Draft

Princess and the Pea: Diary of a Pageant Mumma 

Spring is here in pageant land and we are in the mist of national finals, internationals and as many Easter eggs as you can handle! My Facebook is full of charity events to attend but of course being a pageant mum, you have another checklist before you can sashay away to the event crowned up! Sunday’s are my mumma days, when Pea is at her dad’s so you can chuck all the pageant activities you want at me, but other days I have to see if I can bring my little pageant princess. Pageant events are always accepting, as most don’t want to see my face, but Penelope’s!! I’ve come to terms with this! But recently I was invited to attend a local event but was denied entry because of having Penelope, of course being the prepared pageant queen I am, I double checked beforehand, but it could have been an embarrassing situation! 

As I prepare for my International finals in June, whilst hot gluing my national wear and preparing Penelope’s FIRST birthday celebrations (where did the time go?!), I sat down and talked to other pageant mumma’s to ask their experiences on how that juggled motherhood with competing and even directing! We have Natalie Moloney who is a Ms Atlantic Finalist and Director of Miss Voluptuous, Georgia Holmes, who is the current Young European International Mrs, Leah Wright, Miss Scotland Supreme 2018, Lauren Sexton, who is Miss Voluptuous Ambassador and Natasha Neckles, Ms Pure International UK. It’s nice to share these experiences with other pageant queens, who have dealt with tantrums and meltdowns during pageant events and what motherhood brings to the crown.

Talk me through a typical week in the life of a pageant mumma? 

Natalie: My typical week is pageant packed because I’m also a Director! Whilst my little people are at school, I spend Monday through Thursday catching up with emails, applications, conducting interviews and scheduling posts on social media, and Fridays are for updating the Websites and Pageant forum. I tend to research local and national events for my titleholders Lauren and Katie so it’s a really good opportunity to look out for appearances for me as a contestant too! I spend my evenings once the children are in bed on Pinterest getting inspiration on wardrobe, blocking out my personal diary and working on my platform projects. 

Georgia: A typical week for me consists of me making sure the boys are ready for school and taking them to school before I head off to work. The kids are in after school club Monday and Friday until myself or my husband finishes work, and very lucky to have my mum and husband to have the kids if I need to make a weekday appearance. The weekends are filled with pageant activities or family activities so we get the best of both worlds.

Leah : Being a pageant mum is no different from just being a mum. I am a single mum of 2 girls Lauren and Emily and work full time for myself as a childminder. My youngest daughter competes in pageants whilst my eldest competes her ponies. After work every day we head to the stables to care for and ride the horses. This is rain, hail or shine but we love it! Weekends bring the madness of pageants and ponies whether it be appearances for myself and Emily, representing the United Kingdom Supreme Pageant System or shows. It’s always hectic and stressful but wouldn't have it any other way.

Lauren: When it's a normal business week, its mummy duties, making sure everything is done and I will catch up on social media once my son is in bed. When it comes to pageant duties It can be completely different. Since I have to travel ferry first, I can be away from my family for a long time so I like to facetime them to show everything is ok and catch up. I travel with my sister queen Katie, who is also a mum, where we change from everyday mums to pageant queens with a message. 

Natasha: A typical week in the life of a pageant mum can be a little crazy! It's all about organization and extreme time management. My daughters are 10 and 2 so in between school, ballet, singing lessons and playgroup, I like to make lists!!! Firstly, I check Facebook for upcoming local events and synch appropriate events with my diary. I will also message the event pages directly to see if they would like any help with their preparations etc. I will also check the local newspapers to see what's going on near me.

How do you find the time to juggle appearances and being a parent? Any tips for new pageant mums? 

Natalie: I am really lucky in the sense that I am self-employed and my children are school age, but time together as a family is still extremely important to me, so I tend to combine appearances with family days out so long as it’s both appropriate, and of course fun for my partner and children! I have learned to really focus on meaningful, quality appearances that fall in to one of three categories; PR, Platform or Pageant Events. I find that having a good mix of these types of appearance not only creates a clearer personal brand, but also reads with more continuity and more thoughtfully in an appearance folder! The only other top tip would be to make sure you have a solid support network - I am super lucky that Sam is so willing to not only attend all of the pageant events, but to get involved with helping my prep, too. 

