Is it just me??

[kacaju]

So, I had a heart to heart with my daughter. She says she likes pageants, but doesn't LOVE them. I made her a promise to pull her out of pageants and just keep her in competitive cheer. I think I need to dig a little deeper. Thoughts??

Dig deeper for what?? She said she doesn't love them, you agreed to let her pull out...what more is there?

 

[cabanafrau]

So, I had a heart to heart with my daughter. She says she likes pageants, but doesn't LOVE them. I made her a promise to pull her out of pageants and just keep her in competitive cheer. I think I need to dig a little deeper. Thoughts??

I need some more of your thoughts before responding.

 

[Hrhpd]

So, I had a heart to heart with my daughter. She says she likes pageants, but doesn't LOVE them. I made her a promise to pull her out of pageants and just keep her in competitive cheer. I think I need to dig a little deeper. Thoughts??

cool. what level team is she on?

She doesn't happen to cheer for Cheer Time Revolution, does she?

 

[Robbi]

Some pageants, competitive cheering, dancing, etc are guilty of having little girls parade like they're practicing for the stripper pole. I cannot stand when any of these little girls dance using suggestive moves. They don't know what the movements mean but their parents, coaches, judges, and the pervs sure do. My daughter was a competitive cheerleader and if her coach had put any of the team members in hooker looking, belly showing outfits, we'd have pulled her from the team. I really don't like either the outfits or the moves for any age. Older girls know the movements are suggestive so what are we teaching them when we sit back and allow a coach to incorporate these into routines? We say, "Wait until you're older and more mature to have sex." yet we would allow them to strut it out there. It's hypocritical and sends the wrong message at least in my opinion.

 

[nym4588]

http://media.bonnint.net/seattle/7/747/74763.jpg

This one works. I am assuming the picture with the blond hair is her without the makeup and such. Very pretty little girl.

Just my opinion, but this is downright disturbing. It doesn't even look like the same kid. There isn't any circumstance that makes it ok for a little girl to have this much makeup caked on her face.

No. Just...no.

I do, however, agree that the pic on the left is of a very pretty child.

 

[kathie859]

I find the pictures of a youngster made up like a grown up tart very disconcerting What in the world are we teaching our girls???
They aren't pretty as they are? Oh yeah--obviously NOT a fan of pangeants.

 

[dizcrazee]

Some pageants, competitive cheering, dancing, etc are guilty of having little girls parade like they're practicing for the stripper pole. I cannot stand when any of these little girls dance using suggestive moves. They don't know what the movements mean but their parents, coaches, judges, and the pervs sure do. My daughter was a competitive cheerleader and if her coach had put any of the team members in hooker looking, belly showing outfits, we'd have pulled her from the team. I really don't like either the outfits or the moves for any age. Older girls know the movements are suggestive so what are we teaching them when we sit back and allow a coach to incorporate these into routines? We say, "Wait until you're older and more mature to have sex." yet we would allow them to strut it out there. It's hypocritical and sends the wrong message at least in my opinion.

Very well said - I agree completely. Oh well, maybe if all these young girls that are being sent conflicting messages by authority figures and parents get "purity rings", in re previous thread, all will be well.

 

[Buckalew11]

What about the exceedingly vulgar dance moves, any indication that those are going to be outlawed? No, I guess not. Times have really changed since I was in high school, that's for sure. Honestly, the last time I went to a high school football game I was totally shocked at how vulgar the cheerleaders were. I don't know how the football players are able to concentrate on the game, not to mention all the middle aged dads in the stands sitting there watching that stuff. I wouldn't want my daughter to do it. It's truly horrible.

HS cheering can be pretty bad but the dance teams is what gets me. HS and college level--so embarrassing.

http://media.bonnint.net/seattle/7/747/74763.jpg

This one works. I am assuming the picture with the blond hair is her without the makeup and such. Very pretty little girl.

This is so horrible.The little girl is cute, normal looking kid, not even exceptionally pretty and yet, made up, she looks like a Barbie doll. No kidding.
That isn't even pretty on the right. It is too much. Too much. Too much. OMG. Why would anyone paint up an innocent child like that?

So, I had a heart to heart with my daughter. She says she likes pageants, but doesn't LOVE them. I made her a promise to pull her out of pageants and just keep her in competitive cheer. I think I need to dig a little deeper. Thoughts??

I think that you should totally rethink your reasoning for why you do these. If it were me, I'd stop and try to make up for lost time and try my darnedest to impress upon her the real core values you want her to hold. Sorry, but parading around in anything close to this stuff makes me think "future bimbo" trying to get by in life on looks and charm. Looks fade away...give her substance to hold on to.

I think a reason for bad attitudes during practices but good, happy performances is because there is a type of "high" one gets from performing in front of people and the attention kids get because of that.

My own thoughts are that it'll be a rough time for a 10 yo to give up all the attention of pageants AND have new twin baby siblings getting mommy's attention. I think you'll see a bit of backlash from her...she may use getting back into pageants as a way to "get mommy's attention back." JMHO.

 

[suemom2kay]

THIS

I'm not 100% sure if DD fully enjoys them, but she is very happy when she wins.

is what is wrong with pageants.

 

[LongLiveDisney]

I think they're totally messed up. Disgusting, just terrible. That's the truth. Don't make a little girl look like a stripper.

 

[badblackpug]

Sorry, former dance mom here. Dance is a HUGE offender in the arena of objectifying very young girls in sexy outfits. You wake up pretty darn fast in the morning when you go down to the hotel lobby to grab a coffee while your daughter heads for her dance workshop to behold six and eight year olds striding through the lobby, unescorted, in bitty booty shorts, bejeweled bras, full-face stage make-up, including false eyelashes and nothing else -- on their way to dance a full eight-hour slate of classes, not perform.

