AIBU for not wanting to send my dd in pjs?

[Grumpington]

I've just found out that for World Book Day, my dd's school are wearing pyjamas instead of fancy dress. She's really upset as she's been planning her outfit for weeks. But I'm just generally feeling grumpy about it as it just feels weird sending her in night clothes... Or AIBU?

For context, the school had a pyjama day in November - and it was freezing and raining. The wealthiest kids turned up in brand new onesies. None of the kids seemed particularly happy about it but I guess we all thought it was a one off. Apparently the same thing nearly happened last March but some of the older kids managed to persuade the school to change their minds.

@Grumpington It certainly is a let down - my 6yo managed to have 2 WBDs where I made a costume for each and now (2yrs running) school is not dressing up - even though we discuss it weeks prior - lots of parents are happy with this arrangement, but I think it's mean, especially so young.

@QuixoticQuokka yes! I only ever wore nightdresses as a kid and I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing it in school in 0 degrees.

Send her as the kid out of the BFG. 💁🏻‍♀️

If it's cold just wear PJ's over the top of warmer clothes.

I can’t believe how bonkers and OTT World Book Day has got. It used to be a simple thing when it was a newish concept.
Something thrown together the night before.
Now it’s all competition, comparing, buying costumes especially...and planning in advance!

My son went as ‘puss in boots’ as we had a cat mask he’d received from a birthday party goody bag, in jean shorts & wellies, a garden cane from garage with a knotted hanky on the end. Zero cost to me....and no judging of how ‘wealthy’ we are or aren’t.
One year he went in a dress-up costume that he already had (Xmas present) as a character from a film that also had a book out.
Another year, as a pirate because he already had a stripy t-shirt & an eye patch from something else. Again, bit of thought the night before, looked fab & zero cost.

It was never a ‘thing’....we just used what we had. Some kids & some teachers went in pj’s or joggers/t-shirt with dressing gown.

I'm sure most children have some sort of nightwear/lounge wear eg jogging bottoms, they can wear.

Most nationally - probably
Most in some schools- possibly not.

our schools not dressing up this year instead they have a book sale and some authors coming into school. They can get signed books by the authors

I've voted YANBU as I frickin hate all these World Book Day dress up crap.
What happened to promoting good old fashioned reading? Maybe a book stall to browse round in the school hall?
Ours used to do this before it started all the dressing up bollox - it's an expense I don't need but you feel pressured to take part...
As for the pyjamas being inclusive as someone pointed out, what about the poster who said the wealthy ones were going around in posher stuff?
Uniforms are good at school as everyone wears equal, no scope for bullying what you're wearing.
Wish they'd ditch all this dressing up/come in your pyjamas rubbish personally.

@FortunesFave
I’m sorry your daughter is disappointed but the rest of us think it’s a much better idea

No we don't

What have pyjamas got to do with World Book Day?

Good point, lol

It'd only be relevant if you made your jim jams tie in with a book somehow.
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas perhaps?
need to think of girl equivalent too, bah-
But even then you'd still have to go out and buy some new pyjamas if you didn't happen to be stripy....

Sorry OP but this got my hackles up a bit The wealthiest kids turned up in brand new onesies
And you know that for a fact, do you?

stickerqueen That sounds brilliant idea. Was there World Book Day in the late 80s/early 90s? I ask because I have a vague recollection of something called WBD with book stall but don't remember dressing up? This would have been about maybe 1990-1992 period?

Was there World Book Day in the late 80s/early 90s?

Definitely wasn't a thing when I was at school early 80s/early 90s.
Not at either my primary school (mid 80s) or high school (mid 80s to early 90s)

Our school aren’t doing dressing up this year. ‘Cost of the school day’ initiative thing. Some of the kids are disappointed there’s been quite a lot on Facebook about it. I can’t get excited about it. They’re going to be doing lots of reading-themed activities this week and that sounds much more productive to me

I think it takes away from the freedom to express your preferences. DS had been looking forward to dressing as a character from his favourite book but now they all have to dress to a certain theme.

I would just send her in leggings/ jogging bottom and top. My dc reject the concept of pj anyway. They wear what they want to bed and if they get pj tops which are for example Harry Potter they might wear them during the day anyway.

Put other clothes underneath or on top or both (2 sets of pjs?). Mine both had 2/3 thin layers on (t shirts ,leggings, shorts) as well as coat. Some kids went in their favourite jammies (especially the little ones), with holes and stains in all their glory.

For the PP that needed easy costume ideas
One fish two fish red fish blue fish... draw fish, colour in, cut out and safety pin onto a shirt
Alexander and the ....very bad day. Wear pjs and take pillow and blanket as if refusing to get out of bed (messy hair and frown for extra points)
Take a stack of library books. Matilda

I was once hauled into the Head's office for not joining in with pyjama day (I taught Y1 that year). I told him that to me, night clothes were akin to underwear and I only wore nighties at home. This year, the children can wear PJs or a costume and the (dick)Head has told all staff we must dress up. So naturally most of us are not going to bother.

Wrt free costumes, Hermione or Harry - school uniform plus wand and any other wizardy type prior you can make it have. Dd went as Matilda one year with a school summer dress and a red bow in her hair. Dd2 once went as Dora with a purple t shirt, shorts and a back pack (I know Dora is technically a tv show but we did have a series of books and she brought a book with her) these are all examples of ones that involve zero effort. Obviously if ours feeling creative with some cardboard there are far more

@DamsonDress which is great if you have a parent who has that creativity - not me .

Schools can’t win over most things nowadays - a minority of parents love to moan and blame schools for all the ills of the world.

We get used to it .

I’m surprised ‘none of the kids seemed happy about it’. My DC absolutely loved their schools pyjama day and that was during winter, they wore fleecy onesies.

Was there World Book Day in the late 80s/early 90s?

It started in 1998 and it was massive for the first few years. Big national events.

When i was at primary school in the 80’s we had a book day. just the one. Was the Academic year 1989 to 1990. People dressed up. I remember one girl, Angela, was the tin man.

Ooh onesies all over the pee-puddled floor whenever you go to the loo, lovely

Ds always preferred pj days to wbd.
Luckily I'm fussy and his pjs were always decent enough for school but if needed I'd buy a new pair.. Least they'd get worn again . Only once did I ever buy a fancy dress outfit. The rest I made but spending hours on an outfit being made, buying bits to go on it or part of it, pjs would have been cheaper anyway.

I've been to a 40th that was pjs that was odd but I can't pinpoint why.

My DD's school are doing dress up or pyjamas. I'm glad they haven't gone with ditching the dressing up as however much I hate it my dd1 planned her outfit weeks ago and has really thought about it and would have been gutted not to be able to wear it, especially as we only got told the plan last week.
And no polyester here she made it from all things she already has at home.