Toddlers and Tiaras- How can any parent be ok with this?

Watching this segment with Anne Curry on the Today Show this morning gave me the shivers.

I don’t care what these mothers' say…. I don’t really believe that these kids really enjoy all this beauty hoopla. I think the mother’s pressure them into it and that it is a sick and twisted way to live vicariously through their children. I only say this because while never a beauty queen, I was a ballet dancer at one of the most prestigious and elite ballet academies in the United States- School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center. I met more stage mother’s there who constantly pressured their daughters to be ballerinas- daughters who eventually out grew it and had no desire anymore to pursue dance, yet the Mom’s still dragged them kicking and screaming with bleeding toes and dance bags stuffed with tights, leotards, pointe shoes, hair pins, and carrot sticks to the David Rose Building on 66th and Broadway. The movie Center Stage does an excellent job portraying the mother/daughter dynamic I am speaking of. Thankfully, my mother was one of the rare parents who never forced me into the bun head world, I just happened to love it.

But I know first hand that what seems all glamorous and fabulous has consequences. For one thing, while certainly not the only thing, ballet played a huge role in the onset of my eating disorder with the pressure to be skinny and the pressure to be perfect. And now TV networks are producing Television shows such as this documentary – (link pasted below) promoting little girls parading around in make up and heels and competing in beauty pageants as young as three.

http://wbztv.com/entertainment/beauty.pagents.toddlers.2.918747.html

I think this is disgusting, unworthy of any kind of endorsement by any television network or advertiser, irresponsible parenting, and well, just down right creepy. I was appalled looking at all of these kids on the couch in their ridiculous make up and sexy outfits that are completely inappropriate. Exploiting our children in this manner does not give them confidence, poise, self esteem, grace, and all this other bullshit their stupid ass mothers’ claim. It is not cool. It is setting them up to be a magnet for sexual predators. Does anyone remember this deceased little beauty queen in the picture above? That's all I have to say to prove my point in the Gospel According to Michele Christine.

The love of my life

I'm in love. The problem is he's too young for me! I am referring to my darling nephew Zachie. At almost two, he is starting to talk and recognize me when I go to my brother's to babysit, as I did last night.

Being in the company of my brother and his son is always an adventure. My brother is extremely obsessive compulsive from everything to his socks to what goes in his kid's mouth. My mother told me this morning that he is concerned he is developing a New York accent and wants to enroll him in speech therapy. Aiye! But All and all, he's a very doting daddy.

My brother was trying to get Zachie to say Michele, but he always calls me Mi Mi. Say Michele, Zachie he orders. Bro- he's 1.5- let him call me Mi Mi if he wants to. Well, I don't want him to get into the habbit of baby talk and use the real words and names for people and things. Dude, he's a baby! Cut him a break. I think big bro could benefit from some Paxil. Just kidding!

As I was laying Zachie down to sleep, he clutched his blanket that I knit him. I said Zachie, who made you that blankie? He rubbed it against his cheek, grinned at me from ear to ear and said... MI MI! Then, he blew me a kiss. It was so endearing, I nearly started crying.

As he continues to mature in childhood, I pray that he will be safe and no one will hurt him.