Is it right that LITTLE GIRLS should appear in beauty pageants?

i think only if it's the childrens decision...and i don't think pageants should make a big deal with kids wearing all that makeup and doing the "big hair" it should be based on the kids natural appearance not how much crap they can put on.

It depends on the girl's passion. If she's really into it, why keep her from reaching her dreams? To those parents who force their children on certain aspects of their lives, I shall say one word: "FREEDOM." Look for it on your dictionary. lol

Hi demleo, I don't like the idea of beautiful pageants, especially for little girls. Parents should teach their children that being beautiful is not all there is to life. Blessings.

I don't think I would put my young daughter into beauty pageants unless she was old enough to consciously tell me that she really, desparately wanted to do this. I think if the children are too young, and the parents push them, that is wrong on so many levels. I have seen shows where the girls have false hair, false teeth, false everything...padded bras?? There are just some places where a parent should draw the line. Lots of times the girls grow up having insecurites and low self esteem thinking that they aren't good enough or pretty enough...It's just not a good place to be in emotionally and mentally.

I personally think anyone under the age of 18 should not be allowed to join beauty pagents. In fact I think Beauty pageants are a complete waste of time and should not be considered as a career. I would never let any child of mine join a beauty pagent..

What I don´t understand is that in the US a social worker and cops take children to a foster home if they spank them on the butt once in a while if they missbehave and don´t do anything about these child abusers. They are obviously taking the childhood out of their kids and turning them into a sort of machines or living dolls. I´m afraid that what´s left for them (parents and children) is frustration, while noone does anything to prevent this legal child molesting and abuse. Children are supposed to study and play. At least at the less developped country where I come from. I would never let one of my children do a pageant as I would never let them cross a street alone. I take them by their hand as it´s my turn to be responsible for their welfare.

I think we share an opinion. I am not against pagents themselves. I think that there is nothing wrong with a little healthy competition between children. If my daughter were to ask me to be in a pageant, I would support her wholeheartedly. Note, I said support, not drive her mad with tips and directions. I also hate the fact that some mothers put their children in pageants in order to fufill their own childhood dreams. Then they push their child almost to the brink of destruction by pushing them entirely too hard to get their routines right. If my daughter were to be in a pageant, I would want her to have fun, whether she won or not. These mothers that push their daughters into and/or through pageants, they take all of the fun out of the experience for the child, if not leave them with deep mental scars. So its not the pageants I am against, it is the pageant moms that ride their kids into stardom, not caring what important things in the child's life are left behind in the process.