You've never seen a kid pageant like this. Little boys competing on stage in pageants. INSIDE EDITION talks to one mother who says it gives her son confidence.
You've never seen a child pageant like this. Little boys strutting their stuff on the runway, and mom is never far away.
Katherine Herrera's three-year-old son Maddox is already a pageant pro with a room full of ribbons and trophies bigger than he is.
"Pageants are not mom and daughter anymore," said Herrera. "He doesn't understand if he wins or loses."
The busy mom from Orlando, Florida, put the finishing touches on Maddox's costume for the Citrus Pageant.
Her five-year-old daughter is also competing and takes a moment to get her little brother runway ready.
The boy's wardrobe can get pretty pricey.
"I may have not spent $2,000 on a dress for Maddox, but his tuxedo is very, very expensive," said Herrera.
Maddox's vest alone cost $450 dollars. The shimmering sparkles on his outfit are $150 worth of real crystals.
Pageants are all day affairs. Moms shuffle their boys all over the place. Herrera says she's seen some moms do anything to keep their kids energy level up.
"I've seen pixie sticks. I've seen Red Bull. I've seen coffee," said Herrera.
So what was Maddox drinking? Apple juice.
Herrera believes pageants are a good thing for boys, saying, "It gives him self confidence."
But with all the princes, there can only be one king. It wasn't Maddox's lucky day. The Citrus King crown went to six-year-old James Pratt. His reaction? "Awesome."
