Just sent my son to school without world book day costume

[chandellina]

I thought it was optional but now I'm worried he'll be the only child not dressed up. (DH dropped him off so I didn't get to peruse the scene.) Should we drop round a pirate outfit for him to change into? Or should I hold firm that we didn't have any good ideas this year and that's life?

Ds1 couldn't think of anything so has gone in normal uniform quite happily - even when his friend called for him in full Harry Potter regalia! There were a few other yr6 boys that I saw also in uniform. No big deal really.

Well if you are in uniform you can always be a child from an updated version of Just William or Malory Towers or some such (or maybe there are more up to date school stories to choose from? )

DS2 appeared at the side of my bed this morning at 6am with a cheery, 'it's world book day'......I refused to order him a bat man costume as he is 10 now and doesn't play dress up anymore and I told him we would sort something out but I Thad totally forgotten.....anyway we raided the dressing up box and he is dressed in some Halloween smock with an Afro wig and his elder wand from Harry Potter studios. We called it 'disco dementor'.

Worral, love your lads idea to go as Tigger in a onsie. Maybe you could drop your ds pirate costume off at school op.

No Reception child needs to be subjected to "character building"
One of the Year 2's got the date wrong last year and showed up the day before in his outfit (school had changed the date several times so I'm surprised only one of them got confused); he was so embarrassed, poor kid.

They cobbled a uniform together for him from lost property.
Maybe your school could find something for your ds in the dressing up box in Reception?

Get your tiny violins ready...I remember being about 5 or 6 and my mum didn't let me take a toy in to school on the last day of term like everyone else. Said I wouldn't be the only one and that I could play with the other kids toys.
I was the only one, and I was teased mercilessly, and no-one played with me. I still remember that day 30 years later and it still makes me sad.

Don't exactly know what my point is, but thought I'd share because OPs post struck a bit of a raw nerve.

Ffs it's not hard to ram a hat and cloak on your child! What's wrong with people? You don't need to go all out...OP it's not directed at you by the way but all this moaning when it's no bother to make a costume up out of bits and bobs...it's not fair to tell children no when they want to.

Thank you Goblin and Zip. Good ideas...going with Jersey I think unless he refuses

What did he want to do?

This is the last time I will ever ever ever have to be subjected to the controlled panic that is WBD! (huzzah!) So that is approx 18 costumes that have had to be cobbled together lovingly crafted. But mine have never not wanted to wear something.

Chandellina - it is our first experience of world book day. My DS is 4 - he wanted to go as spiderman/batman. I understand that doesn't really qualify as book characters and we went for gruffalo - brilliant outfit 12 quid in sainsburys. I was surprised to see how many children in batman and spiderman - I would drop one of those costumes in for him. If he has a book with those characters it seems it qualifies! I saw one child in uniform and it made me feel a bit sad for them as all the children were very excitable and showing off their costumes - drop one off!

Spiderman does qualify though.
Comic books are still books and many of the stories are much better than crap like Horrid Flaming Henry.

mrssmith

Being left out of stuff is fairly memorable, even if your friends are kind.
It's why I had a collection of bits and bobs for those times when parents didn't manage to rise to the challenge, because I didn't want the child upset.
Not just WBD but all the other areas that need a bit of parenting above and beyond the basics.
It's not easy to teach the day and have one sad face looking at you if you know it's an easy fix.

Bought DS the ironman costume from asda for his (he been wanting an ironman costume for a while) this morning as we were leaving he informed me that the school had placed a ban on comic book characters I told him to say it was a graphic novel not a comic book.

You need to do it even though I agree it's a horrendous faff.

Our school decided that after years of doing nothing for world book day they were going to do costumes this year. We were told without enough time to get anything online and any attempt from me to persuade them to be a character who wears normal clothes were met with "but I don't like that book". So I spent 7 hours sorting out 2 costumes that didn't even look that good, argh.

Rooners - in strictness, Jersey isn't a country - it's a crown dependency.

You may not care, of course!

Ha ferret! DS2 is dressed up as a character from a 'graphic novel' too - I get told off when I call it a comic . But his is manga - Professor Stein from Soul Eater. DS is going to spend the entire day telling people what he is, what manga is and what the book is. I did warn him.....

Goblinchild - you're lovely!

Crown dependency? Oh crap

Never mind. Maybe we will have a day off...

It is a faff. You can make it simple though. I had 5 to dress up this morning!

One is an alien in underpants then there is Sherlock, Buzz Lightyear, baby bear and a muggle.

Some very simple (thank you onesies) and others rubbish (muggle d2!)

Take him in a costume. Poor lad.

Fantastic, orm!
How clever of him to remember that it is World book day and step outside the Eurocentric and White pigeon holes to explore the full range of world literature. Extra points there for cultural sensitivity.

Ooh - definitely drop something in for him. I used to work as a TA and if any child turned up on a dressing-up/themed day without an outfit we'd have to go to the drama cupboard to find them an outfit as they would always feel left out and upset.

(It is annoying that the schools don't give very much notice for these dressing-up days, however). I've spent many late nights over the years cobbling something together after finding out very late that such an outfit would be required.

DC's school have had years of nothing for World Book Day.
Now they have a new HT.
And a whole WEEK of costumes and bringing things in. That's 5 days worth of things to plan for (x 2 as 2 DC and of course different year groups are doing different things).
Several parents are already looking likely to implode.

So all of you who only have to provide one paltry costume on a single day, should count yourself lucky :)

In my DS1 primary, all were dressed either as Marvel heroes, or Disney characters, some Harry Potters and animal costumes, a couple of medieval warriors. Mine gas grown out of costumes, so he dressed as a soldier.

This is the first year my DS's school has done anything for WBD..I am really chuffed...Ds has gone as a jedi, a costume he already had but had read loads of star wars books.The have a whole day is geared around books, buddy reading making books..It is all about been excited about books which is what the day should be about..

There were a couple of children at my sons school who would not of wanted to dress up but the rest did..If I child doesn't want to dress up fair enough but because a parent can't be bothered is really awful for a child..most just want to fit in