Cunting World Fucking Book Day.

[EssieTregowan]

I thought I was doing so well this year. DS2 wanted to be Newt Scamander so I found an awesome (and not cheap) costume. DD has a proper wand from the Harry Potter tour so she was lending him that and we have the original book. He was prancing around tonight trying it on.

I double checked the email just to make sure it is actually this Thursday (I have form for getting dates completely wrong, in fact just this week we turned up to the dentists a month early...)

'Come as your favourite Roald Dahl character' it says. Fuckers.

I am so so shit at this.

It kind of works as Willy Wonka if you squint a bit.

Anyone else as fucking shit as me? I hate World Book Day anyway. Still, this beats the time incompletely forgot so ds1 went as Charlie Bucket, ie wearing normal clothes.

Thank fuck dd's school has said no dress ups this year for world book day, there doing other stuff.

I'm glad as it really takes the piss. Some families are deprived in our area and wouldn't be able to afford costumes let alone design one. Also, I hate paying out for a new outfit every year, it stinks.

DS1 is in reception and I am so relieved that school have said all children should bring in their PJ's, dressing gown and slippers which they will change into after lunch and they will be read stories by the teachers all afternoon. How lovely, they actually get to enjoy being read to and parents don't have to faff / spend money on pointless costumes. Really feel our school have got things right here not putting pressure on stressed parents. Previously not had to worry about WBD as it's always on a Thurs / Fri and my kids only go to nursery Mon - Weds as those are the days I work so have managed to avoid it so far. Thank fuck!

Why should it be Roald Dahl? There are other authors out there.

Those schools that set specifics - eg it has to be Roald Dahl - what do they do if children haven't complied? Send them home? What about the child who hasn't dressed up because school uniform is pretty much the only clothes they have?

my girls are at nursery and they join in with World Book Day too. It's obviously not compulsory but I like to participate

How can a 1 year old 'join in'? Sorry I don't mean to be rude but give it a few years when they are actually at school and see how much you like participating then. It becomes relentless.

having all these days also negates (in my mind) their arguements for having a uniform at all

either have it or don't
Don't do these hyped up displays of parenting days then tell us that uniforms keep everyone feeling equal

Nutgirl that sounds lovely and surely is what world book day is actually about ie books. Tinsel I see all of these dress up days as just an extension of the ludicrous situation we have in this country of having to buy special clothes for school because the school dictates what children wear.

My son said he wants to go into dressed as The Iron Man or a tadpole. Neither of which I can achieve.

I'm sick of Roald Dahl, frankly. Centenary or not he's too frequently the default choice for a WBD theme.

The costumes (esp. when there is prize giving involved for said costumes) is all about the parents, usually. Whether they have had the time to make something original from scratch (these usually win in my experience) or bought something new or cobbled something together from home.

There is a point in there somewhere I think

"MIL lent dd a witch's hat." Oh yes!

We're studying 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' next week and expecting Ofsted. Not going to suggest book day dress up for that one.

DS liked his Robin Hood costume but the bow and arrow caused a few problems.

Robinson Crusoe; Poor Tom; any character from 'Lord of the Flies' easy.

'The Handmaid's Tale', '1984' boiler suit or a cute 'Animal Farm' onesie - sorted.

Send 'em in a jar - 'Brave New World'.

Ok, I know it's supposed to be for primary school.

I still remember dressing up my teddy bear for a library day about 100 years ago. Trendy blue dungaree hot-pants and a matching flower in her hair (she still has the scar). I sewed it all myself (hot housed sewing kid). Didn't win because other kids had bought costumes for their bears.

Bitter Moi?
Just wait till it's time to lend my grandchildren a witch's hat.

We have it at the secondary I work at and it's compulsory for staff.....

There's a newt in Matilda? misses point of thread

So much angst about all the bloody dress up days. JUST SEND YOUR KIDS IN IN THEIR NORMAL UNIFORM - stops the stress, kids don't care, and if we all stop playing along the dressing up requests will probably stop too.

Seriously, just let it go...

ZigZag in the water jug that then tips over onto miss trunchbull

'The Woman in Black' teacher's costume for sale. Good with children.

Unfortunately WBD has been ruined by the same sorts of parents who now complain about the cost. It started off as parents and children cobbling together a costume out of whatever was in the house, some crepe paper and maybe a trip to the charity shop, and related to a favourite story. Then over a few years some parents started pushing it by letting their kids go as superheroes and disney princesses and now it's pretty much expected that you have to buy an outfit. Now I've just read here that some children even get bullied if they haven't got a good shop-bought costume! What a shame .

kids don't care Yours might not, a lot do and would get really upset at being the only one in uniform, and other kids can be really mean. I've had to sort out a few playground arguments about why x's mum didn't get them a costume

We had Roald Dahl day a few months bank.

Ds2 went as George (and the marvellous medicine). It was really easy - same colour top as George. I bought two sets of three clear plastic travel bottles from pound land, some multi coloured tissue paper and labels. Shredded the tissue into the bottles and labelled them as 'engine oil', 'shampoo' etc and attached them to a piece of string hanging around his waist. Had one large bottle labelled 'marvellous medicine' and a wooden spoon.

He was the only George amongst dozens of BFGs and willy wonkas in bought costumes and looked amazing!

Quite so, Pixel.

Can I just drop in and say my school decided not to do dressing up this year as too often people just come in football kits and non-uniform. We got a petition from the parents saying that we were being unreasonable! I thought they'd all be relieved. We are doing book events just not dressing up but we're not changing our minds.

How can they say just the BFG narnia72? I mean there are only about 6 characters in the whole thing apart from the interchangeable evil giants. And one of them is the Queen!

A whole class full of Sophies then. Is that really better than come as your favourite whatever you cN cobble together character?

I hate these days. DS has autism and hates the change. He doesn't do dressing up anyway. His new school have said favourite book character or just come in non uniform. He doesn't even like that, so as usual, next week he shall probably be the only child in the whole school in uniform and all of the other parents can look down on him as the boy whose mum forgot/couldn't be bothered .

Still, we know the truth!

Ours only have to read a bit of their favourite poem/ book out loud. Result! Still hard work and I've passed that chore on to DH! His bloody turn.

Charlie Bucket - own clothes, bar of chocolate
George from Georges Marvellous Medicine- own clothes and saucepan, empty bottles
Alex Rider - own clothes and name badge
Percy Jackson- own clothes and dagger

Matilda- own clothes and pile of books.

Can you tell my kids don't like dressing up!!

If it's world book day why pick a British author with restrictive choices of dress

All of the children in Dahls books dress as children: James, Matilda, etc.

Ok maybe Mike TV or Verucca Salt but the other options are having them dress as adult characters from Dahl books some of which are actually very sinister.

I'd ignore their requirements.