My DD has been involved in pagents since she was 2 1/2 (she is now 4 1/2). We do roughly 4-6 pageants a yr and recently took 6 month off. Here is why we took off... DD made it the the national finals for a pageant system. We had ot stay the weekend. The fist day she had a lot of fun. The second day (the day of the competition)she didn't want to go onstage until after her time was up. I really thought the only problem was no family could make it and she as always use to having DH, DS and my mother in the audience. While we were getting ready for the party that evening she fell asleep and it was apparent she was not feeling well (it wasn't until this itme she started showing signs of not feeling well). In her 3yr old mind it was the pageant that made her sick (she had a mild UTI). I waited 3 months and she still wasn't interested so I was preparing to sell all her pageant wear. Just sop happened one of the talk shows was having a show on pageants one morning and she walked in as I was watchign it. Well she had the "pageant bug" again and we have started out slowly. This past weekend our only goal was for her to smile on stage (she won best smile). The pageant beofre that is was just to get on stage. Her next one is in Feb and our goal is for her to not look at her feet, me etc during her "walks". I have learned what peageant lines are good and schich are not. The last one we did is a scollarship fund. 2 of the judges were former winners attending college thanks to the pageants. One line we do does not allow false eyelashes, hair extensions etc (nor does the scollarship one). the 3rd does allow them but for 10 and up (not that we would ever use them). Our typical pagreant wardrobe cost less than what some of the mothers spend on one dress. I buy second had (usually Ebay) sew it myself or buy something plain and decorate it myself. I avoid the pageants that are more "copetition" than fun. DD does get a lot out of them. She was (and still is ) a tomboy. She can now at least act like a little girl when needed (ie church). Many systems do a lot of comunity work such as going to nursing homes, animal shelters etc. Just like all little league teams aare not bad neither are all pareants. You just need to do a lot of leg work and find the good ones. BTW the pageant DD went to nationals...In the pageant she won to qualify to go to nationals she beat 2 "big name girls" from the very glitzy pageants. I kept DD away from the nastiness of these 2 women who were so upset their daughters didn't the went after the director and the judges (verbally). I believe they were banned for "life" from this system. DD also participates in gymnastics and soccer. If she wanted to drop pageants then we would no questions asked. Her stuff would soon go up on E bay and that would be that.

They are so subtle you can't even see them unless you are sitting/standing right next to me. I can't really see them in the photo of that girl's hair either.

My DIL wore them for years,as she had brain cancer and where they cut her hair off,it never returned because of the scar,and what hair did come in on the rest of her head was sparse..This past year she has gone to full wigs though. kathi

@1929Spanish- I understand your position and agree with it. One of my best friends, her nieces are being raised with a staunchly "anti-girly" viewpoint. They aren't allowed to watch Disney movies, play dress up, wear girly clothes, etc. This is also not healthy! There is NOTHING wrong about caring about your appearance or wanting to make sure you look your best. It's when those wants and desires supercede anything else that it becomes a problem. When your sole, or at least primary focus becomes WHAT you look like instead of WHO you are. For me, I've got 4 daughters. I have always told my daughter's that makeup and hair is just for fun. To dress up. I also LIVE this reality by NOT wearing makeup or styling my hair in a fancy way on a daily basis. It helps that both my mother and my mother in law are the same way. We "dress up" for special occasions but on a daily basis, we don't spend an inordinate amount of time on our looks. We are clean and groomed, but not made up. My oldest is almost 13 and doesn't care at all about makeup/hair or clothes!! I have to remind her of basic grooming!! My next 2, 11 and 9 love to play dress up and get fancy and they are allowed to go hog wild with makeup, at home or on the weekends. They aren't allowed to wear it to school or out in public and they don't fight me on it either. Right now, they know it's fine and FUN but...the message I try to drive home at all times...at least so far it SEEMS I'm doing a good job of, is that, yes, makeup properly applied DOES make you look better, that's the whole point of it!! BUT...we don't NEED it to interact with others. We don't NEED others to gauge us on our looks.