....to want to make a bit more effort with DS2's Christmas costume?

[LaContessaDiPlump]

DS2 is going to be a shepherd in the Reception Christmas play. The costume guidance has come home now, and for shepherds they recommend:
Black/grey trousers
Black/grey/white top
Tea towel for head

tea towel? My dad is Arab and I grew in the Middle East, so maybe I'm hung up on this. But tea towel?!

WIBU to make an effort to acquire a more appropriate item for him to wear on his head? Say, a large piece of clean cloth, or a scarf? Not a wooly one obvs....

Umm... or people with ethnic ties to the region involved want to make more effort because they feel they're being more respectful towards their culture that way?

That's what's going on here.

I understand the teacher's motivation and don't want to single my son out

I wouldn't faff around with bits of material or tea towels (and I think a shirt and trousers for a shepherd sounds odd). I'd go on Ebay and spend £8 on an actual shepherds costume. Asda has them even cheaper but they're out of stock online...might be luckier in store though.

The teachers will try and make things cheap for parents...hardly anyone listens IME and shepherd costumes are so easy to get hold of and cheap I bet more than half the class will be in them. It will probably be the kids in a tea towel, shirt and trousers who are in the vast minority.

You are probably right Green. I will have a poke around online and see what I can find :)

No one is being disrespectful. It's a perfectly normal Shepherd costume for reception class and has been for years.
My eldest DD is almost 30 and costumes worn for the nativity when she.was.in.reception,were tea towels and dressing gowns over every day clothes.
No one commented or made a fuss about it. You are over thinking OP

I know it's perfectly normal for you, mumeee, and traditional in this country, but can you not see that it might appear differently to someone who isn't used to it and didn't grow up here?

I know no-one is intentionally being disrespectful, but I would feel uncomfortable following suit and so am not going to.

I totally get where you're coming from. It's similar to a play depicting Sikhs where everyone is using a towel for a turban, for ease. If a mother who was Sikh herself or who had family/close friends of that religion/culture decided to make more of an effort, out of respect, where's the problem? OP isn't taking offence and insisting that all the children have proper headwear.