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Special dressing up days at school - number day nightmare

154 replies

Bluebells81 · 06/02/2026 12:17

Our primary school takes part in days where the children where special clothing - today being 'Number Day'.

These are always massively stressful for my DC (9). We make a plan led by them. Sometimes I relent and buy some rubbish off Amazon that will be exactly the same as half the rest of the kids (e.g for Egyptian Day, Victorian Day etc), but generally try to avoid this and make something from what we have at home.

As day nears DC gets increasingly stressed about their outfit - generally I think they'd just rather wear school uniform every day and not have the disruption to routine. Today, yet again, we had the mother of all tantrums about their outfit and were all late for school with everyone crying. How can I make this the fun educational experience that it is supposed to be!? Or is it a nightmare for other families too?

OP posts:
BaronessBomburst · 06/02/2026 12:26

DS always refused. NT, just didn't want to, and still hates dressing up. I sent him in his usual school clothes and told his teacher that I wasn't going to force him unnecessarily to wear something that he didn't want to. I often popped something in his school bag so if he changed his mind, or if the other children made comments, he could change, but he never did.
He participated in everything else, took things in for projects etc so the staff just let it go.

Uptightmumma · 06/02/2026 12:25

I am not crafty every dressing up day is from Amazon in our house. Except to day for my kids do they done as times tables Rock star day. So they went in dress like rock star. My son has gone in jeans and T-shirt and took his guitar in!!

Next week is wear it green for mental health. They support a football team whose goalie wears green so they are going in their football kits

PolarGear · 06/02/2026 12:23

I hear you.

Surely the added educational value is questionable.

Theres a school near us thay does millions of these days - evacuee, Victiorian, Romans, space etc and all the parents seem to buy identikit stuff online. Its all poor quality so none are handed down. Seems mad to me.

Otoh, I expressed my anxieties around world book day to some class mums once and they had all been looking forward to and planning costumes for ages, so I was in the minority.

I have always just encouraged my dc to use what we have and be a boy/girl from a story as I hate craft. There's always an ossue with clubs or pe or something too

Megifer · 06/02/2026 12:21

Its a nightmare and is more for the crafty parents to show off. Send in normal clothes and stick a number birthday candle on head. Job done 🤣

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