To let ds1 wear what he bloody wants for world book day

[mosschops30]

All the years have been given a topic e.g. Cartoon character, film character etc.
Ds1 year is fairy tales.

He will not wear anything I've suggested (Peter pan) he just wants to go as Ben 10 or buzz lightyear.

So Aibu to let him go in what he wants? Why do all these days have to be so stressful, I just can't be arsed with it.
I like to pick my battles with 3 dcs and this just isn't worth it

I have to say that WBD must be a godsend for local fancy dress shops. Went into my local one yesterday to pick up something for DS's costume and before I could mention WBD the shopkeeper asked my what my child was going as and what did I need. It transpired she even had a list of possible characters next to the till for parents stuck for ideas.

My DD remembered at 8:45 that its WBD tomorrow. I hadn't thought secondary kids dressed up...fortunately her Captain Hook outfit she's had since about yr4 still fits (black leggings, a white blouse of mine, a jacket of mine that looks curiously right for the job, belt of mine, her own boots, plus cardboard hook, cutlass and hat. I spent ages making that hat but its seen good service - not so bad if you can reuse these things.

I was most annoyed in yr5 when dress code was to come as a 'good character' and we had to cobble up something else.

DS2 will be going as Harry Potter (outfit recycled from DS1). he's informed me that half the class is also going as HP.
DS1 will be Captain Hook, same as last year. I bought the outfit last year and we're going our money's worth out of it goddamnit!
DS2s Very Hungry Caterpillar outfit will be lent to a friend this year.
I've learnt that it's a good idea to have lots of outfits lying around so the school can spring these things on us at a day's notice and we don't bat an eyelid.

And what's with all the Ben 10? He's a TV character, not a book character.

I'm clearly just a miserable old sow who is sick and tired of bloody world book days - there have been several dress up days so far this year ( since September) and I cannot afford to go out and buy outfits nor do I have the time or the ability to make fabulous costumes

My daughter will be going as Cinderella as she has a dress up outfit, DS will be going as Harry Potter and there is no way on Gods green earth that DS2 will be dressing up as he says it is 'far too humiliating'

Oh and we have to make a donation for the trouble too - FUCKSTICKS!!!!

Let him do what he wants and wear what he wants.

This post reminds me of a fancy dress party when I was a 9-10 year old child. My friend had a party where you could dress as your favourite film / TV charachter.

Neighbours was big at the time (late 1980's) and I was a fan. I wasn't bothered about dressing up too much, nice ordinary clothes, my hair is wavy/curly, so I thought Charlene from Neighbours (god Kylie was young then).

But oh no! My mum's not having it. She was always like that, I have to do whatever she wants as her ideas and taste are impeccable and mine are shit. She is still like that with me today. She picked a ridiculous saddo fantasy TV programme that she watched religiously and that children wouldn't really have ever watched it or heard of it. It wasn't unsuitable for children, not by any means, but they wouldnt' really watch it as a kids TV show, it was an adult drama with adult themes and not something children would be interested in or know about.

She buys the mask and makes it look worse by putting felt all over it, and gives me a stupid old cloak of hers to go over my oridinary clothes. I was sick worrying about it leading up to the party and I didn't want to go. It might seem dramatic to be worried sick about it but I was only a child and all my friends were dressing as well known TV characters.

It finally got the stage where I was refusing to go to the party if she was going to make me wear that. I suggested Charlene from Neighbours and she was horrified. It ended up with me pleading with her all the way to the door of my firneds house on the day of the party to just let me go in ordinary clothes. She said I should wear it to go in with and then take it off. What's the fucking point of that at a fancy dress party?!

Finally at the door of the house, I was late as I was stalling, my mum forced the mask on me forced her old cloak over me, helped by my brother, they rang the door bell and pushed me inside when the door opened announcing who I was dressed as. I swear to god, the parents in the hall had their mouths open as if to say "what the fuck is that child wearing". They admitted they'd never heard of the TV programme and I threw the "costume" off immediately. I spent the time at the party with my friends dressed up as recogniseable people and me sitting in a track suit looking boring.

A couple of them picked up my mask and asked who i was meant to be. I told them the truth and slagged my mother off. That I had wanted to be Charlene from Neighbours but my mum had forced me to be someone from her stupid TV show and she hadn't allowed me to choose. They all said it wasn't fair and didn't tease me about it which is saying alot for young children.

God I've written an essay but the fact that I still remeber this in minute detail over 20 years later says it all. Let you son choose. He's only a child once.