Kills me that an industry who's primary consumers are females and most instructors and studio owners are females, yet they generally train sexy style by default to the girls.

The only edge dance can offer over pageants in my mind is it's a great physical activity, you can learn some definite skills, it can be tremendous fun and you'll probably end up with tremendous posture as a dancer.

Okay, I can only go on my 4 year old's dance class. There is none of this. They wear black leotard and pink tights. There is no competition and the only time they wear make-up is at the recital. It isn't competitive. Again, she is 4 and it's a beginner's ballet class.

I probably wouldn't allow my daughter to get involved with a dance company like you described, but I wouldn't let the other one do cheer because of the same issues.

http://media.bonnint.net/seattle/7/747/74763.jpg

This one works. I am assuming the picture with the blond hair is her without the makeup and such. Very pretty little girl.

That is very disturbing. I don't find it pretty at all. There is something very wrong with painting a little child up to look like a 30 year old hooker.

 

[Liberty Belle]

http://media.bonnint.net/seattle/7/747/74763.jpg

This one works. I am assuming the picture with the blond hair is her without the makeup and such. Very pretty little girl.

You really think she looks beautiful with all the fake hair, caked on makeup, etc? I guess some people do, but it just baffles me. Then again, I only wear make up on occasion and hate hair that doesn't move.

 

[badblackpug]

You really think she looks beautiful with all the fake hair, caked on makeup, etc? I guess some people do, but it just baffles me. Then again, I only wear make up on occasion and hate hair that doesn't move.

Okay, I am a hair, make-up, nails kind of girl. I won't leave the house if my hair and make-up isn't doe, and I think that picture is very disturbing.

 

[pacrosby]

regarding dance...

My dd 12 is a serious dancer, and also does competition. All studios are not the same. And I suspect that certain things are more typical of certain regions. We are in the northeast and I honestly don't find a parade of skimpty inappropriate costumes, nor do I see too much in the way of inappropriatre moves (rarely if ever with the younger set, sometimes the teens and seniors push the envelope alittle bit but it's really a very small percentage.). And we go to competitions were there are between 500 and 700 numbers. I'm not saying it's not a problem in some places but I just hate it when people try to paint the whole industry with a broad brush. It's simply not true.

 

[Squirlz]

http://media.bonnint.net/seattle/7/747/74763.jpg

This one works. I am assuming the picture with the blond hair is her without the makeup and such. Very pretty little girl.

The picture on the right is so retouched it barely resembles a human being!

 

[mnrose]

Just a slightly off topic comment about dance. Please do not lump all dance into the same category. There are legitimate dance studios out there that have absolutely NOTHING to do with competitive dance. The competitive dance world (which my DD was part of for three years) is pretty disgusting. Many overtly sexual costumes and dances. It disturbed both DH and me, and we started looking around for a different type program. And, thankfully, we found one. Not only is she learning more about dance (real dance...not hoochie mama dance), but there is absolutely nothing age inappropriate about the costumes or moves. At her most recent performance, for example, her group did one piece from the Fiddler on the Roof (where they danced wearing longish skirts, full blouses, head scarves and aprons). It passed even the grandma test....grandma liked it! The girls in the group also loved it.

If your child wants to dance, search out a good program...in general, that means avoiding competitive dance. Why we have to take an art form and turn it into a "competition" is beyond me. The only people getting wealthy out of competition dance are those that sponsor this insanity.

 

[smallblackstars]

My mum has always said that pageant children are like mini prostitutes and their mothers are the pimps, pushing them further and further with each show. A bit extreme wording perhaps but not inaccurate.

I think pageants are trashy and would never put my daughter in one but they exist and lots of people do enter their children, they aren't going to disappear. I don't know anyone with a child in a pageant but if I did, although I would disagree with it, I wouldn't give them a hard time about it. Each to their own, I just feel that pageants teach children the wrong things in general and also attract the wrong kind of attention.

 

[Allison]

So, I had a heart to heart with my daughter. She says she likes pageants, but doesn't LOVE them. I made her a promise to pull her out of pageants and just keep her in competitive cheer. I think I need to dig a little deeper. Thoughts??

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3068155

So are you not looking for a coach now?

 

[pacrosby]

Just a slightly off topic comment about dance. Please do not lump all dance into the same category. There are legitimate dance studios out there that have absolutely NOTHING to do with competitive dance. The competitive dance world (which my DD was part of for three years) is pretty disgusting. Many overtly sexual costumes and dances. It disturbed both DH and me, and we started looking around for a different type program. And, thankfully, we found one. Not only is she learning more about dance (real dance...not hoochie mama dance), but there is absolutely nothing age inappropriate about the costumes or moves. At her most recent performance, for example, her group did one piece from the Fiddler on the Roof (where they danced wearing longish skirts, full blouses, head scarves and aprons). It passed even the grandma test....grandma liked it! The girls in the group also loved it.

If your child wants to dance, search out a good program...in general, that means avoiding competitive dance. Why we have to take an art form and turn it into a "competition" is beyond me. The only people getting wealthy out of competition dance are those that sponsor this insanity.

Please don't lump all competitive dance into the same category either. It's a big industry. Different studios, even different parts of the country, do things different ways. There are some very reputable studios who offer comp simply as an adjunct to the dancers training. The experience can be wonderful. In my experience, I've have seen nothing that even comes close to 'disgusting'.

 

[happygirl]

I wish they would do a natural pagent. No thrills just kids being kids.