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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what IS the point of dressing up on world book day?

181 replies

malificent7 · 01/03/2018 16:32

Stressful and expensive for parents. Do they actually learn more by dressing up?
Do it make them think about books more or something?
Id much rather they did some book related activities on the day and perhaos a tiny bit of non expensive homework.

After all that stress and expense many schools were shut anyway. At 9 dd just wants to go in jeans and t shirt anyway.pah!

OP posts:
Original poster
malificent7 · 01/03/2018 16:32

They being kids not parents obviously!!

OP posts:
crunchtime · 01/03/2018 16:34

The point of it is for the children to have fun.

I know, I know..how very dare the teachers want the kids to have fun when they could be doing tests instead-it's shocking!

TeeBee · 01/03/2018 16:36

Its not fun though is it. Most the kids I know hate dressing up. Most of them end up going in their own clothes and trying to find a book that fits what they are wearing.

PlanNumber · 01/03/2018 16:37

It's supposed to make ready fun. I know, I'm not convinced either, but I also don't know why parents get so uptight about the costumes. There are loads of simple costume suggestions on-line to put together with things you have a home, taking less time than shopping.

It doesn't need to be expensive or time consuming. My Dc have finished primary now but I never bought a costume for any dress up day and I'm not creative either. I just used what we had.

DalekDalekDalek · 01/03/2018 16:39

It does seem to be all about dressing up now and nothing about books.

The fancy dress costumes in front of the big World Book Day display in my local supermarket are full of Disney costumes. I'm sure that there have been books written about Disney films but it does seem like they've missed the point a little.

Donotbequotingmeinbold · 01/03/2018 16:40

It's for the kids to have fun.

MrsDesireeCarthorse · 01/03/2018 16:41

Kids at my school love it. We've postponed it a week so everyone can take part. Most of the teachers do it too, it's great.

PhelanThePain · 01/03/2018 16:41

It’s so the competitive mums can have yet another reason to put their DCs on FB and get loads of praise for their costume making skills.

UrgentScurryfunge · 01/03/2018 16:41

No idea. I have a fairly young, dressing-up resistant child who is still in the easy readers stage of reading.
We're supposed to be doing it tomorrow... if school reopens... I'm not sure if I need to reopen the argument about what he's wearing tomorrow.
And school gave us notice on Monday... after one teacher said that they weren't Hmm

george49 · 01/03/2018 16:42

God forbid the kids have fun at school, right?

Fucks sake

JassyRadlett · 01/03/2018 16:43

Most the kids I know hate dressing up.

Gosh, really? Mine are still little (6 and 2) but even the older neighbour kids we know still love dressing up.

Ours did lots of book themed activities today, talked about the characters they were dressed as during class, sorted themselves into different ‘categories’ of books, matched themselves with a year 5 or 6 for the big kids to read to them. 6 year old has come buzzing.

george49 · 01/03/2018 16:45

Same every time on MN

Take an every day kids activity which generations have enjoyed and you'll get a truck load of parents telling you that their Johnnie has anxiety and hates it.

UrgentScurryfunge · 01/03/2018 16:47

I think the pajamas/ favourite book approach is much better as it is more focused on the book then, not what do we have that can be made into a costume and has the child ever actually heard of it.

SleepFreeZone · 01/03/2018 16:47

Our school didn’t dress up this year. So that should appease the killjoys on this thread.

Original poster
malificent7 · 01/03/2018 16:47

They can have fun by doing activities at school such as doing a class play, book show and tell, make a prop from a nook, book quizzes , drop everything and read etc...

it was cute in primary...in year 5 dd dosnt want to do fancy dress and it dosnt make her want to read...I used to make fancy dress for her but all that dressing up effort for one day-not fun!

OP posts:
Topseyt · 01/03/2018 16:48

I don't think there is any point at all, and it certainly was never fun.

It only happened to mine when they were in primary school, and then thankfully not every year. They used to pretend that their favourite books were some of the Disney characters when still in the infants, as we had a large Disney dressing up box which could be used. Beyond that it was a PITA.

It is one of many reasons why they and I do not miss primary school. Secondary school is much less in-your-face with this sort of thing.

george49 · 01/03/2018 16:48

Well there's always one misery

Original poster
malificent7 · 01/03/2018 16:49

book ...

A class book quiz show/ treasure hunt is much more fun (and less work for busy parents)

Worl book day could have activity packs to ease the stress on busy teachers too.

OP posts:
TheDailyMailIsADisgustingRag · 01/03/2018 16:50

I’m going to sound like a very naive mum of young dcs here... but, does it really have to be expensive? My eldest is only 3, but they do world book day at nursery. I put her in black clothes, added cat ears, whiskers and a tail and said she was Tabby McTat, (I know he’s a Tabby, but hey ho).

upsideup · 01/03/2018 16:51

How dare our children ever just have fun without learning anything!?
Me and my kids love world book day, choosing their character and dressing up and they were all really upset that school was closed today.
To be honest if you are as much as a miserable anti fun parent as you come across as in your OP its not suprising your 9 year old no longer wants to be a child and have fun.

mollied · 01/03/2018 16:53

I loved it as a kid getting to get dressed up for school. My cousins all have young kids and they all love dressing up. You just have to be creative doesn't have to be expensive my mum made all my outfits using some imagination.

QualityDogWrangler2 · 01/03/2018 16:53

Its a marketing ploy by damn supermarkets and book sellers, and stupid schools feed into it.
It’s damn annoying as a parent, and often the kids aren’t bothered/ don’t want to dress up/ get upset if someone doesn’t like their costume.
I’m sick to death of it.

NotAgainYoda · 01/03/2018 16:53

A lot of children (not all, by any means) like to dress up. When they dress up they get to show a different side of themselves to their peers and their teachers.

One of mine did not like dressing up. He didn't dress up. He didn't care. If your child does not like to dress up you have two options: teach him or her not to care, or suggest options for subtle, easy dressing up, like being Charlie from Charlie and Lola, or Charlie, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or Charlie Brown, or... I am sure there are other Charlies

bigmouthstrikesagain · 01/03/2018 16:56

I have a nearly 12 yo who was very excited to dress up today (mad hatter) and really enjoyed it. I have a 9 yo who will be dressed as the highway rat tomorrow. She is looking forward to it. Some school activities are enjoyed by some children more than others. School play, sports day, nativity, charity days, etc etc. If your point is that you can't see the benefits of dressing up for world book Day op then you are entitled to your opinion but I don't think everyone agrees.

x2boys · 01/03/2018 16:57

It's not much fun its bloody expansive £16 sodding quid for an outfit he will wear once and hes 11 in year 6 he hates reading and he feels a bit old for this now tbh .

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