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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Just sent my son to school without world book day costume

150 replies

chandellina · 06/03/2014 08:49

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?

OP posts:
ShadowOfTheDay · 06/03/2014 13:55

I work in a craft store - my shift yesterday was from 4pm to 8pm - O...M...G were we busy last night... 8 out of every 10 customers were buying for world book day...

looking at the amounts spent last night in those 4 hours I think World book day was heavily promoted to support the recovery of the UK economy....

CorusKate · 06/03/2014 13:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ormirian · 06/03/2014 14:00

fluffy - I can beat that! Any advance on 7am! Yes, 7am on the morning of WBD. Mind you this was ds2 so you'd think I'd be prepared ....... he went as Slinky Malinki.

chandellina · 06/03/2014 14:04

OP here again. Oh god. I've really messed up, haven't I? Honestly it's not that I was too lazy or anything, and I'm happy to make or buy costumes - I just genuinely didn't realize until the last minute that this was like an own clothes day. Otherwise I would have at least sent him on own clothes!

The note from school just say "we encourage children to dress up" which I read as - optional, some will, some won't. In reception last year he did dress up but I don't do most drop offs/pick ups so didn't know if it was effectively compulsory or not.

I'm working so couldn't drop something round myself - I was stupid to leave it in the hands of DH. I did call him at 8:15 this morning from work to say he should probably stick him in a pirate outfit. But DS had already put his uniform on and DH is in man flu mode at the moment.

Not just worried now about facing DS but also the other mums at a drinks thing tonight. I think the only option is to pin the blame on DH and say he overlooked the costume I laid out. :)

OP posts:
CorusKate · 06/03/2014 14:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ormirian · 06/03/2014 14:07

chandellina - don't feel bad. If your son didn't ask to dress up I can't see how you did anything wrong. It IS optional.

fluffyraggies · 06/03/2014 14:10

ormirion - Grin

Aeroflotgirl · 06/03/2014 14:12

Spider-Man is a book character and so is Star Wars, nevermind don't sweat tge small stuff. Back in the day there wasn't this dressing up every 5 mins stuff at school!

LtEveDallas · 06/03/2014 14:16

DDs school don't bother any more. 4 years ago they specified 'a character from a traditional fairy tale' and most of the kids turned up as disney princesses and superheroes. The HT actually complained in that weeks newsletter about the "lack of effort" Shock and said they "would not bother to get involved again"

I was quite disappointed - I had loads of ideas ready!

whohasnickedmyvodka · 06/03/2014 14:35

I have had 1970s dress up hell last week that cost a fortune so this morning my dd went as Mrs twit crumpled unironed clothes with some food spread on them and messy hair

BirthdayMuppet · 06/03/2014 14:39

"fluffyraggies Thu 06-Mar-14 13:46:01

BirthdayMuppet · 06/03/2014 14:40

And as for the head complaining about Disney vs traditional dress up, he could go swing as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, most Disney princesses are from traditional fairy tales, Walt didn't invent them!

TheBigBumTheory · 06/03/2014 14:46

Lumpy

Your school sounds sensible. A book swap and a trip to the library/charity shops would show children that reading does not have to cost a lot.

MummyPigsFatTummy · 06/03/2014 15:00

Seriously, LtEve? I get his/her point about re the superheroes but, whatever you think about Disney, most of the princesses are characters from traditional fairy tales. A bit harsh on the children (and the parents who did their best).

I am possibly a bit sensitive here as DD was in her Disney princess dress this morning, despite my best intentions.

OpalQuartz · 06/03/2014 15:37

I'm sure your dd was happy on her princess dress, which is the main thing

LtEveDallas · 06/03/2014 16:24

Yes, seriously MummyPigs, he is a bit of a pompous fool at times though, and that was one of them. He didn't even take into account those parents that couldn't actually afford to do something over and above the dressing up clothes they already had.

Periwonkle · 06/03/2014 16:53

My daughter was also very happy in her Disney dress.

pixwix · 06/03/2014 17:28

Oh God! Ds2 (yr 6) had his last book day at primary school today.

I also have Ds1 in yr 11, and they don't really do WBD as such in seniors (ds2 will be going to same school)

I've spent fecking years making costumes - and improvising - Noddy, Just William, Captain Underpants, Horrid Henry, William Tell, a Dalmation - and countless other more involved stuff. Ds1 was a nativity shepherd so often that I made his own costume - (he got to the point where he demanded his own border collie) and snowflakes and elfs, and an absent minded professor...

There was the time that ds2 was cast as narrator no. 3 in the nativity. I scrabbled around for all black stuff as dictated on allocation sheet, to find a couple of days before, he had been demoted to sheep number three... he was a bit disgruntled really.

Then there's been the odd lost bookbag letter, and the subsequent "Hey mum! it's assembly tomorrow, and I have to be dressed as a small woodland squirrell! Yay!

Today, their classes had themes - theirs was 'The Cat in The Hat' so I sent him off in red onsie with white cloth signs pinned to back and front saying 'Thing 1' - a blue swimming pool shoe cover on his head, with blue wool drawn through...

Am a single working parent, and it's been a pain in the arse at times - and sometimes am slack - taking them in on inset day - I forgot dress as a sports character day once, but ds2 put on his PE kit and improvised Blush

I still have comic relief and end of term production yet - but quite a bit of me will miss these days Sad

RabbitFoodist · 01/03/2018 10:41

I completely forgot. My sister is the deputy head. Apparently my son was very upset. She called me at work to tell me I was either disgusting / a disgrace or both. Isn't this taking it a bit far?
I don't have a husband or the kind of job I can 'nip out' of. Hoping that he was able to get something from the dressing up
Has it really come to this? Ie that your standing as a parent is in the balance. Reading most of the comments apparently it has.
I dunno. I like the idea but it seems like a marketers dream, new costume every year and the education / parental guilt double whammy. Plus with Facebook pressure added in its the perfect storm of 'you must comply'
Yes, I still feel guilty about his feelings.

LittleMyLikesSnuffkin · 01/03/2018 11:08

My eldest refuses to dress up these days for anything, her choice but at 5 she loved it and they’re not little for long so however annoying it might be I just got on with it and we always managed something. There’s tonnes of ideas and failing that, own clothes as many stories feature children in normal clothing.

It’s only “character building” for your husband because it’s not him who’s feeling left out/embarrassed.

FWIW my youngest went as Spider-Man. He has story books about Spider-Man and other marvel characters so yes, it counts.

LittleMyLikesSnuffkin · 01/03/2018 11:09

Blimey rabbit I’m glad your sister isn’t the deputy head at either of my kid’s schools with a judgemental attitude like that!

And I’m sure they will let your DC raid the dressing up box.

Skarossinkplunger · 01/03/2018 11:39

Bloody hell, I work in a school and I’ve heard some excuses from the parents of the one sad kid who isn’t dressed up, but ‘I couldn’t be arsed’ is the lowest of the lows.

Surfingwhippet · 01/03/2018 11:48

This is 4 years old

RabbitFoodist · 01/03/2018 12:24

I think at the end of the day. World book day.... How serious is it? It's supposed to be fun. If it's not, what's the point.

selftitledalbum · 01/03/2018 13:13

Not very nice of you.

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