Instead of aiming to lose a specific number of pounds, set behavioral goals. Aim to drink more water, add a serving of vegetables to lunch, or walk for 20 minutes after dinner.

Yet, a quiet revolution is brewing in the margins of parenting forums and alternative lifestyle blogs. A growing chorus of critics—many of whom identify as former pageant kids or current naturist parents—is posing a radical question:

But the thought experiment serves a purpose. It forces parents, judges, and society to ask a simple question:

What specific or reader persona you are writing for.