Child Beauty Pageants Pros and Cons

Some pageant parents don't adequately prepare their kids for pageants, so the girls don't really know what to expect.

If they don't win, they might take it personally and get hurt feelings. The child might end up feeling unattractive or inadequate in some other way.

Child pageants are also time consuming. To be competitive in the larger pageants, contestants have to spend hours practicing their smile, their walk, and their turns.

The day of the pageant, the child has to spend time in a chair for hair and makeup. Tanning will likely be involved, too.

Child pageants can be very expensive, too, and the entry fee is just the tip of the iceberg. Appropriate child pageant dresses are costly.

You'll also need the right shoes, socks, choker, and hair bow to compliment the dress.

Wigs, wiglets, and/or hair pieces will have to be purchased if you compete in the "Glitz Pageants", along with a flipper to create that perfect smile.

You'll likely have to pay someone to do the contestant's hair, makeup, and tanning, too. I have detailed some of the most common child beauty pageant costs and fees lower down on this page for your reference.

Sometimes pageant moms can be pretty nasty. A handful of pageant parents think their daughter should always win.

When they don't, the parent might blame the judges, the director, or even the other contestants. Thank goodness though, not many parents are like the stereotypes often seen on a certain TV show to make it more 'entertaining' for viewers.

Beauty pageants and self-image often go hand in hand.

Pageants can be a wonderful experience for children. For one thing, they get comfortable being in front of crowds.

This can carry over into a multitude of other activities, like dance, drama, music recitals, and future public speaking.

A pageant girl usually learns to be comfortable in front of strangers, giving her self-confidence a big boost.

The majority of child pageants and pageant parents work toward creating a sense of camaraderie among the contestants.

The kids play together backstage, and the parents often help each other. Some contestants have made lifelong friends at pageants.

When parents have the right attitude, the children will, too.

In these cases, child pageants can teach kids to be gracious winners and good losers. They'll learn the aspects of rules and fair play.

Pageants can be a lot of fun for kids. Most pageants sell foods that kids love, including pizza, hot dogs, popcorn, candy, and other snacks.

Some of the larger pageants also provide backstage activities for the kids, and a few even have costumed characters interact with the younger girls.

Apart from the child pageant prizes of cash and savings Bonds, the best pageant systems offer all kinds of other prizes and goodies.

These pageant prizes vary according to which child pageant systems you enter, but might include plush animals, bicycles, jewelry, toys, savings bonds, cameras, DVD players, gift certificates, televisions, flowers, kid-themed furniture, and luggage, along with the usual trophies, crowns, and sashes.

In most pageants, all the younger girls will receive something for just competing.

This might be a goodie bag, a trophy, a toy, a stuffed animal, or candy.

You could also make sure that you have some planned gifts or favorite treats on hand just in case you need to compensate your little girl for having a losing day in a contest.

Girls who enjoy competing in pageants usually love dressing up and feeling special.

Many state that they feel like princesses when they're in their pageant attire and are at the center of attention.

In this case, beauty pageants increase self-confidence.

Kids also enjoy the one-on-one time they spend with their moms, working together as a team.

Child beauty pageants pros and cons depend largely on you, as the parent.

You have the capacity to make competing in a pageant a positive experience for your child, or to make it a miserable time for your daughter.

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Being a serious pageant contender isn't cheap. If you wish to be competitive, you'll have to spend a considerable amount of money.

Please keep in mind that the below costs are an average for items you might need for a full-glitz pageant. You might spend more or less on a particular item.

Pageant dress -

This will be your biggest single expense, and it's perhaps the most important. Most serious pageant princesses wear a dress that has been custom made just for them.

A custom-made dress will fit the child perfectly, and there won't be another one just like it on the pageant circuit. Such a dress will cost around $2,500 and usually comes with a matching hair bow and choker.

Shoes -

White Mary Janes will cost about $20-$25. Choose shoes with about a half-inch heel and dark soles. You can find these at most any shoe store or department store.

Socks -

White lace ankle socks can be found for $10-$12 a pair. Double this price - you'll need an extra pair on hand. These socks can be found at just about any children's clothing stores or boutiques.

Hair bow -

If the bow doesn't come with the dress, expect to spend around $15 to buy one with stones. You might prefer to purchase a plain bow and dye it yourself to match your child's pageant dress. If so, be sure to add a few rhinestones.

Choker -

A matching choker usually comes with the pageant dress. If it doesn't, you can buy one for around $15 or create your own.

Earrings -

Most little girls wear small pierced earring studs. These are often AB stones, or something similar, and will cost about $20. The best place to find these is online or at a pageant shop.

Pageant pin or crowning pin -

This is a small pin, usually in the form of a crown. Most are adorned with rhinestones. Use this to pin the contestant number on your child's dress.

The pageant will supply a straight pin for this purpose, but the crowning pin looks much more "polished." A typical crowning pin costs about $15.

Buy two so that you'll have an extra. You can buy crowning pins online.

Swimwear -

Custom-made pageant swimwear will cost $150-$200. If you're handy, you can buy a bathing suit off the rack and decorate it yourself by adding ruffles, bows, stones, pom-poms, or other embellishments. You'll save a lot of money by creating your own swimwear.

Casual wear -

Casual wear outfits vary widely in price. A national level glitz outfit usually hits the $350 mark.

If you're creative, you might want to come up with your own ideas for casual wear outfits. This can be a really fun activity to enjoy with your daughter, and you'll save money, too.

Costume wear -

Costume wear can also vary a lot, depending on how elaborate the outfit is. If you have one custom made, it will run about $250.

Wiglets and falls -

Expect to pay around $50 for a wiglet. Falls are more expensive and generally cost $225 each.

Flipper -

Most flippers are ordered online and generally cost around $250.

Hair stylist -

Usually, the same person who does the hair will also do the makeup. For both at a national pageant, the cost is $250. If you have only the hair done, the price will be about $125.

Makeup artist -

For makeup only, expect to pay $125 at a national glitz pageant.

Tanning -

Tanning is a must for glitz pageants. If you have this done, expect to pay about $25.

Modeling lessons/pageant coach -

Pageant coaches and modeling coaches with good reputations and winning results usually charge $100 an hour for lessons.

For smaller children, the coach might agree to do a 30-minute lesson for $50.

Entry fees -

Pageant fees are all over the place when it comes to entry fees. A local pageant might charge $75-$100, while a big state or national pageant might charge as little as $300 up to as much as $1,000.

Part of the price of the fee depends on how many optional categories you enter.

Photos -

Most glitz pageant photos are enhanced into "glamour shots," and most serious contestants like to have two different looks. This will usually cost between $ 500 and $600, total.

Nails -

Yes, nails are important, too! In a glitz pageant, the judges will be looking for the "total package."

A French manicure will cost between $20 and $25. Little girls shouldn't wear long fingernails in a pageant. The nails should not exceed the tips of her fingers.

If the child is entering the swimwear competition or is wearing shoes in another event in which her toes will be seen, she'll also need a pedicure with French tips. This is another $20-$25. To save money on manicures and pedicures, do them yourself.

Small fingernails can be purchased for $7 a set. If your child's real nails are adequate, just file them smoothly and apply the white French manicure line with a paint pen. Once the white paint is dry, coat the nail with clear polish.

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