I was flipping channels the other night and Lissa yells at me to "stop there!" It was one of those shows about child beauty contests and little girls dressed up like dolls. I always thought those things were weird, but, I don't make any big judgements since there must be some kid somewhere who likes it. Actually, it's the moms I find peculiar. They're always either plain as dirt or plastic surgery victims who mimic their kids routine on stage going so far as to poke and twirl their imaginary dimples. Very weird behavior. Anyhow, Lis decides she likes it. *
Now she says she wants to be a Booty-Tween. I said, are you kidding me? This is a four year old kid who thinks baths are punishment, screams when you wash her face and about has a spasm when you brush her hair. She asks if she can be a Booty-Tween, pleeease?? I say, sure. Then I put a plastic tiara on her and some blush. She looked in the mirror and said, no, not that. THAT. Points to the TV. She says she needs the dress, the shoes, the crown, the hair, the "mate-up." You buy it for me, dawma? Sure, I say.
Now she says she wants to be a Booty-Tween. I said, are you kidding me? This is a four year old kid who thinks baths are punishment, screams when you wash her face and about has a spasm when you brush her hair. She asks if she can be a Booty-Tween, pleeease?? I say, sure. Then I put a plastic tiara on her and some blush. She looked in the mirror and said, no, not that. THAT. Points to the TV. She says she needs the dress, the shoes, the crown, the hair, the "mate-up." You buy it for me, dawma? Sure, I say.
*
Because that is my job. To let her know there's a place where she is the most important person in the world and she can have whatever she wants. Dawma's are not parents, we have one job and I know what mine is. Like the time she wanted a buffalo. I said, yes, I will get you one. The next weekend when she hadn't forgotten it (she usually forgets) we went to the farm store and ask if they had buffalos. The clerk said we are fresh out of buffalos, but, we have nice plastic buffalos. We bought one and she was happy. I figured she'd forget about the Booty-Tween stuff, but, she hasn't and it's kind of weirding me out. But, I guess it won't hurt to be a beauty queen at home and take some pics. If I start twirling my dimples while yodeling..just shoot me.
Because that is my job. To let her know there's a place where she is the most important person in the world and she can have whatever she wants. Dawma's are not parents, we have one job and I know what mine is. Like the time she wanted a buffalo. I said, yes, I will get you one. The next weekend when she hadn't forgotten it (she usually forgets) we went to the farm store and ask if they had buffalos. The clerk said we are fresh out of buffalos, but, we have nice plastic buffalos. We bought one and she was happy. I figured she'd forget about the Booty-Tween stuff, but, she hasn't and it's kind of weirding me out. But, I guess it won't hurt to be a beauty queen at home and take some pics. If I start twirling my dimples while yodeling..just shoot me.
12 comments:
Awww, you are so sweet with your granddaughter(?), I'm guessing. What a terrific way to handle situations.
I have seen those kiddie beauty contests. The mothers I've seen are usually fat, not always, but usually, and I find it sad to watch these little girls put in fake teeth and have their hair bleached, etc., and walk it on the runway for all to see. It freaks me out. And the mothers doing the routines along with the girls, oh, my God, that is a sight to behold.
Maybe because of my age group, I am not inclined to teach girls they are worth whatever they convince others they are worth. Isn't it strange to everyone? I wonder what these kids will think when they get a bit older about looks or what beauty truly is.
there is a really sweet film about girl beauty queens called little miss sunshine. you should watch it together! i get the impression you might completely relate to the film and even find some similarities between your lissa and little miss sunshine.
oh fuck....blogger ate my comment!!! must be an open ID issue...
anyway, let me recall what i typed...
those mothers at those pageants are scary! they're vicariously living their beauty queen delusions thru their daughters...so so wrong....how many of those little girls have self-esteem issues when they grow up?
lissa being a booty-tween at home is something little girls do...grandma will make sure she knows that whether she is a booty-tween or not, she has unconditional love....
the title of this reminded me of the elton john doc. tantrums and tiaras, have you seen it DD? it's in my netflix queue...i saw a clip where he's flipping out over something minor having a major meltdown....
Miss Tia...
I am sitting here grinning and totally enjoying the story about Lissa wanting to be a booty-tween, tell her she is the most gorgeous one in the world and that "aunt Nadine" said so....
Pat you are so great with her, no wonder she adores you, you make all her dreams come true...even the "buffalo" one... :) a big hug to Lissa...
Nadine
Yeah, :) She's washed and ponytailed today with clean clothes because I told her that's what Beauty Queens do. This beauty queen things alright!
you should tell her that booty tweens clean up after themselves too! or would she catch on too quick to that one?? ;)
I think she's precious. A lot of little girls go through the booty-tween stage. :)
You are a great dawma DD. She really adores you for that. :)
Great work
Eliza
ps/can I have a buffalo too? :)
I am sitting here watching this very show right now and cringing. Besides the obvious, it seems that all the moms are morbidly obese and are trying to live through their kids. Why is it that the moms that could never do this on their own feel the need to live through their kids doing this? It has to border on child cruelty watching how the parents react when their kids don't win. Weird.
It is hard enough raising healthy adjusted girls, don't subject them to this. Ken
We've entered our daughters in a few local (small) pageants just for stage-presence reasons more than anything. I'm not a "pageant mom" by a long shot. I think that as long as the daughter is praised just as equally on academics, sports, etc., a pageant every so often is ok.
I totally agree with the whole moms-living-thru-their-daughters routine. I know one right now that's pushing her daughter in modeling, pageants, etc., it's downright sad. And, you can see it in their pictures. Yes...this MOM is a fat bozo who never made it as a kid or teen, much less as an adult.
What's sad is that she has 2 other (step) daughters and I THINK a son & you NEVER hear about them EVER. It's all about her ONE little girl.
I feel sorry for them all.
OH, and I entered my first pageant ever in November - they had a Miss/Mrs category so I figured "Eh, why not.." lol.
I won swimsuit AND 1st Runner Up out of 19 contestants. So, I don't think I can be included in the loser-fat-mom-wannabe category (wink).
Pageants, awards, recognition....it all needs to be BALANCED and, UP TO THE CHILD..not the wannabe' "mother" and I use the term "mother" VERY loosely.
Awwwwww you sound like a great dawma! & ur little one sounds precious. I am a pageant mom & please don't judge us all! My daughter is 7 & very well rounded. She is into everything that she chooses to be in. We started pageants because she has asthma & couldn't participate in a lot of stuff & thought it would be fun to get a trophy as it turns out she really enjoys them. We have made tons of friends & only positive experiences. She has recently wanted to do the glitz pageants & I don't see a problem in it since she wore all this stuff for her dance recitals & she knows this is not beauty- this is a performance. Its for fun. You should let her try a local fairs & festival pageant in ur area if she really wants to do one. These are natural pageants & getting to go out to represent @ the festival is a lot of fun & many friends to be made. It is not all like what you see on TV.
Yk I think a lot of it is judging. My 7yo also does tball, basketball AND horseback riding. But she ASKED me could she do pageants & I said ok but no glitz. Its something SHE thought was fun for her.
Why is it that all the mother's of these exploited young toddlers are obese? Am I the only one who see's that they are living through their daughter's since they are so fat and ugly themselves. This is a job for Child Protection!
Post a Comment