Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
(okay....so I just worked on this post for....ummmmm 45 minutes and lost it all as I published it....so I am feeling a bit pissy at the moment. I am not sure I can handle doing it again.....arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, but I will try!)
Last night I was watching a little show called, "America's got talent". I don't see it all the time, but this season I have caught it once or twice. A sweet little honey caught my eye, and I have been rather conflicted over her participation. Kaitlyn Maher is barley four years old, and captured the hearts of America with her audition. I have to admit....it brought a few tears to my eyes. As some of you know, I am a tad over sensitive at times though. All it takes is for an ambulance or a fire truck to pass me with their sirens blaring to send my throat into constriction, and my tears into overdrive.
Anyhow, as I observed her lovely performance where she sang an amazingly cute rendition of "beauty and the beast" I just couldn't help but feel pangs of anxiety. As the judges spoke to her, those pangs increased dramatically. Even though the judges spoke in such a way, as to be kind and thoughtful, they were still telling a four year old child that she should NOT continue in this competition. It looked to me as she was confused, and a bit sad, but she muttered a weak, "thank you" and went on her way.
I have no doubt that Kaitlyn enjoys singing. She is fabulous, and probably the most courageous four year old I have ever seen. Sugar Bear loves to sing as well, and sometimes she can look rather convincing, as in this photo from last September (2.5 years old),
but in no way do I think children this young can comprehend the complexities of a show like this, and not feel the pressure, or the disappointment involved with elimination. :( It breaks my heart to hear her little voice say, "because I practiced hard" as the reason she should be allowed to continue in the competition. Is she capable of understanding the explanation of "you just can't compete with the other adults" as the reason she didn't win, or will she think she should have practiced harder? sigh.
Please give me your thoughts on this subject. I'd love for any one of you to help me feel a great deal better about all this. I know that she was eliminated tonight, but I didn't watch. I couldn't bare to see it happen to her.
26 Live It or Love It:
I read a headline about the judges being a little harsh with her and I couldn't even go to the article it made me so sad and uncomfortable. There is no way I could watch it for real.
I have to say that I think she is too young to really understand it all. And my mommy heart couldn't take the rejection any better I'm sure.
LOVE the pic of Sugar Bear.
I saw it too. It was awesome, I can't believe the one judge tried to explain to her LIFE...come on..she's 4.. I couldn't even get out there like that.
Wait let me say this again.. She was awesome..not the judge.
I didn't see it, but did see the headline as well (and didn't read it). There is no way a 4-year old should be in the same competition as adults. My last daughter will be four in Dec. She is a bright little thing, but would not understand the concept of competition and rejection. It is insane the parents put her through this. (Sugar looks great singing...)
OK, don't shoot me, but isn't ANYONE thinking that the child's parents are a complete disgrace for putting her up for that kind of thing?? I think the judges were absolutely right to not allow such a young child to proceed to the later rounds, where inevitably, she would have been voted off eventually. I feel terrible for that child, but mainly because her parents have put her in that situation in the first place. Not the act of a nurturing and caring parent. I think it's totally self serving.
I don't think a 4 year old should be in an adult competition. That's mho. I think it is irresponsible.
There are some beautiful singers in children. If you want your child to make a career with their beautiful voice, nurture the voice, get a good coach, wait, let them mature, let them be children, let them grow.
If they are still good in mid teens, then enter. Not at 4 year old. That's what I think.
DS-Kid asks me all the time if he can enter Britain's Got Talent. As beautiful as his voice is to me, I know he will not win. Yes we need our children to learn they cannot be good at everything, or win everything, but not on national TV.
Just read suzy2110 - I am right with her in that opinion. She said it better than me.
TOTALLY agree with Suzy too! I couldn't EVER think of doing that to Pooh Bear. They're so young and impressionable and it's sad that these parents take advantage of that especially on NATIONAL TV!
I watched her first audition and I haven't watched the show since. Not really because of that but because it just doesn't hold my interest like it used to. I'm not sure how I feel about a child that young participating. I'm sure she won't become a sociopath because of it but I'm torn like you and wonder how much she understands and what kind of sense she makes of that rejection.
I love Sugar's eyes in that photo. They are so blue and the only thing on her face that is visible!
