Continuing on with the network’s reputation of controversial reality shows like John and Kate Plus 8, TLC just began airing a new season of its series Toddlers in Tiaras. The show follows the lives of girls as young as the age of four through the world of glitz pageants. While parents of these girls argue that all the makeup, spray tans, fake hair and costumes boost a child’s self-esteem and confidence, many people do not agree.

These pageants cause young girls to be seen as objects by placing a value on themselves based on superficial factors. A study by the American Psychological Association found a correlation between a pre-mature emphasis on appearance and psychological problems like eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression. Family therapist, Terry Real, is very concerned with what these pageants do to young children. He says that they make children believe that, “I have worth because of what I can do, or I have worth because of my beauty.” He calls this “performance-based esteem.” He believes that children should feel they have worth because of who they are, and that the values that pageants place their emphasis on can be confusing to young kids.

Another problem with these pageants has to do with the parents. By entering their children in these contests, parents are living their lives vicariously through their children. They are also exploiting them and over sexualizing them by having them wear revealing costumes and caking on makeup.

These pageants are not only exploiting young children, they are also ridiculously expensive.  Pageant directors have admitted that families have gone into debt due to these pageants. Some have even decided to pay pageant fees before paying their rent. Mickie Wood, whose daughter Eden was featured on the TLC series, has admitted to spending $70,000 on pageant “essentials” like spray tans, coaching, professional photos, and costumes. She has also spent up to $3,000 a piece on outfits. This excessive spending teaches the girls to be materialistic.  When these children learn those types of values at a young age, it can be very difficult to change them later on in life.

Of course, not everyone feels that these pageants will do their kids any harm. It is estimated that over a quarter of a million children are entered in these contests every year. That doesn’t make it acceptable though. These children are much too young to deal with all of the pressure placed on them. Babies as young as two weeks old in some cases should not be taught to value appearance over anything else from the time they are born. Instead of wasting all their money on pageants, parents should invest in something that will help their kids have a successful future.

Related posts:

1. Is 40 really the new 20?
2. Parenting should be part of the curriculum