Please let our kids be kids

 

In the news this week, it's been reported that over 300 Irish parents have contacted the US organisers of a children’s beauty pageant in a bid to get them to come over to Ireland, and the organisers have confirmed that they will come here in November. There have been very little other details given as they apparently fear media attention.

 

The organisers have said that the children (from 4 years of age upwards) taking part in the pageants must wear their pageant ‘gear’ to compete, although they do say they don’t like make-up on babies or toddlers. They claim that hair and make-up is to accentuate their natural beauty on-stage. However, any of these shows that I have seen don't really stand up to this claim, with very young kids competing with hair and make-up that is well beyond their years. The photo above shows two girls who take part in US pageants, they are sisters whose mum pits them against each other in a bid to 'toughen them up'. They are just 7 and 5 years old, and have been competing since they were 2. It really saddens me to see this. They are just little girls.

 

Do Irish parents really want their children to take part in these events? There must be an argument for allowing kids be kids. There's plenty of time for make-up and other grown up activities in years to come. Why do we need our kids to be paraded about in a completely unnatural setting?

 

Please tell me there are other parents out there who agree with me?