Barrow child beauty contestant Paisley Dickey, 4, and her mother, Wendy Dickey, are no strangers to talk shows and tabloids, especially since Paisley was seen on the TLC show "Toddlers & Tiaras" last summer dressed as Julia Roberts’ character from the movie "Pretty Woman."

The duo stepped into the limelight again this past week when they appeared on "Dr. Phil," the popular daytime talk show hosted by former psychologist Phil McGraw.

Wendy Dickey was primarily featured, along with fellow pageant mom Susanna Barrett. The two have sparred since Barrett’s 5-year-old daughter, Isabella, was caught on camera accusing Paisley of copying her tan and saying the younger girl was dressed "like a hooker."

Barrett also made headlines recently when she sued media outlets TMZ, Huffington Post and Daily Mail for sexualizing her daughter after Barrett provided them a video of Isabella singing and dancing to LMFAO’s "Sexy and I Know It."

The episode, titled "What Were You Thinking?" addressed these controversial aspects of the child pageant industry. Paisley appeared briefly on the show, where she talked to McGraw about her favorite toy and what she liked to do for fun.

Although Dickey signed a confidentiality clause stating that she would not discuss the particulars of the show, she said overall it was a positive experience.

"Meeting Dr. Phil was great. I thought he was fabulous," she said. "(Paisley) had a blast. She loved the experience."

Based on comments she’s received through Facebook and email, Dickey said she believes the show caused people to rethink their views of the Dickey family.

"I have had tons and tons — an unbelievable amount of messages from people across America who may not have agreed with the idea of dressing her as Julia Roberts, but still decided that the outfit itself was not immodest, she said.

"I think people paid more attention to the fact that she’s a normal little girl ... My thing is, she’s always a normal little girl, except maybe an hour or so a month when we do pageants. She’s a normal girl who loves playing in the sand and riding four-wheelers with her daddy and brothers."

Not every aspect of the show was positive, however. Dickey said her family felt she was blindsided when a third pageant mom, who Dickey said she knows personally, was allowed to criticize both Dickey and Barrett from the audience.

"My opinion is that she was playing ‘pageant god,’" Dickey said, noting that she and the audience member dress their daughters in similar outfits (such as swimsuits) for pageants.

"I was not prepared, and from what my family knows about the lady in the audience, they felt that she should be in the hot seat (as well)."

"It was a little over dramatic and there were a few surprises that we did not expect," said Dickey’s husband, Scott Dickey. "There is no way to really express the real truth and facts in such a confrontational setting. We do not exploit our little girl."

For the most part, Dickey said she has accepted the fact that criticism has become a part of her and Paisley’s lives.

"I feel like no matter what Paisley does now or how innocent it is, that she will always be a target — people are putting us under a microscope," she said. However: "We’re still having a lot of fun (competing). Aside from a few negative attitudes, the pageant world has been extremely supportive of us."

Dickey also contradicts those who claim Paisley’s fame is due to the "Pretty Woman" incident, noting that before Paisley wore the costume, she had already been called "Little Miss Sunshine" by People Magazine, was featured on Good Morning America and had signed with a talent agent in New York.

"She became a public figure due to her success with pageants," Scott Dickey added. "She has a great time doing pageants, but she lives a very normal life and she has a great time playing in the dirt like other little girls. If she continues and becomes a huge television star one day, we will fully support her. If she marries a local boy and moves next door to her mom and I, we will be just as happy."

Since the infamous "Pretty Woman" episode of "Toddlers & Tiaras" aired, Paisley has been featured on a Russian television show called "Let Them Speak," and has been selected as the face of UR BRAND, an anti-bulling clothing line.

She will be featured in another episode of "Toddlers & Tiaras" next June, and she and Dickey will be leaving for New York soon to appear for the third time on Anderson Cooper’s daytime talk show, "Anderson."