Apologies for appaling typing too. Can't be arsed to correct it.

UANBU DD and friend are going in ordinary clothes, nominally as Caddy and Saffy from the the Carson family.

School said favourite character and the books she likes are Jacquline Willson, Cathy Casidy etc - 'ordinary' children (Mad adults), but not costume material.

Also have to find something red for the 18th.

A couple of other cop outs come to mind, Dr who, there are lots of spin off books and the Roman Mysteries, allowing costume recycling. (I've got a Roman outfit somewhere)
OK, given even my book mad Y5 finds the RM books hard work, it would be pushing it for infants.
However, given my older DD preferred fact to fiction when she was learning to read you might get away with a simple history book.
Unfortunately although she did like history, her favourite was any book about sea life - Turtle or Dolphin costume anyone .

We have also got " dress as an adjective' & I am completely stumped. obviously have no imagination! But then was only told at 5pm tonight. Hoping inspiration will arrive overnight!!

Have known about DD2 wanting to be Red Riding Hood for 2 weeks.

DD1 hasn't mentioned wanting to dress up, arrived home, and asked what I had for her, have managed to cobble together a Mildred Hubble (worst witch) outfit, actually looks really good.

Lol well ds decided he wanted to be a pig.We looked everywhere only found the top half i.e the hood and nose so had to spend the night sowing dds pink dolls blanket to ds top and a white piece of scarf for the tufty hair and made a curly tail out of dds old baby hate argh!

thank you thank you MN and the kind MNer who suggested george from george's Marvelous medicine!!!

My DS (8) feels realy shy and hates dressing up. he's just gone "as a boy" clutching a little brown medicine bottle and feels very clever !

I'ts lucky my ds likes pink because he was very pink lol

kpandthesunshineband -- advantage of the adjective one is that you can do something easy (e.g. "red" or some other colour, "tidy", "messy", "big") and dress up for virtually no outlay of cash or time or you can really go to town.

My DS has gone dressed as L from the Manga books that he reads (they are japanese cartoon type books, which he has to read backwards!) We just had to make a bit of effort with his hair.

My DD has gone as Thing 2 from Cat in the Hat - easy just red leggings and top with a blue wig. Fortuntately we spotted a really good Cat in the Hat on the way in, so she can hang out with him!

Chandon I suggested George, glad to have helped! I am in NZ and we don't seem to celebrate WBD here, not sure what that says about the World part, although some schools are going out book vouchers.

Sorry, giving out not going out, it has been a long day and I should be in bed.

Our head teacher is dressed as Cruella DeVille today

I think thats nice Gallifrey,it shows that all the children have a chance to win.I made my daughter a lovely mermaid costume once,and she went with all these lovely green and blue ribbons in her hair.The pleasure for me was in the making,and the joy on my daughters face.My 2nd dd went in her uniform one year and said she was topsy from topsy and tim;she won her class price,with no effort from me whatsoever.!

Wow! Am amazed at the amount of sour grapes on here. Lighten up everyone! I think anything that encourages children to read or engenders a love of books/reading from an early age can only be A Good Thing. The important thing is that the ideas for the costumes come from the DC themselves, whether they want to be Ben 10, Horrid Henry or Helen of Troy. My own DD went as Fern from Charlotte's Web - pretty dress, tights (it's cold out there!), sneakers,denim jacket, hair in plaits complete with ribbons. And she carried her toy pig which she re-named Wilbur! (You could also do this costume with dungarees checked shirt and wellies.)The only thing I bought was the ribbon for her hair.

' I think anything that encourages children to read or engenders a love of books/reading from an early age can only be A Good Thing'

Me too, but is there any evidence that all the dressing up and nonsense actually encourages reading?

A1980, that's a really sad story

What Ephiny says.

And what Lyrasilvertongue says .

my son didnt go in dressed as anything at all

It's not sour grapes mamatron, it's a couple of things:

Firstly many of us are not creative types, and most of us (I suspect) are strapped for time and cash. Having to create three outfits is sometimes pretty stressful, particularly if you aren't getting any help.

This is made worse by the fact that some kids (not all) just hate the whole dressing-up thing, it makes them feel self-conscious and embarrassed. My 11yo DS for one - he hated fancy dress even as a pre-schooler, and trying to get him to wear something for book day, well, forget it.

I remember being the same myself, so I have some sympathy!

So I'm all for encouraging the love of books, but sometimes it just seems more hassle than it's worth.