I was horrified by this show until I actually watched an entire episode. I totally agree with you in the case of most children because I believe they are pushed by their parents to be part of the process. No child should be forced to do any of that pageant silliness. On the other hand, there are some children who LOVE the whole experience and absolutely adore doing the pageants. I don't think their parents are abusing them to let them compete. Spoiling them, maybe, since it is such an expensive hobby, but not abusing them.

I guess what I'm saying is that each situation is different and it all depends on the parents and the child and why the child is in the pageant in the first place.

PS: I can't believe a 5 year old would have enough eyebrow to wax. They're so little then.

Fair warning, this post is coming from someone that as a kid did hours and hours of acting and dancing and horseback ridding to go to competitions and shows. But let me mak it clear I asked to start it and dictated my own hectic schedule and loved every second of it (would love to still be doing it). Not to mention when I threw sports into the mix lol!

I think it depends on the child and how hard the parents push. Certainly the child could enjoy it at the beginning, but if the parents push too hard it loses its fun and their want to do it. I also agree that liking it or not, somethings done for the pageants are not right. Iv seen children begging not to be waxed or wear something or have their hair done that way as it hurts and the parents simply dont listen. If its for the children you would say "Ok then we wont.". If the parent does not its painfully obvious just who these pageants are being done for.

I also think its unhealthy, weither the kids like the competitions or not, how hard some parents force winning. To the point that if the kids dont win they are in tears and some parents even say well now it will be hard to get her to eat for a week. What!!! Iv lost my fair share of competitions, and never stopped eating over it. Even in my teen years when I became hard on myself. When I was that age I was like "Bummer, oh well next!". If the kid is taking it so hard there is some misparenting or management at the very least going on. In my acting agency they were less hard on the teens then some parents are on the toddlers. And make no mistake the agency did not love us enough to mince words lol.

Also, some of the costumes just seem not right. too skimpy. I get in a bathing suit some skin shows. Thats how they are. But in the clothes there are degrees, and Iv seem some lines crossed.

But as to abuse and needing to be parents and forcing kids, I think its case by case. I know if my kid saw a pageant or heard about it from a friend and asked me if they could try it out Id let them. if they liked it and wanted to keep going them great! But if they asked to stop then we'd stop. I saw one little girl ask her mom if she could stop competing and the mom said no. Thats sad. And just not right in my opinion.

Most pageant moms would probably think that we are nuts for spending time on this site. Women are always happy to judge each other.

I say live and let live. You might be able to force a few children to compete in pageants, but you sure couldn't make them compete hard enough to win, so what would be the point? Their outfits alone cost thousands of dollars per pageant, so who is going to spend that kind of money if their kids aren't successful competitors? If these girls are winning enough pageants to keep competing, they must enjoy the pageants no matter what they might have said on camera that day. Five year olds are very changeable, as we all know.

I happen to have a five year old niece who would adore doing pageants. She once begged my 16 year old niece to put clip-in hair extensions in her hair. Apparently it's painful and my older niece warned her that it would hurt, but she wanted them in and she had a ball having her picture taken with the extensions in and full make-up on. When it was time to take the extensions out, they did pull like crazy but she never complained. Even at 5, it was worth it to her.

That's how she would be about getting dolled up for pageants 90% of the time. The other 10% of the time she'd be whining and complaining the whole time and being a little brat about it all because she's FIVE. Either way, I'd be willing to bet big money that she'd perform like a pro when her time came to get up on stage because she would really want to do the pageant deep down. If she didn't, she just wouldn't go up on stage.

I still say it all depends on the kid involved since they are each unique individuals.

Don't watch the show, nor would I!

This is a show? How sick!

This could be a pedophile viewing heaven.