Do you watch Toddlers and Tiaras? ( Here’s a clip of one of the infamous contestants, Mackenzie: Mackenzie on You Tube to jog your memory.) Well….I’m addicted I watch it and although I think a lot of the moms are crazy and go overboard, there is something about it that is infectious. I can’t stop watching. I am 15 months into raising my sweet daughter and as we plan for extra curricular activities that will hopefully turn her into a beautifully well rounded individual, I wonder, are pageants a good route? 
Caroline getting a taste for the crown–July 2010
For the most part pageants teach young ladies (and now young boys) the importance of poise, confidence, interview skills and stage presence–how are those qualities detrimental to ones development? I guess one concern is, will I turn into a “pageant mom?” (PS…I just googled “pageant mom” and it’s no bueno!) When I watch Toddlers and Tiaras, I am more stunned by the behavior of (90%) the mom than the child (Mackenzie is the exception.) The mother is usually the one pushing for influencing pageant participation and is living vicariously through their (often) cuter daughter. But that still doesn’t seem to bother me. My biggest “problem” with Toddlers and Tiaras and why I think it qualifies for Mommy Madness is the excessive “glitz” that these mothers expose their children to at such a young age. I found a few clips where a mom was shaving her 7 year old’s legs so a spray tan would last longer, a young girl was getting regular highlights and another clip showed an 8 year old getting a Swedish massage before her facial and waxing…CRAZY! It’s SO nuts that it was the cover story of People Magazine a couple of weeks back. On top of that excessive pre-pageant pampering, there is the big hair and tons of make up that will take a girl next door and turn her into this glamazon… 
Where does it stop? Are these girls getting botox at 10 and implants at 14? And are these girls growing up to think that their appearance is more important than their character? And when does it go from a safe hobby to madness?
What do you think?
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These moms are creepy! And you nailed it with your thoughts. Can’t a little girl be pretty without all that crap? It’s sad that most of the little ones say ” I feel pretty when I’m all done up”. What kind of crap parent do they have that makes them believe your only pretty if you have x,y,z done to you. I agree at a certain age pageants are fine (and I did pageants from 6 months til I was 8, then from 15-25) however mine were “natural” and my mom had the commen sense to pull me out when I thought I was hot stuff! Aside from that these people are out of control and probably the extreme version of pageants. Either way let your kid be a kid!
Of all the children that I saw in the Toddlers and Tiaras series Mackenzie was one of the most disturbing. All of the money that her parents were paying for glitz should have been put towards a great child psychiatrist and one for her parents too. Many of the children and their parents were severely emotionally disturbed.