I've always thought that beauty pageants are so weird. These moms are basically forcing their kids into them and trying to live vicariously through their kids winning pageants.
probably the same as fathers pushing their sons into sports
Sexualization in child beauty pageants
A child beauty pageant is a beauty contest where contestants are usually under 16 years of age. There does not appear to be reliable statistics about the number of these pageants held each year around the world. They vary in style, and categories may include a talent segment as well as costume and theme wear. Contestants often wear makeup, fake teeth, false eyelashes, lipstick, elaborate hairstyles with hair extensions, and specially designed, sometimes provocative, outfits. Spray tanning and waxing are also common
outlook on the contests. Social worker Mark Sichel believes that many mothers "push their daughters into pageants because of their own low self-esteem, or as compensation for a perceived lack of attention and admiration in their own lives". As a result of these mother's constant pushing, many of these young girls feel as if they let their mothers down by losing. To pull from a fathers point of view, an internet blog, "The Father Factor", has an interesting perspective on the topic of child beauty