Mum splashes £9k to fulfil her seven-year-old daughter’s dream of becoming a beauty pageant queen
A MUM has splurged £9k in nine months - and shunned holidays for two years - in order to fulfil her schoolgirl daughter's beauty pageant dreams.
Sian Rybak, 33, has forked out the funds for custom-made gowns, professionally-styled wigs, fake tan and transport so her seven-year-old Lola can take part in competitions around the UK.
The horse riding instructor from Alloa in Scotland, who also has another child, said "we don't do holidays, we do pageants" since they started entering pageants last December.
"I'm very, very competitive and so is Lola," she explained.
"I remember thinking 'I'm going to have to spend a small fortune here if she wants to compete'.
"You couldn't send your child up in a cheap dress and expect them to do well, they're not going to win, you've got to put the money into it.
"I love watching Lola on stage no matter what she's doing and that's why I try to support her in whatever way I can."
Sian revealed that a dress for the Galaxy Ireland competition next year - which could give her daughter the chance to compete in Chicago - has already set her back £700, with many more outfits still to sort.
Initially, she wasn't so keen on helping facilitate her little girl's pageant ambitions.
"When Lola mentioned it I was a bit on the fence about it because of what you see on TV shows like Toddlers & Tiaras," she admitted.
"I knew nothing about beauty pageants but this is something that I'm quite passionate about now.
But it's proved expensive business for the family, with dresses adorned with Swarovski crystals, themed outfits, props, wigs, fake tan, false eyelashes and pageant training to ensure Lola is ready.
Sian also regularly drives up to seven hours to get her daughter to competitions.
However, despite her devotion and Lola's passion, they've had trouble convincing some family members.
Total cost of 10 pageants in nine months - £9k
CUSTOM-MADE DRESSES - £1,875
HOTEL STAYS £1,500
PAGEANT ENTRY - £1,500
DANCE LESSONS - £1,024
FUEL - £900
WIG STYLING - £800
CUSTOM-MADE IRN BRU DRESS (PLUS PROP) - £300
HAIR STYLING - £300
MAKE-UP - £250
WIGS - £170
PAGEANT TRAINING - £150
FAKE TAN - £100
SHOES - £85
FALSE EYELASHES - £55
TOTAL = £9,009
The mum-of-two said: "Some of my family are against pageants and don't want to know about it.
"I think everybody has their own views on things, it's not everybody's cup of tea but we look at is as a performance.
"Lola's a freestyle dancer - she already wears makeup, tan, eyelashes and all these things.
"She's performing on that stage, I've never thought she wears anything too skimpy and I've never once felt uncomfortable watching her.
"I've heard it all before. When someone comments about pageants I invite them to come along and watch.
"I've never had anyone walk away saying 'that's left me exactly the way I thought in the first place - that it's sexualising your child'.
"I find it more disturbing that people look at them and see that.
"Why are you looking at my child innocently standing up there wearing a two-piece costume and think that? To me that's wrong, that doesn't ever cross my mind.
"The pageants are a really nice and small close-knit community with mums, the odd dad and grannies watching - there's not paedos walking in off the street watching them."
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