Beauty Pageant Tips
for Little Girls
If your little girl loves playing dress-up and performing in front of an audience, she may be interested in entering a child beauty pageant. Supporters of child beauty pageants believe that pageants help girls develop poise, confidence and public speaking skills. Your daughter is more likely to enjoy a pageant if you emphasize that it's about having fun and trying hard, instead of competition.
Choosing a Talent
Many child beauty pageants have a talent section. Choose a talent your daughter enjoys and feels confident about, such as singing, playing an instrument, dancing or performing a gymnastics routine. Practice the talent routine regularly, but emphasize fun and effort, not perfection. Reward and praise your daughter for trying hard, whether or not she performs her routine flawlessly.
Finding an Outfit
Read the pageant rules before you look for an outfit; most pageants have a strict dress code. Pageant dresses cost hundreds of dollars, but you can save money by renting or borrowing dresses, buying secondhand dresses or buying inexpensive dresses and adding rhinestones and other details. Let your daughter help pick out the dress; she'll feel more confident and have more fun in a dress she loves.
Helping Her Relax
Beauty pageants are often tense and stressful, but helping your daughter relax will enable her have more fun. Make sure she understands the competitive aspect of the pageant, such as what the judges do; but encourage her to try hard instead of pressuring her to win.
Bring her favorite books or games to play with before the pageant to help her stay calm. Afterward, congratulate her and celebrate with a family dinner or special dessert, regardless of how she did.
Warning
Critics argue that beauty pageants overemphasize the value of physical appearance by teaching young girls that being pretty is more important than anything else. In addition, pageants contribute to the sexualization of young girls by dressing them in makeup, high heels and bathing suits.
Outfitting young girls in false teeth and hair extensions also teaches them that natural beauty is not enough. In addition, pageants can be very stressful for some children, especially if their parents have high expectations for them.
