Schools - Christmas jumper day - wear an Xmas jumper and raise £1 for charity

@PineappleRox - no one is expected to do it. Yes, it's a ball ache being on the PTA and yes it is mainly women who do it.
That's a different question to why schools do Xmas jumper day though and is endemic to society.
I'm not going to stop volunteering because I'm a feminist, because that would mean the kids get less.

Christmas jumper day is a pain in the backside. Along with 'odd sock day', 'wear yellow for anti-bullying', Children in Need wear a spotty top day, blah blah bollocks.

Yes you can get them from charity shops or vinted/whatever. Not the point. It's not about the cost for me (fortunately we're ok to buy them and donate old ones) but it's just one more thing to do and remember at a crazy busy time of year.

Dress up/different clothes day are often a nightmare for children with SEND. With most schools running at 30-40% SEND cohort these days I'm surprised they don't cross-check their absences in this cohort against dress up days. I've done the math here (for work) and there is always a higher rate of absence than usual across children with SEND on days where dress up is an 'option'. The change to the norm is incredible stressful and overwhelming for lots of them and for some it means they're unable to attend at all.

That's before you even get to those families who can't afford it, or are too time poor to organise whatever top/socks/costume that's asked for this time. Which is almost never the same year on year anyway (with Christmas jumper day being an exception).

And yes of course it's never compulsory but then the children who 'choose' (it's not usually a choice it's usually out of necessity or that they actually can't) not to participate are often sad and feel the odd one out.

We most of us agree to school uniform when we send our children to school and comply with set uniform rules all year. So let's just all agree to stick to those please! There's no need for costumes etc.

If they want to be festive they can spend some time in class during the last week when they do fun activities nearly all week making some paper hats or something.

I'm not a fan, can you tell?

Yes you are being unreasonable, very unreasonable actually. This is all about your child, I can assure you none of us teachers want to be in a Christmas jumper all day, but we do it because the children LOVE it.
It’s VERY lazy of you not to pimp a jumper you already have with some Christmas themed bits and bobs, it will cost you next to nothing.

Where on earth do you buy £40 for a Christmas jumper. In the shops new they £5--15 for children jumpers ..on local Facebook marketplace they free to a few pounds at most. Lots in charity shops for £1 or too. Or you wear a normal jumper and attach a Santa hat or lights to it. It's just Abit of fun. Yabu

I used to fish out any plain jumper my DC had and sew a bit of tinsel in and a few other Christmassy bits. Is that a possibility?

My DH has several Christmas jumpers which he has had for absolutely years.used to wear them at work, and Christmas when the family are round..my 2 dgks, just had theirs, one has mental health issues, wouldn't cope with not wearing one, with all the other kids participating, guess what,they each borrowed grandad! As for second hand, charity shops, vinted, the most expensive thing I am wearing ATM is an M AND S bra! Jumper,jeggins and jacket I have just removed vinted.

Then sorry but you should have sorted it out earlier. Then you would have had plenty of time to just order a couple of cheapies from vinted or similar. You said your kids need adult size jumpers so you’re not new to the school system and most schools do this every year.

For ours they only do it up until secondary and its crazy hair day as well, it costs a bomb in jumpers and colourful spray but my kids love it! They talk about it every year 'do you remember when we had xmas tree hair' etc. I have so many great pictures. Its something really nice to look back on for us.

You can wash them…

Our nursery is doing it all week bundle of jumpers from vinted in a larger size and giving a £1 a day. So all in about £10 donation for charity not inappropriate at all

And there's always some poor sod in y6 whose parents don't get the memo about going with a cool character, like Alex Rider, so they can go in jeans, t-shirt and sunglasses, and they are sent in as Willy Wonka for the day. Urgh.

Mine have Christmas jumpers anyway. I size up and they last a few years. Supermarkets sell them for a reasonable price.

This. As I've said above, I'm a retired teacher rather than a parent. I still do occasional supply but quit my permanent post 6 yrs ago.

Some people don't realise that there are families facing significant financial challenges, particularly those families which just miss the cut-off for benefits.

It doesn't affect me directly, because I'm not a parent - but I've worked with pupils where their families were facing significant challenges.

At our secondary school for World Book Day, more time was given over to reading for pleasure and to activities related to reading for pleasure. We also distributed the World Book Day vouchers.

I never bought them - I refuse to buy anything from anywhere that will only be worn once and my lot were always clear that they would only wear them to school and nowhere else.

I've just asked 2 of them (now all grown up) if they minded and they've looked at me as though I were mad. So I guess not.

I feel the same about world book day, as it always involves buying something. We buy our Christmas jumpers extra big, so always on hand for a few years.

But our school is actually very good at these sort of days. They always have spare jumpers that they have left over from the Christmas fair donations. Whatever the money or item you are supposed to give is always at the gate, so anyone who can't donate won't be shamed in class.

I have only ever bought 2nd hand xmas jumpers for myself and dd

Pin a big bow on a normal jumper? Vinted and charity shops are full of them and you don't need a new one every year. It's not like Christmas comes as a surprise. Or perhaps you have friends who would lend one for the day?
Primark, Poundland etc. have them under a tenner, even for adult sizes.
Don't participate if you don't want to.

When my oldest was in year six she made her own Christmas jumper by tacking a couple of baubles onto an ordinary jumper. Looked hideous but she was happy and the jumper mercifully returned to normal the next day.

It's not compulsory to take part, send them into school in their normal uniform if you would prefer to spend the money on something else.

World book day, complete with a mandatory 'come dressed as your favourite character', is another needless exercise in making parents run around jumping through hoops for the fun of it.

Bit of tinsel, red or tartan ribbon pinned on a normal jumper would be fine.

OP, why are you ignoring all the posters telling you to just go low key and have you your DC customise a jumper they already have?
So yes, still £1 to find per child but 99% of families will easily afford that and the large majority of schools won’t turn down DC if they don’t pay it, it is voluntary after all.

Most kids I know have an Xmas jumper/t-shirt/dress in December anyway which will get loads of wear. Sometimes we do Xmas socks or hat/cap/gloves instead.

I always buy one as I know there will be an Xmas jumper day so then we are prepared and like I say they wear it all December anyway

Wow you really are unhappy aren’t you.