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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be irritated by kids dressing up as Buzz Lightyear on World Book Day?

234 replies

theoracleofdelphi · 02/03/2017 11:07

It's World Book Day. Children are invited to go to school as their favourite book character. Why oh why is Facebook full of photos of little darlings dressed as Buzz Lightyear & various Disney Princesses?!
For some reason it really makes my teeth itch! GrinGrinGrin

OP posts:
reuset · 02/03/2017 12:47

If its all about reading and literature, what are they doing dressing up at all?

It's about dressing up as a book character, apparently. Some schools ask you to bring along the corresponding book.

ChrisYoungFuckingRocks · 02/03/2017 12:47

I used blue face paint, painted my DTDs blue and sent them to school as Smurfs lol Grin.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 02/03/2017 12:49

^^ Just hope it washes off or they'll be smurfs tomorrow too

mmgirish · 02/03/2017 12:49

I think the whole thing is a joke. I'm a primary teacher who goes along with world book day dress up every bloody year and I have yet to see a reluctant reader become more interested in reading after a dress up day...

Parents are busy and lots of people don't have the time, energy nor the inclination to create a wonderful costume based on a book. My school is doing it tomorrow because of a power cut today. My son is going as Harry with a bucket full of dinosaurs...

MiladyThesaurus · 02/03/2017 12:49

A puzzle book though grin Isn't WBD intended to be about children's reading and literature? I'm afraid I won't be convinced about Where's Wally.

You're overgeneralising. Something can be a book, even if it isn't a 'story'. The dinosaur encyclopaedia in one of the previous posts, for example, is clearly a book. A wordless picture book is still a book. As I said, it's not world worthy fiction Day.

Also, there can be great value in something like where's wally because it encourages children to really attend to the detail on the page.

GahBuggerit · 02/03/2017 12:50

but WHY DO SOME OF YOU CARE?????????????

TheOnlyLivingBoyinNewCork · 02/03/2017 12:50

It's about dressing up as a book character, apparently

Clearly, but how does that have any effect on reading or literature? It doesn't. I read every day of my life but I've never once felt the need to dress up as a character.

lalalalyra · 02/03/2017 12:51

I love it when people come out with "you can get a costume for only 2 or 3 quid". You could. Same with the "wear something yellow" only cost £1 or £2 a week ago. Next week's non uniform day thankfully isn't dress up, but is still another £1. It'll be £2 in a couple of weeks for Red Nose Day, plus the trip to the museum which means a packed lunch (because the free school meal packed lunch wouldn't feed a sparrow) next week which will be around £2.

If all these odd few quids is easy for you then think yourself lucky and stop giving shit to the parent who just prayed the dress up outfit still fitted as she didn't have a spare couple of quid.

Also don't move your kid school the week before WBD if the old school didn't do it and you find out on Monday that not only do the new one do it, but it's competitive!

steppemum · 02/03/2017 12:51

our school used to ask the kids to bring in the book they based their character on.
At the very least it made sure the kids were aware that the focus was disney the book rather than disney the film.

Dd2 went in as a minecraft character. Althoguh not asked to this year, she took the book she is reading in to prove that it was a character from a minecraft story and not just a randdom game character!

ChrisYoungFuckingRocks · 02/03/2017 12:51

Tomorrow - Just hope it washes off or they'll be smurfs tomorrow too

So do I!!!! Confused

SumThucker · 02/03/2017 12:52
DavetheCat2001 · 02/03/2017 12:52

My DS wanted to go as the Gruffalo and I did manage to get him an outfit eventually, by holy feck the ridiculous prices people were selling them for second hand on eBay was comical!

It seems to be a nice little money spinner to pop your outfits on about 10 days before WBD and watch the £££ roll in!

ofudginghell · 02/03/2017 12:52

Good grief the perfect mums brigade is out in force today eh Wink

My daughter went as Mallory from the series of books but only decided last night she wanted to take part...at 7pm....just before bedtime Shock

Without lowering myself to any bitching going on here and in response to those saying make time and don't be online as you should be spending time with your kids my god.
Judgemental or what Hmm

I'd rather spend the 20 -30 mins reading a god damn book with my child as opposed to running around trying to mash together an outfit of some sort.

When you've got more than one child and both parents work normal every day life is hectic enough isn't it?
And yes I'm an over organised mum doing pack ups and uniforms and filling in school forms,lettered,homework diaries at bloody ten o clock some nights whilst necking my tea but that's because from the minute I've got in the door from work I've spent the entire duration from then until bedtime catching up with my kids asking how their day has been helping them with homework and anything else.
Once they are settled in bed I'm then doing the things that need to be done ready for the next day so forgive me for not perfectly putting together a sodding outfit fit for a princess after a 15 hour days of running around.
And if I want to check out anything online in the five mins I've got waiting for the tumble dryer to finish I bloody well will.

What is it with the mums brigade of perfection at the moment!!!