I'd vote for her, for sure! Does she know how talented her mama is, too?
Although I've never seen the show - I read about it and can only shake my head. And ditto to Suzy.
Sugar Bear? SO DA BOMB!
I didn't see it, but I don't think I would even LET my little 4 year old in such a competition! I blame the parents! But I feel SO sorry for that little girl!
And, actually, the officials shouldn't have let her compete. There should be a minimum age to avoid such things!
she's too young!
Way too young - very cute - but sustain a Vegas showroom night after night after night for 90 minutes??
What are her parents thinking???
I definitely think she is way too young to be subjected to that.
I am not sure what the parents were even thinking of allowing her to audition for that show.
I saw her when she first auditioned, but haven't watched it since. She does sing well for a four year old. But come on, there should be a minimum age for shows like that.
oh, cute SB pic! She looks like she knows what she is doing with that mic.
I didn't see it, but it makes my stomach ache just thinking about it. I would not do that to a 4 year old, not in an adult competition on national t.v.
IMHO her parents made a huge mistake.
Oh, she is SO CUTE! But I agree...it breaks my heart. It's not right to put a kid through that. I think her parents are wrong to put that kind of pressure on her...just let her be a little kid that sings in the shower and to her baby dolls! Based on that clip, it actually sounded like the judges had the right idea - she's a doll, but the competition is too much for a kid!
She didn't get sent home, she made it into the top 10!
But, I don't think it's fair to her or the other contestants. Although she's cute, she's not as talented as the adults and that's a given. And I don't think it's fair that she's judged like they are.
Kids can personalize anything. I think things like this are more difficult than others since it relates directly to something that she's doing. I doubt I'd send The Bean to participate in something like this. She needs to be older and tougher before dealing with that kind of thing.
It drives me crazy to see things like this. The little kids are so adorable, but there is no way that they are going to win. They are there for ratings -- just like the people who can't sing -- and it's not fair. In fact I think it's rather exploitive. The children lack the capacity to understand why all that hard work doesn't pay off.
I just read an article on Yahoo this morning that she did make it to the top ten.
I agree that it is not right for her parents to have her in an adult competition. I mean really, the winner performs in Vegas. She is cute, but she is not a Vegas act and the repercussions on her aren't worth it. Her parents should have just video taped her and put it on You Tube. She would be a cute little hit!
i only got half way through the article...it just killed me.
i think you truly expressed your thoughts beautifully!
i am late getting out to see all of the Photo Friday Stories...better late than never i would have hated to miss this!
Have a great weekend,
Mamarazzi
okay it would be really easy, as i just woke up and am not really in "ma' mode" yet, to just agree with suzy an all the other suzy-agree-ers.
but you know that's not my m.o....
really, this is a tough life. how else are we to truly prepare our children for the real world unless we throw them to the wolves at the earliest opportunity? suck it up, little girl, it's a scary world out there, and if you're ever going to make it you gotta learn to be told you're not good enough. here i'll do it : "you're not good enough!"
oh AND, life is soooo cheap, that you really should have ample resources to pay for an extensive (30 years?) course of psychotherapy. mmmmm....that's good neurosis!!!
(but really, i think that mom's a complete moron!)
You have one little cutie there!
I have never watched this show - maybe I spend too much time bloging!
I haven't watched that show, but having kids that young on doesn't seem like a good idea. Sure some of them are very, very talented, but like you pointed out - can they really comprehend being on a stage like that and what it all means?
I love your picture first of all. :)
As for the lovely child singing on stage on TV for the first time at the tender age of 4 years old, no she doesn't understand what's happening. And I would be worried that her self esteem will take a really hard hit when she realizes she's not continuing. I hope her parents are up for the support she will need to recover.
We've been watching this show all season - and even though I think that this little girl is absolutely adorable, and sings better than any 4-year-old I could imagine, this is so not the place for her to be competing. You can see how freaked out she looks when the judges talk to her - and you can tell that she's been coached just to answer 'thank you' to everything they say. She is an amazing singer - but why would her parents even want their 4-year-old daughter to headline in Vegas? So not the place for a child. Sigh.
She did make it to the top 10 though, so it'll be interesting to see what happens from here.
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