Introduction
Beauty pageants are a common type of competition. Contestants often present different looks and skills, such as singing or dancing, in front of a panel of judges and often an audience. Today’s debate question focuses on whether children should be allowed to enter beauty pageants. Let’s see what Henry and Ashley think about this topic.



Constructive Debater 1 Henry
Children should be allowed to enter beauty pageants. Beauty pageants teach children self-confidence and pride. Kids also have to learn a skill to present in front of an audience. Some beauty pageants even ask contestants to answer questions to test their knowledge and public speaking skills. Lastly, friends and family enjoy watching their little ones get dressed up and shine on stage.



Constructive Debater 2 Ashley
Children should not be allowed to enter beauty pageants. They should not worry about how they look at such a young age. Moreover, we should not be teaching children to compete against each other’s physical appearance. Pageants also require a lot of work and training. Kids should be playing, not worrying about pageant preparation. We should encourage them to participate in spelling bees, soccer tournaments, or science fairs instead.



Rebuttal Debater 1 Henry
Pageant preparation is fun! Yes, it requires a lot of work, but so does preparation for spelling bees, soccer tournaments, and science fairs. Kids enjoy getting dressed up, so they will definitely enjoy preparing for a pageant. It is natural for people to worry about how they look. Many people are concerned about their physical appearance at a young age. Therefore, beauty pageants are not abnormal.



Rebuttal Debater 2 Ashley
Preparation for events such as spelling bees, soccer tournaments, or science fairs is different from that for a beauty pageant. Beauty pageants focus on a child’s physical appearance. However, those other events focus on their intelligence, athleticism, and teamwork. It is much healthier for kids to focus on developing their intelligence or athleticism. Too much focus on physical appearance can be damaging to young minds.



Judge’s Comments
Ashley wins. Henry generalized all children in one of his statements. He said, “Kids enjoy getting dressed up, so they will definitely enjoy preparing for a pageant.” First, not all kids enjoy getting dressed up. Second, just because a child likes to dress up does not mean that he or she will enjoy preparing for a pageant.

Karen Lee