Being Bonniest Baby at Butlins Led me to being a Sex Worker!

 

Ahh who the hell am I kidding?  And to be fair it was a ‘Mother and Baby’ competition, so my Mum was pretty hot back then too!

I was about three years old and in all honesty, I don’t remember a second of it, but we had a little silver cup for winning and I had that throughout my childhood and remember well, being proud of it and totally forgetting the fact that my Mum was in the competition too, as I was only interested in the fact that I won it!

 

Why, oh why, oh why, do adults have to make such a big deal and make something sexual out of something innocent?  Children like to dress up, they like pretty things that glitter and they like to pretend to be like their parents, so be prepared for the day your find your 5 year old is trying to walk in your heels, or your 3 year old son is ruining your best eye shadow, as they apply it all over their face.  Yes I found my son doing this!  I once found my panty wings stuck to his bedroom window too!  Should I have worried about that?

 

As far as I am concerned (as a Mother) if the child is enjoying the attention and likes to dress up and it is building their confidence and social skills, then what damage exactly does it do?  Here you have at least one parent, who is lavishing attention on their child and not sitting it in front of the TV, while they do whatever it is they feel is more important than their child.  These are the years of bonding and believe me if the child is happy, the bond they have with the parent/s that attend with them will be very strong.

Bless my Mother for yearly entering me into the pears soap competition and getting no where and bless my Sister for coming along and finally making her happy and making it to Carnival Queen.  I was such a Tom boy, she was never going to achieve her goals with me, but did I feel pushed, did I feel unable to say no or be myself?  Not for a minute.

People need to stop interfering; these things have been going on for decades and do no harm.   Why make a fuss now?  Where is the research that shows damaged children who have previously entered these pageants?

Oh gosh, the little tots are walking up and down blowing kisses and being told to smile by their parents!!! How awful?

 

It actually makes me quite cross.  It’s not just about beauty, otherwise why would they be asked to do an act, dance or sing etc.

You know what they will be doing next?  They will be stopping children from going to dance school, as I can assure you they often wear skimpy costumes and wear make-up, so where is the difference?

So… of course if the child doesn’t enjoy it and is obviously distressed, they should not be forced to participate, but then how many children have been forced to go to Brownies, Sunday school, swimming lessons etc?  Surely dressing up and role play is part of being a child and childhood?  It’s just another strand of how some children have fun!

If we would like to talk about child abuse, perhaps we should highlight the fact that some children get beaten, because they find it difficult to learn the kur’an!  Children that do a full days learning at school and then after school have to go to the Mosque and spend hours reciting and learning.

Or maybe we should talk about the children that come home from school hungry to no food and are left in front of the TV for hours on end, or let out to play with no knowledge of where they are or what they are doing until it gets dark?  You think these children don't exist?  Children that are either forced into situations they can not cope with or abandoned to look after themselves, because the parents can't be bothered?  Is it really so much better be ignored?

Does anyone try and help these children and threaten their parents with 2 years in prison for abusing their children?  Would they dare interfere?

We live in a sick world that has somehow turned on its head.  Things that are natural and innocent have been warped into sexual and ugly scenes, people that are enjoying consensual experiences are being victimized and stigmatized, for making choices other people don’t approve of.  Where is the equality in being told what you can and can’t do?  Where is the democracy, where anyone who does not fit in the box is said to not know their own mind?

Of course we need to care for the vulnerable and make sure that they are treated fairly and not abused, but please, can we stop looking for problems and victims where they do not exist?  Can we not treat people with a little more respect and accept that they may just not want to fit their round shape into your square box?  As long as the children are happy, as long as the consenting adult is happy, leave them to get on with their lives and get on with yours!