A 'pageant mum' spends $1.5k on contests – and even hires a coach to help her five-year-old compete.<br /><br />Jessica Merk, 37, put her daughter, Carleigh, five, forward for modelling when she was just three after her social media followers convinced her to.<br /><br />Her little girl loved it so much, Jessica entered her into her state American Royal Beauties pageant and she won - becoming Princess Ohio 2022.<br /><br />Carleigh went on to compete in the nationals which cost Jessica $1,500 on outfits, an entry fee, and a coach but she didn’t place.<br /><br />But Jessica said Carleigh loved it and said the contests are “more than just a beauty pageant”.<br /><br />Jessica, a cosmetologist, from Cincinnati, Ohio, US, said: “I do it for her confidence.<br /><br />“She loves it.<br /><br />“You can see her beam.<br /><br />“I had to hire a pageant coach. To know how to hit her walk.<br /><br />“To teach her to stand correctly and have ‘pretty feet’.<br /><br />“She had to learn to hit her marks on the stage.”<br /><br />Jessica paid $250 to enter Carleigh into American Royal Beauties – a natural beauty pageant based on community service.<br /><br />The mum-of-four spent an extra $250 on four different outfit changes including a formal gown for the day.<br /><br />She and her husband, John Merk, 33, a salesman, were surprised when Carleigh took home the title for Princess Ohio in November 2022.<br /><br />Jessica said: “She’s always humble about it.<br /><br />“I curl her hair and put on a little bit of blush but that’s it.<br /><br />“She’s very into girly stuff - big dresses and her hair pinned up.<br /><br />“I tell her 'you can wear make-up or not and still be beautiful.'”<br /><br />Carleigh went on the compete in the nationals for her division in July 2023 and had a coach to help her in the three week run up to the contest.<br /><br />The coach came twice a week for an hour – costing Jessica $50 per session.<br /><br />She said: “Carleigh has Bambi legs.<br /><br />“On the day we got there for 8am and left at 10pm.<br /><br />“I made it fun for her.<br /><br /> “She’s not a shy girl.<br /><br />“Some mums will try doing it but the kids will not be happy to be there.<br /><br />“She really had a good time.<br /><br />“Even though she lost, she didn’t feel like she did.<br /><br />“I cried when she didn’t place.”<br /><br />As part of the pageant, Carleigh donates to a women’s shelter and makes appearances at her local homeless shelter.<br /><br />Jessica said: “I want her to be more community service orientated.<br /><br />“She’s been about five times to homeless shelters.<br /><br />“I have to explain to her that some people are not as fortunate.<br /><br />"I want her to rounded and use her platform."<br /><br />Jessica said she never thought she would be a ‘pageant mum’ and she gets slammed on social media for putting Carleigh through contests.<br /><br />She said: “Some people say ‘why would you put her in pageants? It’s superficial’.<br /><br />“It’s more than just a beauty pageant.<br /><br />“The community service – that’s what makes her more beautiful.”<br /><br />Jessica is now saving up and planning for Carleigh’s next pageant in November 2024.<br /><br />She said: “I never thought I’d be a pageant mum.<br /><br />“It really is a fun thing to do.”<br /><br />Jessica said Carleigh will continue doing pageants for as long as she wants to.<br /><br />She said: “I don’t want to force her to do something that she doesn’t like.<br /><br />“She loves being in front of the camera.<br /><br />“She is sassy, but very sweet.”
