As the contestants walk out on stage, I find myself not able to sit still. It’s like when you go to a scary movie and you are on the edge of your seat in anticipation. I can’t look, but if I don’t look I’ll miss every minute and I don’t want to miss any of this. I just know that every girl’s mom in the audience is going through the exact same thing as me. Oh how I feel sorry for them and me. Oh the girls on stage must be so brave to go through this torture of only knowing that only one will be crowned. I wrote all my favorites in my booklet and had them scored in my own private code.

The days of preparation where costly and detail orientated. To think we argued over which dress color and interview outfit alterations for that one scary moment in time. The good thing is that all this preparation bonded us in some way. The planning and anticipation was some of the best memories I’ve had. When I read back in my booklet, it just makes me smile and know I covered it all.

The booklet I wrote is still kept in a storage box, not to be thrown away. It’s the booklet we used to make sure that we didn’t forget anything. The booklet has all the fine points of the entire pageant, time line of when to tan and all the possessions used for each category. Oh the time spent practicing and learning all sorts of tips for pageant life is precious.

How can I make this experience Fun and a great learning experience for my daughter? How can I make sure that the funds spent are used for more things than a solitary scary moment on stage? The issue of justifying the end result was in my mind constantly whether she wins or doesn’t win. I had to make sure that I made her do all the work or she wouldn’t learn from any of it. It was like a science project that you had to make you kid sit down and do.

You don’t realize how you are constantly writing notes to solve a problem before it happens. The names and numbers of contacts we met before the pageant was priceless. The Photographers, Walking Coach, Interview Consultant, Makeup Artist, Hair Stylist, Volunteer organizations and Talent consultant are all listed in my Pageant Booklet. Point of reference for new pageant moms starting out would be find an experienced pageant mom to get as much details as you can.

Every girl’s childhood memory is to be Miss America. The only problem is when they grow up, the self esteem of girls get destroyed from the media’s expectation of the perfect girl. As parents, we have to be knowledgeable of that and spend extra time repairing what is destroyed. Protecting our girls can only come from the power of education to make them stronger.

The research of all the types of pageants is endless. Some are about scholarship, talent and those with beauty. Some just want your money and the judges will decide. But the experience and the memory for me are treasured for ever. To me the most enjoyable ones are the weekend long events. My next advice is that we always forget to do, is bring snacks, because there is never enough time to sleep and eat. Take lots of notes for future details, because you too will be creating a Pageant Mom Booklet before you know it.

Friendships are bonding for girls that meet new friends at pageants. They have this hardship of the same experience that somehow helps them feel excepted. To encourage your daughter to make new friends is rewarding even though they get there and try to sum up their competition. My advice is to remember that you are your own worst enemy and to keep it fun. This is all done to get to that scary moment on stage.

The bottom line is what the judges are looking for, not the competition. You just never know what they are looking for and expecting. You only hope that they don’t see the fake nails, fake hair extensions, fake boobs, fake tan, fake eyelashes and see the inside beauty of each and every girls.

Hold your breath, cover your mouth and wait in anticipation to hear the winner announced. Live from Sugar Land Texas, I’m a Pageants mom’s booklet.