Georgia: I liked to be really organized and we have a family calendar at home, with mine, my husbands and the kids events throughout the month so I’m not double booked or missing any important dates. I also have a pageant calendar with my Wiltshire queen’s so I can see what events are going on! If the event is child friendly, my boys will come along

Leah : We arrange appearances for weekends so both girls can follow their own hobbies. Because myself and Emily both do pageants and represent the same system, we can attend events together and still have family time.

Lauren: Finding your own balancing act takes some getting used to. However, I have been competing for several years. I am a mum (of one) work full time and currently doing a BA hons in business management so time management is my thing. I plan most of my appearances around my son, and sometimes he comes along so we can enjoy the events as a family. He always reminds me of upcoming events and tells me to stand straight! 

Natasha: Finding the time to compete and do appearances is really hard, but us mums are warriors!! I got back into pageants in November 2018 after a 4-year break and I'm not going to lie it was super tough! As I have 2 children my focus this year is to include my girls in as many appearances as I can. This gives me more flexibility in my diary without worrying about childcare.  It’s always a good idea to go prepared with lots of snacks and activities for your kids......if they are anything like mine they can never have too many snacks or stickers. There are of course exceptions to this and situations where a tantrummy toddler are less welcome, so make sure you know exactly what is expected of you at each appearance.

Tell us a favourite pageant moment with your children?

Natalie: When I was preparing to hand over my National Title in February 2018, my six-year-old son burst into tears and told me he was really sad I wouldn’t be the Queen any more. We both had a little cry; it was the first time I realized that he truly understood how much it meant to me and the reasons for being involved with pageantry in the first place. It was a really poignant moment! Both of my children have always enjoyed getting involved with Q4, my platform project, too; especially at Christmastime when they get to help choose gifts for children in Refuge who have fled domestic abuse. 

Georgia: Recently I modelled at Swindon’s biggest bridal show, what was even more special was that I got to model with my eldest son, Henry. It was the first time he had done a catwalk and it was a big moment for us! My sons were also there to see me be crowned, and even shed a few tears!  

Leah: My favourite pageant moment was winning Miss Scotland Supreme 2018. I was in utter shock and surprise that at 46 and no experiences really of pageants I would win. It has been an amazing opportunity and I have loved my year with Supreme, and to share the journey with my daughters has been amazing.

Lauren: My favourite experience in pageantry is being able to use my platform plastic awareness and teaching my son that each day we can make and differences. A moment that will always be a highlight of mine is hearing my son trying to whistle as I won, he was so excited! 

Natasha: One of my favourite pageant mum memories was actually watching a pageant with eldest. She was only about 6 and we had gone to watch Miss Inspiration 2014. Seeing her cheering on every contestant, shouting words of encouragement really warmed my heart and made me think I must be doing something right.

 Why do you still compete even after having children, what does it mean to you and your family?

Natalie:  I actually didn’t start competing until I was 27 and already a mum of 2! Competing is even more important to me know than I think it would have been before I was a Mum because I have curious little eyes watching me set an example. I am actively trying to make a difference to our community, local and wider, and they have been raised with that being their normal.

Georgia: I compete now after having children because my boys are at an age now where they realise that I’m making an impact in the local community. They understand that it’s not all about the gltiz and glamour, but the hard work that goes in between and the lead up to the finals 

Leah : This is my last time competing as for two years, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time, however I feel that I can give more time to support and grow my daughter’s hobbies and ambitions. The opportunities have been amazing I wouldn't change them for the world I have had an amazing journey and met so many lovely people! I will still be involved with pageants as Emily will be competing as I handover!

Lauren: I had never done pageant before not having a child. However, being a mum it gave the chance to meet some amazing people all around the world from national to international pageants, as well as meet fellow pageant mums who know how it feels. I have grown so much with confidence since competing and highly recommend. Pageantry is accepting of everyone, No limits to your abilities! Your title is out there, you just have to go search for it. 

Natasha: The reason I compete in pageants after having children is it was something I wanted to do for myself. I have only ever competed as a mum so have no experience of pageantry any other way. I found that competing as a mum is the best feeling in the world! My family live abroad so I found a second family in pageantry. Pageantry has given me so much confidence and my decision to return to pageants after being diagnosed with M.E was largely due to the incredible support I found amongst my pageant sisters. life experience that every woman deserves to be a part of. I'm proud that I can bring my girls up amongst these women and that we too can play a small part in making a big change in our society. 

