Pageant Parenting

Last night I watched Miss Universe with my sisters. It got me thinking about my post yesterday and how a lot of  us do this pageant style parenting. I don't necessarily mean dressing our little ones up in little tutus and tuxes or in fashion wear. I mean us wanting our kids to look and act a certain way.

Its easy for us parents to really get wrapped up in the perfect 10 child. The child who dresses and looks spotless, the child who is a genius, and the child who is athletic. We say we don't need perfection from our kids just their best. But sometimes I wonder if we want what is our best and sometimes the world's best.

If you have ever watched Toddlers in Tiaras you have seen the little girls begging their moms not to put another coat of mascara on or another layer of spray tan. "But sweetie it will make your look better to the judges." The mom will sweetly say to her daughter. Do we do that as parents? Maybe not force our children to get spray tanned to the point of looking disturbingly like an Umpa Lumpa but we tell them what to do to "act" perfect.

So where do these children who aren't perfect fit. The one who's reading just comes slower and they stutter when they speak. The children who can't sit still and listen for long and school is just a struggle. What about the children who have a severe mental illness and aren't like "other" kids.

What is the perfect child anyways? Has our comparing and worrying about  how the "Judges" will rate us made us turn our children into something they are not. Do we allow to them to have creativity or do we tell them "Sweetie purple socks really don't match your green sweater you have to change before church.".  Do we look at our children with love and see all the wonderful differences and the beautiful imperfections?