, so it must be okay.

I've seen little girls as young as 5 getting highlights in the salon. The other stylists, all my age have the same opinion as I do. If it's going to get done, and these moms are all adamant about it, then it might as well be done by stylists who have scruples and good sense to be as cautious as possible. After all, it's not our position to dictate what is best for these people's children, in the end we're just the "hired help". We sure don't have to like it though.

Susan, I know what you mean about trying to regulate a little.  On that stupid show, they have these kids' chests taped to create an illusion of cleavage. Cleavage on a toddler.  Or they put on fake teeth and one stupid mom was even whitening her daughter's teeth.  They color, extend, and tease, and spray and glitter these poor kids.  It is abuse and it just makes me sad for the children.  Some of these pagent kids are just extensions of their moms like some boys who play ball and don't want to are extensions of their father's ambition to have been a ball player.  It is way beyond sad and certainly not mentally healthy. 

I glanced at the show last night long enough to be pretty susrprised at how many of the moms are at the very least, overweight. Some MO. Hmmmm, just another thought in the mix

It seemed that all of the mothers featured were very overweight and kept talking about how much their daughters loved the pagents.  There's something wrong with these women when they objectify their daughters for the sake of some attention seeking or desire to be that beauty or whatever.  It's an outrage.

Jeannie....I agree with what everyone has said. This whole thing makes me feel so sick...and very angry!!

Then people wonder why men lust after little girls...DUH!!!

I don't think pageants of any kind should be televised. It is all so fake and phony....no one in real life looks like that...good grief!! 

Hugs sweetie....connie d

I know.  They take innocent children and turn them into sexual objects.  It is way too sad.

I agree with regulating these under age pagents.  Since you can't cure stupid I do believe we should write to our congressmen (women) and try to get this regulated.  My dil has my gd's hair streaked.  I am appalled and so was my hairdresser, but Lisa found someone to color the girl's hair at 5 years.
Pat