A few weeks ago I came across an article about a mother who gave her 8-year-old beauty pageant competing daughter, a lovely gift of Botox.

Well, why not? It makes perfect sense to give an 8-year-old Botox because she definitely needs to get rid of her wrinkles that she doesn’t have. Oh wait…never mind.

Shows like “Toddlers & Tiaras” and “Little Miss Perfect” really tick me off. The parents on that show are all control freaks that spend their child’s college funds on sparkly tutus and force their kids to practice routines and speeches for hours. I think they should all go to jail for child neglect and bad hairstyles.

Every episode the little girl cries because her parent forced her to practice her twirls or rehearse her walk when all she really wants to do is play outside in the dirt like normal kids.

These kids are going to have serious psychological issues when they grow up.

“A child, especially a female that is going to pay so much attention to her looks and that knows she is being assessed for it, is very prone to develop eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia,” said psychotherapist and clinical psychologist, Lucia Grosaru. She also said these pageants can cause hysteric behaviors and anxiety.

These little girls are spray-tanned, plucked, waxed, and primped. Parents stick on false eyelashes and fake teeth, add on some hair extensions, and finish them off by dipping them in makeup.

An 8-year-old doesn’t even have hair to wax yet, let alone any blemishes to cover up.

But what’s even more insane is the amount of money these parents spend on clothing for the pageants. Thousands of dollars are spent on tiny extravagant dresses that are only worn once. On “Toddlers & Tiaras,” the mother of 7-year-old Karmen said she will spend “anywhere from $1,800 to $3,000” for custom made dresses.” Most of the families on the show aren’t exactly wealthy; I’m pretty sure that money should be going to more important things – oh, say like food, or the electricity bill, or college for when the kids aren’t so cute anymore.

These pageants are disgusting, and the TV shows are disgusting, and I believe that no one should watch the show. According to Neildsen ratings, the most recent episode of “Toddlers & Tiaras” had 1.15 million viewers. Over a million people are bystanders to the cruel treatment of little girls. By watching the show, you increase the show’s views, the shows stay on air, gets more money and film can more episodes of little girls having their lives taken away.

My opinion? Put an age limit on beauty pageants for the daughters, and require parenting lessons for their moms.