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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

World book day - superheroes, disney princesses and film characters

151 replies

BeyondTellsEveryoneRealFacts · 03/03/2016 09:53

We'll just start by me acknowledging that i know i abu!! I also know it has been done before, probably on this day last year and the year before that, and the year before that

But its annoying me, so there. It probably wouldnt bug me if only a few did it, but it seems to be nearly everyone

Its not an effort thing, the costumes i have used required zero effort, nor is it only cost when there are people in books who wear normal clothes!! And if its that people want to pick up a costume in asda, they have book related costumes there!

So, unanimous iabu thread? Grin

OP posts:
RudeElf · 03/03/2016 10:17

Yabu to even care. Why do you care?

Its not about what theyre reading, its that they are reading that matters.

And loads of superheroes began life in a comic book.

Katenka · 03/03/2016 10:17

It seems pointless to do it at all, its not encouraging anyone to read

how does making a costume encourage reading though?

Both my kids read a lot. Dd always wore costumes we already had. Like Alice In wonderland.

If you didn't make any effort, what's the issue?

Dd went to secondary as tris from divergent today. Vest top, black jeans and some tattoos drawn on. She isn't anymore likely to read than she already is

wornoutboots · 03/03/2016 10:18

I took a spare costume in, because one kid in my son's class had no costume last year or the year before. it's a doctor costume. dunno nor care what book they'll tell him it's from, at least the poor little thing won't be left out again this year.
I'm sure there are doctors in lots of books after all.

(my kid was the only one in a home-made costume again)

Katenka · 03/03/2016 10:19

This is how she went this morning. Me drawing birds on her collar bone area has not encouraged reading

World book day - superheroes, disney princesses and film characters
TheyAreNotBuns · 03/03/2016 10:21

Why do you care what everyone else is wearing? Why? Why judge? It really doesn't matter does it?

Original poster
BeyondTellsEveryoneRealFacts · 03/03/2016 10:23

Paul - ds1 is wearing normal clothes with a red hood of mine - red riding hood, ds2 is wearing pjs and a wolf mask that we have from halloween - 'wolf disguised as grandma'.

As i said, i know iabu. Why do i care? I dunno - I imagine that 'snob' is probably somewhat right am rather pedantic about doing things 'right'
< Hmm at myself>

OP posts:
TeaAndCake · 03/03/2016 10:23

Yes YABU.
Who cares? I hate the palaver of WBD.

DC1 has gone in a borrowed, home made Cat in the Hat costume.
DC 2 has gone as Paddington Bear (duffle coat, hat, wellies and a luggage label)
DC3 has gone in her Elsa dress because that's what she wanted to wear and frankly, it wasn't worth having an argument with a 3 year old about it.

Biscuit
ohtheholidays · 03/03/2016 10:23

YABVU lots of those characters are in BOOKS!

The children should all be given a book token so that they can go into a book shop and pick a book out and get it for free so that is encouraging reading.

If the children feel included and enjoy themselves then that's all that should matter to anyone that cares about children.

TheWoodenSpoonOfMischief · 03/03/2016 10:24

Mine just went in normal clothes. Ds2 wore a chunky watch as he was some child secret agent and ds1 decided he was just going to say he was Danny the champion of the world.

Katenka · 03/03/2016 10:25

As i said, i know iabu. Why do i care? I dunno - I imagine that 'snob' is probably somewhat right am rather pedantic about doing things 'right'

Eh? How are they doing it wrong?

Is it make your own horn made costume day? Or WBD - dress as you favourite character from a book?

PaulAnkaTheDog · 03/03/2016 10:27

But it's not 'pedantic'. It's you being incorrect. They are dressed up as characters from books!

Terrifiedandregretful · 03/03/2016 10:29

I agree WBD seems to have very little to do with books. I'm a teacher and hate having to find a costume for myself every year! We do however have a list of approved books the children can dress from in our school (fairy tales, Roald Dahl, Narnia, Alice, that kind of thing) so we don't get too random stuff.

