Preparing Them For a Shallow World: Irish Mum Defends Child Beauty Pageants

Recently there was a lot of uproar from the public after it was revealed that a Toddlers and Tiaras style child beauty pageant will take place in Ireland later this year.

However, the Irish Sun reports that one Irish mother has defended child beauty pageants and has admitted that she regularly enters her own young daughters into the controversial competitions. Why does she do it? Well, she believes that he’s helping her children by preparing them for a shallow world.

Leyon Merrigan has two little girls: Danika, who is 11 and Chloe who is 9. Leyon says that both girls are absolutely ‘hooked’ on kids’ pageants and that she doesn’t see anything wrong with her children wearing make-up and rocking a spray tan for the competitions because everyone else is wearing it too.

“It’s a fun day, it’s nothing too manufactured, it’s all happy – little girls being little girls,” said Ms Merrigan.

“We’re living in a society that focuses on the way you look, so if I don’t prepare them for it, who will?” she added.

Ms Merrigan admits that while the pageant dresses and make-up styles are a lot more elaborate than they used to be, there is nothing wrong with moving with the times and states that she sees no harm in dolling up her young children because “everyone else is doing it.”

“They don’t stick out because they’re wearing make-up, but then, I wouldn’t have them sticking out because they’re not,” said Ms Merrigan.

Marion Little is the woman who runs the Irish Mini Miss and Miss Teen competitions and she insists that Irish beauty pageants are nothing like the American events, where young girls are plastered in make-up and forced to wear provocative clothing.

“We’re teaching the girls etiquette. Everything that they do revolves around them, as they grow up this is how we would like them to present themselves – as ladies,” Ms Little said, speaking to TV3’s The Morning Show.

What do you think ladies? Are child beauty pageants a ‘do’ or a ‘don’t’?  Would you ever let your daughter take part in one?