When you think back to your childhood, what comes to mind? For most people, their response would be to play with dolls, go out, or have sleepovers, but for others, that's not reality. Britney, an eight-year-old from California, spent her childhood receiving Botox and competing in child beauty pageants. According to her mother, Britney complained of wrinkles and agreed to try Botox. This sounds absolutely crazy, but it's not uncommon. More than 250,000 children participate in beauty pageants each year (Lindsey). These children, who begin competing at the age of 2, are judged on their appearance, abilities, perfection and confidence. Controversies over these pageants have arisen in recent years because of the TLC reality show, Toddlers and Tiaras (Nussbaum). Many think it's not normal for young children to parade on stage wearing makeup and inappropriate clothing, while others believe it builds children's confidence. Despite what proponents of child beauty pageants say, these pageants can have major effects on the children who participate in them. It can be argued that these girls gain a lot more than they lose, but ultimately the negative effects far outweigh the positives. In the 1920s, when beauty pageants began, the main reason for these pageants was to attract tourists. At the time, Atlantic City, New Jersey was a popular tourist resort. To attract more business to the city, they came up with the idea of ​​a fall competition. The town found sponsors to represent these young women, and a panel of judges would decide the most beautiful bather in America (Alter 2). Since that time, beauty pageants have become an important part of today's society. Beauty contests for children... middle of paper ...... and makeup. Beauty pageants are linked to a huge variety of negative effects. These kids are trying to be someone they're not. The effects on these children can worsen quickly and affect them for the rest of their lives. When a parent registers their child for a competition for the first time, they do not think about the negative consequences it could have on their child. No parent wants to experience the tragedy that the Ramsey family experienced. Even if some children gain something from these competitions, the majority of them suffer harm. The effects of these pageants range from eating disorders and body image issues to social and psychological problems. If these competitions are not regulated in the near future, our young children will suffer from growing too quickly. When will people understand that looks aren't everything and that we should let kids be kids ??