Excuse my rant. Just getting fed up with people in their high horses trying to belittle the rest of us

Rant over
As you were Grin

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 02/03/2017 12:53

You could just say they are feeling a little blue today.... but no doctor needed

stabbybitch · 02/03/2017 12:55

I couldn't care less what other children are dressed as for WBD. If their favourite character happens to be in a movie/comic/magazine it still bloody counts!

I'm just happy my DS wanted to dress up at all, he doesn't normally. He's gone in a monkey onesie - curious George.
DD wanted to wear a new dress & shrug she has so we had to come up with who she could be. She's a modern Lucy from the chronicles of narnia. Some would say she picked the wrong way round but does it really matter?

Whiterabbitears · 02/03/2017 12:58

ofudginghell high five! Couldn't agree more! Grin

Peakyblinder · 02/03/2017 12:58

My eldest daughter has been in Great Ormond Street hospital all week, she has an auto immune disease and we got back at 11pm last night. Therefore my ds aged 5 went to school this moring dressed as a pirate in an outfit I hurridly dragged out of the dress up box at 6am this morning.
He could have gone as Buzz Lightyear as thats the other dress up outfit he owns.
Am I a Lazy dick who can't be bothered ????
I can assure you i am not ! I'm tired and anxious and worried and exhausted looking after my dd. And now I get to be worried about what some of the other mums will be think about my PISS POOR effort this morning
Sad Thanks a lot.

stabbybitch · 02/03/2017 13:00

Flowers peaky.

prettypinkpigs · 02/03/2017 13:02

Saw this on facebook, thought it appropriate!

T’was the night before World Book Day and all through the town,
Parents were pacing, their faces a frown.
They’d sat by the door and listened with care,
In hope that Amazon soon would be there.
With costume plans dashed, the children in tears,
Mummy sends Dad for emergency beers.
The children are finally sent to their beds,
While Mummy regrets coming off of her meds.
She scrambles around while Daddy looks on,
He knows in his heart that his evening has gone.
She opens the chocolate, forgets making tea,
Raises the threat level to DEFCON 3.
Out comes the craft box, the scissors, the glue,
The felt and the cardboard, the staple gun too.
She sits back and ponders what she could create.
The tales that her costumes would grandly relate.
A Cat in a Hat. A Snail or a Whale.
Harry or Wally. Some random male.
A Mr. A Miss. An Ant or a Bee.
The Tin Man or Peter Pan. The Faraway Tree.
Alice. Hermione. A Witch or the Queen.
A Pirate. A Knight. Jack’s Magic Bean.
A Lion. A Tiger. A Bear named Baloo.
A Greek or A Viking. Thing One or Thing Two.
Mum throws back the beer admitting defeat,
Mum of the Year. No need to compete.
When what to her wondering eyes did appear,
Dad at the door, his eyes full of fear.
He holds up an Elsa, an old Batman cape,
“Maybe a princess? Or Severus Snape?”
“Snape isn’t Batman” Mum shouts in disgust,
“And Elsa is covered in ketchup and dust”
“A wet-wipe will soon get that ketchup right out,”
His smile starts to waver, his eyes full of doubt.
Mum looks at the floor. At the cardboard and felt.
An old pair of tights and Daddy’s old belt.
“Well Batman’s a comic so I guess that’s OK.”
She’s starting to see the error of her ways.
“Why spend all that cash when the answer’s right here?”
“Elsa works too. Now pass me a beer.”
Dad heads for the fridge. He stops and he turns.
His body held rigid. Face full of concern.
“But Frozen’s a film, not really a book,”
“Well at this stage darling, who gives a…”

reuset · 02/03/2017 13:02

Clearly, but how does that have any effect on reading or literature? It doesn't. I read every day of my life but I've never once felt the need to dress up as a character

Well no, but you're not a school child, presumably. I'm not a fan of WBD (though some schools, as I said, do it better than others) I am not the person to ask about the benefits.

Whiterabbitears · 02/03/2017 13:02

PeakyblinderFlowers hope your DD is ok

Chloe1984 · 02/03/2017 13:03

Those saying they don't have time to make a costume, it's around the same time of year each year isn't it? So not like there is short notice. Could be a good thing to do during half term maybe, and it doesn't have to be expensive, most of it can be made up of basic clothes they already have with a few added accessories. Kudos to the parents and kids who don't want go along with the expensive and fire hazardous Frozen costumes. (Sorry for any offence caused to those who are taking along an Elsa sticker book).

PenelopeChipShop · 02/03/2017 13:04

Oh Peakyblinder you are doing a fantastic job under difficult circumstances. No one with any priorities should give a shiney shite what your ds is wearing. And if they do, you have better things to worry about, don't give this headspace xx

PS what does it say about your school if it doesn't even do world book day? My Ds is in reception and I was vaguely wondering which outfit to out him in but nothing ever came home in the book bags so it's all a bit of a non event here!

Binkybix · 02/03/2017 13:04

Mine (3) went as batman. I could not give the tiniest fuck!

FloweringDeranger · 02/03/2017 13:06

The benefit is one relaxed day amongst the increasing pressures on schools and kids. That's how I see it anyway.

Flowers peaky

Loved that poem prettypinkpigs!

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