Parents are supposed to support their children in everything they do no matter if they win or lose. Parents are not supposed to reward a child for winning and punish them for losing. This puts a lot of unnecessary stress on the child. Many young children lack the maturity to handle the pressures of these tough competitions. No matter if you are three months old or twenty-three years old, pageants put an enormous amount of pressure on an individual.
Most beauty pageants tend to be very superficial, which is why pageants receive bad reputations.
However, there are numerous organizations, such as Miss America and the National Pre-Teen Corporation, that stress other aspects such as personal interview, talent, community involvement, current events, social issues, education, scholastic achievement, etc. I completely support pageants like these which reward girls and young women for achievements because they do not take away childhood and young adulthood, but rather encourage the development of future leaders and role models. These qualities in young women certainly deserve recognition and warrant merit. Another reward for being a beauty pageant winner is getting to meet famous people, making guest appearances, and having people ask you for your autograph. I was also invited to New Jersey's capital, Trenton, to meet with Governor Christine Todd Whitman.