Princess and the Pea: Diary of a Pageant Mumma 

Spring is here in pageant land and we are in the mist of national finals, internationals and as many Easter eggs as you can handle! My Facebook is full of charity events to attend but of course being a pageant mum, you have another checklist before you can sashay away to the event crowned up! Sunday’s are my mumma days, when Pea is at her dad’s so you can chuck all the pageant activities you want at me, but other days I have to see if I can bring my little pageant princess. Pageant events are always accepting, as most don’t want to see my face, but Penelope’s!! I’ve come to terms with this! But recently I was invited to attend a local event but was denied entry because of having Penelope, of course being the prepared pageant queen I am, I double checked beforehand, but it could have been an embarrassing situation! 

As I prepare for my International finals in June, whilst hot gluing my national wear and preparing Penelope’s FIRST birthday celebrations (where did the time go?!), I sat down and talked to other pageant mumma’s to ask their experiences on how that juggled motherhood with competing and even directing! We have Natalie Moloney who is a Ms Atlantic Finalist and Director of Miss Voluptuous, Georgia Holmes, who is the current Young European International Mrs, Leah Wright, Miss Scotland Supreme 2018, Lauren Sexton, who is Miss Voluptuous Ambassador and Natasha Neckles, Ms Pure International UK. It’s nice to share these experiences with other pageant queens, who have dealt with tantrums and meltdowns during pageant events and what motherhood brings to the crown.

Talk me through a typical week in the life of a pageant mumma? 

Natalie: My typical week is pageant packed because I’m also a Director! Whilst my little people are at school, I spend Monday through Thursday catching up with emails, applications, conducting interviews and scheduling posts on social media, and Fridays are for updating the Websites and Pageant forum. I tend to research local and national events for my titleholders Lauren and Katie so it’s a really good opportunity to look out for appearances for me as a contestant too! I spend my evenings once the children are in bed on Pinterest getting inspiration on wardrobe, blocking out my personal diary and working on my platform projects. 

Georgia: A typical week for me consists of me making sure the boys are ready for school and taking them to school before I head off to work. The kids are in after school club Monday and Friday until myself or my husband finishes work, and very lucky to have my mum and husband to have the kids if I need to make a weekday appearance. The weekends are filled with pageant activities or family activities so we get the best of both worlds.

Leah : Being a pageant mum is no different from just being a mum. I am a single mum of 2 girls Lauren and Emily and work full time for myself as a childminder. My youngest daughter competes in pageants whilst my eldest competes her ponies. After work every day we head to the stables to care for and ride the horses. This is rain, hail or shine but we love it! Weekends bring the madness of pageants and ponies whether it be appearances for myself and Emily, representing the United Kingdom Supreme Pageant System or shows. It’s always hectic and stressful but wouldn't have it any other way.

Lauren: When it's a normal business week, its mummy duties, making sure everything is done and I will catch up on social media once my son is in bed. When it comes to pageant duties It can be completely different. Since I have to travel ferry first, I can be away from my family for a long time so I like to facetime them to show everything is ok and catch up. I travel with my sister queen Katie, who is also a mum, where we change from everyday mums to pageant queens with a message. 

Natasha: A typical week in the life of a pageant mum can be a little crazy! It's all about organization and extreme time management. My daughters are 10 and 2 so in between school, ballet, singing lessons and playgroup, I like to make lists!!! Firstly, I check Facebook for upcoming local events and synch appropriate events with my diary. I will also message the event pages directly to see if they would like any help with their preparations etc. I will also check the local newspapers to see what's going on near me.

How do you find the time to juggle appearances and being a parent? Any tips for new pageant mums? 

Natalie: I am really lucky in the sense that I am self-employed and my children are school age, but time together as a family is still extremely important to me, so I tend to combine appearances with family days out so long as it’s both appropriate, and of course fun for my partner and children! I have learned to really focus on meaningful, quality appearances that fall in to one of three categories; PR, Platform or Pageant Events. I find that having a good mix of these types of appearance not only creates a clearer personal brand, but also reads with more continuity and more thoughtfully in an appearance folder! The only other top tip would be to make sure you have a solid support network - I am super lucky that Sam is so willing to not only attend all of the pageant events, but to get involved with helping my prep, too. 