Original poster
BeyondTellsEveryoneRealFacts · 03/03/2016 10:30

What do you think the chances are that the 8 spidermans (spidermen?) in DS's class were asked which book character they wanted to dress up as and all chose spiderman?

OP posts:
ofuckit · 03/03/2016 10:31

OP I think the point is that most people would rather use a costume their child already has than shell out ££ on a new one.

So yes YABU

PaulAnkaTheDog · 03/03/2016 10:31

Did your children choose their costumes without any input from you?

DiscoGlitter · 03/03/2016 10:35

I hate the whole World Book Day dressing up malarkey, but anything that makes children think about books is fine by me.
Seeing comic book characters used to make me a bit Confused as they're NOT BOOKS! Grin but on thinking more about it, I suppose they loosely are as comics count as reading too. Any reading's great.
I'm completely baffled by one I saw this morning though at primary school.
A pink lady from Grease. Great costume, but how the heckity heck is that a book?! Confused
Unless I'm totally ignorant and there actually is a Grease book out there as well as the film.... Confused

britnay · 03/03/2016 10:36

Spider-Man is a comic book, so totally appropriate for WBD

TaraCarter · 03/03/2016 10:36

I used to feel a bit aghast at the costumes for WBD as a child who was a big reader.

Then I had children and they're not bookworms, and bought a superhero costume last year. Why? Because the previous week, entirely at his own instigation, my son had chosen an Early Reader about superheroes at the library and loved it. He was getting the book out to read over and over with adult encouragement. The next week, he was very firm who he wanted to be and absolutely no way was I going to trample on that new green shoot of enthusiasm about reading.

I doubt I'm alone. Up and down the country, I suspect most children in superhero and princess costumes have a book featuring that character which they love. That is something to value and, I hope, build on.

Original poster
BeyondTellsEveryoneRealFacts · 03/03/2016 10:37

We discussed what they wanted, using a pile of books. When ds1 picked, i suggested to ds2 that he could do the same book and he agreed
(Not that i dont have any experience of the tantrumming child who will Only Go as x, we had that on CiN)

Trying to pick apart what exactly is bugging me about it... It seems to be that the "go to" costume is superhero/princess, not just for one person, but for everyone. Does that make sense at all?

OP posts:
makingmiracles · 03/03/2016 10:38

Yanbu this morning there were probably about 25 Spider-Man and 10 Belles, plus lots and lots of other Disney princesses....
Wbd does not require a lot of effort or money, pretty sure my kids costumes cost less than a Disney princess dress...therefor I conclude its total lack of effort/thought. I would also argue most Disney were films way before they were made into "books".

PaulAnkaTheDog · 03/03/2016 10:38

What gets to me is it's supposed to be a bit of fun for the kids, yet some parents still manage to make it a way to judge others. Unless they are dressing their nine year old up as a character from 50 Shades, then it's unfair and unnecessary.

Happyrouter · 03/03/2016 10:39

I had better tell the teachers at my children's school that the amazing adventures of Spider-Man book in the reading scheme is not a book.

Original poster
BeyondTellsEveryoneRealFacts · 03/03/2016 10:39

I'm torn on "wheres wally" btw Grin definitely comes in a book, but not doing much to encourage reading!

OP posts:
exLtEveDallas · 03/03/2016 10:41

DiscoGlitter, Yep, there is a Grease book www.amazon.com/Grease-Ron-De-Christoforo/dp/0671024566

Katenka · 03/03/2016 10:41

So it's more that you think it's not something they have had input in?

Well I asked ds what he want to go as. It was batman, he loves batman. His birthday was this week, most of his gifts were batman related. He reads batman comic books, watches it on tv.

He has a batman costume because he loves batman. No way would I bother making a batman costume when I have one in the house.

It's you assumptions that are bothering you.