Toddlers and Tiaras, the new TLC series, is teaching me new vocabulary words! This week learned for the first time about flippers! When pageant girls are in the tooth losing state of childhood, fake front teeth, called known as flippers, are worn to perfect their smiles.
Photo by: Toddlers & Tiaras/TLC
Let me state for the record that I am from the South. I know women who did the pageant circuit as teens and really enjoyed it. But some of the families profiled on Toddlers and Tiaras represent the worst stereotypes about stage mothers!
On the show, I see the moms say how much their kids love the pageants. But the children seem stressed out, scared and incredibly pressured by their moms to perform. Here are a few examples from the show:
Toddler Spray Tan
Mom takes her kids to get spray tanned to prepare for the weekend pageant. The younger daughter is scared of the spray tanning booth, as any toddler would be! Is it really worth it to scare the heck out of a toddler in order to get a tan? I understand we have to make our kids do things they are afraid of, but getting a spray tan isn't up there for me.
Hobby Lobby
This week's episode followed a mom with two girls on the pageant circuit. We see the mom practicing and barking at the girls, and the little girls admit they often practice all day. One of the daughters says she doesn't like to get her mom mad! The part of watching this mom that made my stomach hurt was when she and her pageant costume consultant went to Hobby Lobby to get fabric for the costumes. They spent $600 on fabric! OMG. Spending $600 for just fabric for a costume seems over-the-top.
As I mentioned, I know there are girls who love the pageants and love performing. Cafe Cynthia over on Toddler Buzz has a good interview with a CafeMom member who is involved with pageants. I know there are reasonable moms who allow their daughters to be in beauty pageants!
But I don't see the normal moms and families on Toddlers and Tiaras! I see moms pushing kids to be beauty queens for their own reasons. If you think I am wrong, please let me know. I'll give you one final example why I feel the way I do about this subject.
Bella Wins and Cries
On one episode, a little girl won...and she burst out into tears. But these tears weren't tears of joy. Little Bella cried because she was relieved she won back the money the family spent for the pageant. Poor little Bella, who is five years old, was worried about the money. When a Kindergarten age child feels the weight of the family finances on her shoulders because of a beauty pageant, it's not fun anymore.
Talk to me. Am I being harsh or do you agree?
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Comments 28
These shows are crazy, but I feel like it's that way with any competitive hobby/sport, even at a young age [gymnastics, ice skating, etc] Although I don't agree with it, I'll probably watch when it comes on and shake my head...
I dont think pageants are ridiculous. I am a mother of two daughter who participate in local pageants. They are full glitz pageants so we go all out. My daughters are also involved in dance, my oldest in softball and soon to start piano lessons. No matter what anyone says the public judges people on looks. I am not one of those crazy pageant moms, I just want my daughters to be well rounded and be able to participate in various activities. I teach them to do the best at everthing and no matter what the out come, you're still a winner. By the way none of the pageants my girls do ever give cash prizes.
To avasmom, not everyone looks better natural. Sorry but its the truth. I am a like jekell with makeup and hyde without it. Everyone (adult) should at least wear a little lipstick! As Dolly Parton put it in Steel Magnolias "There's no such thing as natural beauty." With the exception of children that is.
I am a pageant mom also. What you see on T&T is not always how pageants are. They mostly show the bad side of pageants. Most little girls who do pageants WANT to do pageants. My daughter is only 14 months old. She does not tan, wear flippers, or have hair pieces yet...She loves to put on her dresses though. And we do buy the glitz dresses. But they are a low-med glitz not the full glitz. She will be doing her first full glitz in Nov. She will have age app. makeup and a wiglet for her hair. She is tan naturaly so we wont be tanning. and she has no missing teeth so no flippers needed. And whoever said it was to just wina few bucks is sadly mistaken. Alot of pageants dont even give out money. Some give out savings bonds for college. Putting our daughters in pageants isnt for popularity its for wanting our children to be proud of themselves and to open up there personalities. Most the people who dont have their pageants is for the simple fact they can afford it so they have to knock all of the ones who can and have our daughter in...