Georgia: I liked to be really organized and we have a family calendar at home, with mine, my husbands and the kids events throughout the month so I’m not double booked or missing any important dates. I also have a pageant calendar with my Wiltshire queen’s so I can see what events are going on! If the event is child friendly, my boys will come along

Leah : We arrange appearances for weekends so both girls can follow their own hobbies. Because myself and Emily both do pageants and represent the same system, we can attend events together and still have family time.

Lauren: Finding your own balancing act takes some getting used to. However, I have been competing for several years. I am a mum (of one) work full time and currently doing a BA hons in business management so time management is my thing. I plan most of my appearances around my son, and sometimes he comes along so we can enjoy the events as a family. He always reminds me of upcoming events and tells me to stand straight! 

Natasha: Finding the time to compete and do appearances is really hard, but us mums are warriors!! I got back into pageants in November 2018 after a 4-year break and I'm not going to lie it was super tough! As I have 2 children my focus this year is to include my girls in as many appearances as I can. This gives me more flexibility in my diary without worrying about childcare.  It’s always a good idea to go prepared with lots of snacks and activities for your kids......if they are anything like mine they can never have too many snacks or stickers. There are of course exceptions to this and situations where a tantrummy toddler are less welcome, so make sure you know exactly what is expected of you at each appearance.

Tell us a favorite pageant moment with your children?

Natalie: When I was preparing to hand over my National Title in February 2018, my six-year-old son burst into tears and told me he was really sad I wouldn’t be the Queen any more. We both had a little cry; it was the first time I realized that he truly understood how much it meant to me and the reasons for being involved with pageantry in the first place. It was a really poignant moment! Both of my children have always enjoyed getting involved with Q4, my platform project, too; especially at Christmastime when they get to help choose gifts for children in Refuge who have fled domestic abuse. 

Georgia: Recently I modelled at Swindon’s biggest bridal show, what was even more special was that I got to model with my eldest son, Henry. It was the first time he had done a catwalk and it was a big moment for us! My sons were also there to see me be crowned, and even shed a few tears!  

Leah: My favorite pageant moment was winning Miss Scotland Supreme 2018. I was in utter shock and surprise that at 46 and no experiences really of pageants I would win. It has been an amazing opportunity and I have loved my year with Supreme, and to share the journey with my daughters has been amazing.

Lauren: My favorite experience in pageantry is being able to use my platform plastic awareness and teaching my son that each day we can make and differences. A moment that will always be a highlight of mine is hearing my son trying to whistle as I won, he was so excited! 

Natasha: One of my favorite pageant mum memories was actually watching a pageant with eldest. She was only about 6 and we had gone to watch Miss Inspiration 2014. Seeing her cheering on every contestant, shouting words of encouragement really warmed my heart and made me think I must be doing something right.

 Why do you still compete even after having children, what does it mean to you and your family?

Natalie:  I actually didn’t start competing until I was 27 and already a mum of 2! Competing is even more important to me know than I think it would have been before I was a Mum because I have curious little eyes watching me set an example. I am actively trying to make a difference to our community, local and wider, and they have been raised with that being their normal.

Georgia: I compete now after having children because my boys are at an age now where they realise that I’m making an impact in the local community. They understand that it’s not all about the gltiz and glamour, but the hard work that goes in between and the lead up to the finals 

Leah : This is my last time competing as for two years, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time, however I feel that I can give more time to support and grow my daughter’s hobbies and ambitions. The opportunities have been amazing I wouldn't change them for the world I have had an amazing journey and met so many lovely people! I will still be involved with pageants as Emily will be competing as I handover!

Lauren: I had never done pageant before not having a child. However, being a mum it gave the chance to meet some amazing people all around the world from national to international pageants, as well as meet fellow pageant mums who know how it feels. I have grown so much with confidence since competing and highly recommend. Pageantry is accepting of everyone, No limits to your abilities! Your title is out there, you just have to go search for it. 

Natasha: The reason I compete in pageants after having children is it was something I wanted to do for myself. I have only ever competed as a mum so have no experience of pageantry any other way. I found that competing as a mum is the best feeling in the world! My family live abroad so I found a second family in pageantry. Pageantry has given me so much confidence and my decision to return to pageants after being diagnosed with M.E was largely due to the incredible support I found amongst my pageant sisters. life experience that every woman deserves to be a part of. I'm proud that I can bring my girls up amongst these women and that we too can play a small part in making a big change in our society.