to wish World Book Day should fuck the fuck off!

[Toraleistripe]

Grrrrrrrr. I'm hate it. I am all for celebrating reading and books but this yearly dress up activity at school drives me mad!

I have 2 Dc, they both want me to buy ready made costumes which will cost £30 or more! So not happening. I will still have to cobble something together though. I can't be arsed. We don't have anything. I have scoured the Internet for ideas. Kids either don't like the ideas or I don't have the stuff.

Sod off WBD!

Who invented World Book Day anyway? Is it like Grandparents Day, just an industry invention to get us to spend more money? Id love to know whose idea it was, so I can slap them in the face thank them for instilling a love of reading in an entire generation

What is it TooMuchOfEverything?

I love the Boy in a Dress idea. Not the idea that you need to be of the same ethnicity as your character so much? It's rare that a character is even described to that extent in many books unless their red hair or heritage is central to the story.

I do hate the 'oh, just use what you've got in the house' idea. We had neon day (no, nothing at all in the house), Christmas jumper day (no, had to buy one), red nose day (wear something spotty - again, no), dress as a scientist day, wbd (had to buy bits). I'm a teacher (usually), and I've repeatedly brought up concerns in staff meetings about the possible costs involved for parents (last school was in quite a low - income area). It's then met either 'oh, it's not compulsory', yet children who don't dress up feel left out and may get sad faces from staff. Staff have to dress up to. Again 'not compulsory' but you're a party pooper if you don't .

too! No wonder standards are dropping...

My DD's school had a decorate your own jumper day for Christmas. That was handy. Some parents bought a jumper, some presumably helped handstitch half the contents of their decs box onto a standard jumper. DD went in with some tinsel draped around her shoulders and her red nose day deely boppers

My DS is going as a red ninja. I have pointed out that it's not really a book, I got a head tilt and 'do you REALLY care Mummy'?!!

DS's nursery are celebrating world book day by asking the children to bring in their favourite book and allowing parents in to read with their children throughout the week. No dressing up and keeps the focus on books! I think it's a really good idea and a lot better than dress up

TreadSoftly - I don't want to out myself but its along the lines of a Y5 child going as Humpty Dumpty.

Anyway I have decided - if they are up for it - to give the kids a t shirt to waste each and a pack of sharpies and they can write relevant stuff on their t shirt. Its not a character per se but I don't think it matters.

I think you can celebrate WBD without dresssing up..It is the lazy approach...

My DS (8) asked for a particular costume last year ..Came home and gave it me and said I won't wear it again...

This year he has a Tshirt with a book character on so I am sending him in that.

I'd do similar to Artandco - lots of books here with normal children in normal clothes, so easy!

I can't be doing with it much either, tbh. Last year, Ds1 only told me about it THAT MORNING FFS, so I sent him in his pirate costume; I know that Pirates of the Caribbean started out as a film, but I've seen books of the film since then, so good enough.

In the 9 years my children went to primary, they never dressed up once! Every year they did something to celebrate like a book swap or a web talk with an author. There is so much more to explore when it's WBD.

TooMuchOfEverything

if it's nursery rhymes as a theme that's an easy one.
Twinkle Twinkle - tinfoil hat or pinned to jumper
Tom Thumb - just need a tart to "pull out a plum"
Mary had a little Lamb - toy sheep under an arm
For want of a Nail - carry a horseshoe or large nail [latter might be tricky]
Monday's Child - just write the rhyme out on a t-shirt
Hot Cross buns - quick trip to Sainsburys and school snack sorted too.

Can anyone suggest a not-any-hassle-not-overthetop costume for a part time teacher who is teaching on that day? Hate dressing up but don't want to be seen as a party pooper. Theme is fairy tales.

But tread softly my children are 9 and 11! They are long past the age of wanting to dress up in any of those things. That's my issue. It puts a downer on going to school because you either wear something you don't like, or you don't fit in. If it was Any book, it would be OK. But making them go down a babyish route is unfair IMO.

It was a happy happy day when I found some Griffindor Quidditch robes in a NCT sale for 3 quid. Gorgeous red velvet lined in gold satin - must have cost a bomb originally. Gender neutral for both DC, and wearable from age 3 (ankle length) to 14 (waist length).

Of course both DC's schools are conspiring to undermine my triumph by imposing "themes". If you don't want them to wear Spider-Man and stormtrooper costumes then just say so, don't impose "a character from the Jungle Book" FFS.

Most female primary teachers of my acquaintance seem to go as witches, they get a Poundland hat at Halloween, use whatever fabric they have to hand as a cloak, and then make as much additional effort as they can be arsed to do.

I loved WBD as a kid! I adored reading as a kid (still do) and my Mum bought me a set of classics aged about seven in a car boot sale. I loved them, particularly Wuthering Heights. One WBD, I insisted on going as Cath Earnshaw. My mum bought some heavy dark green / blue wool and made me a full length skirt and cloak with a high neck white blouse I had in my wardrobe and a brooch.

Mum, if you're reading this, sorry for making you look like a pretentious pushy parent! I take full responsibility

"I blame the parents that buy the ready made costumes for their kids. It makes all the other children want one and they hate their mum's homemade efforts. I also hate it when it becomes a 'mum off' at school for the best costume."

I am not creative, work full time and commute three hours a day. eBay is my only option. I'm not doing it to have a "mum off", whatever that is!

Dr s- that's the point . Nobody needs a full on costume. Jeans and shirt = cowboy. Nobody should need to buy ready made or make homemade fancy costumes

DS2 doesn't own a shirt!

I think you are underestimating how uncreative I am. I have no visual imagination. I cannot look at a set of clothes and make the link to a character. Both the DSes were an animal for years on end on the back of one £10 eBay spend; luckily the animal appeared in many books!

My dc's primary school doesn't do WBD . It's an awesome school that does lots of cool stuff, trips, activities and so on (just in case you were thinking it's because they are horrible, boring meanies). But the only dress-up days are 'wear your own clothes' mufti days occasionally. I don't know why they don't do it - maybe the parents complained once too often in the past. Anyway, it certainly suits me!

YADNBU
I'm not a fan of fancy dress up days. I cringe and hang my head when I'm invited to a fancy dress event.
And at school now there is something every term. Comic Relief & Children In Need aside, any other dress up activities is for the birds.
We've done Harry Potter & Co a few years running now. Will love the books for eternity but the gown and wand, over and over? it's tiresome. Book swaps are great but leave the dressing up for Oct 31st please.
I wouldn't buy a costume especially. Use what we have, yes however sparse the pickings may be

serin I would have loved to have seen Percy instead of a scaly rainbow fish

hersetta
Dressing up as an adjective or a word????
How about a plain white T-shirt and jeans. Then write "Fuck World Book Day" on the T-shirt in fabric pen.

No body should need to buy an outfit. Very true. However lots of people do. This makes my home made efforts look rubbish and there is a drama! This year have threatened to send them in uniform if they don't accept my home made creations. You would think the DCs were being sent to school naked.......the shame of it.

debjud - does your hair go into a bun? Can you get some fake pince-nez glasses (or make some) for your nose? Then you can be pretty much Anyteacher from Anybook where teachers are mean and severe. Oh and get a thin cane as well.