AIBU that world book day doesn’t support reading, but instead supports the buying of crappy costumes on amazon?

[Midlifeargh]

I really am starting to hate world book day.

Sure, it comes from a great place.

But sick of making costumes because I’m too cheap to buy them (also don’t like throw away fashion).

Also sick of it always being MY problem because I’m the freaking woman.

Am I being unreasonable that world book day does more to support amazon.com’s costume department than actual reading?

(I sort of want to be unreasonable in thinking that, to be honest!)

Trust me most of the teachers in my school staff room dislike it too ...
I've cheated and spent £10 on a headdress and tabard style costume from a certain supermarket chain

Our school doesn’t do it at all (the dressing up bit that is) but just does general book / reading activities. I’m so glad I won’t have any of this rubbish. It’s just landfill.

Ugh it's changed so much. 10 years ago most parents at the school made a costume. Now the supermarkets and online giants are cashing in its lost its appeal for me but obviously still participate because you don't want to be the odd one out.

Our school chose sponsored read/listen by usborne. Now parents are complaining about not having to buy costumes 🙄

DS’s school have done a book swap for the last 2 years, each child brings in a book they are finished with (or more of the parents want to have a clear out) and they come home with a different book. No hassle with dressing up and it’s actually about the books!

Just don't do it!

No one has to dress up or spend money but if everyone goes along with it every year it will continue, you only have yourselves to blame.

And why are schools being praised for pyjama days, that's as old as the hills, it's hardly a groundbreaking alternative to costumes

I kind of reluctantly agree. It should be about reading not costumes.

Yanbu. I won't use Amazon and used to get the book day costumes from charity shops.

TBH I'd prefer it if all the £10 for costumes were spent in Waterstones instead.

I didn't even read your OP just pressed Yanbu button! Both mine love reading but WBD is not about that. It's should be. DD has insisted her favourite book is a Frozen annual as she wants to go as Elsa. Fine by me she already has a costume so no work for me. Clever DD. DS is autistic and won't deviate from school uniform. In any case, his favourite book right now is one I bought him on The Facts of Life so not sure how I'd go about doing a costume for that

Fortunately no dressing up is required this year. One DS did actually win the class prize once when I dressed him traditional style in simple shirt and shorts as his namesake classic book character (e.g. Just William type character)

The other DS is hard work; dyslexia and autism with a strong dose of sensory issues is not an easy combination for dressing upon a literay theme. The last few years he's worn one of his usual Lego/ Minecraft t-shirts, made a Steve/ Lego Man mask and taken a handbook in. There was the James Bond arguement where I had to point out that a) he doesn't own a tuxedo and b) he has a phobia of wearing trousers.

There was one year when they were given a list of books which was tough. One was Aliens Love Underpants and I made a boggle-eyed headband and stuck a pair of alien print underpants on his head

I'm enjoying the year off costumes although I have ended up buying cheap white t-shirts for them to decorate...

Our school isn't dressing up but is doing a book swap.
After seeing frantic parents in the dressing up aisle of the super market I am so relieved.
My DD has recycled her witches Halloween outfit for the last 3 dressing up events at school anyway.

I do wish parents would make more of the books and not the costumes. My daughter is going as the worst witch, she is wearing her halloween witches dress. Dd has been reading the books with her dad.

2 mums have posted on the class page asking for copies of books as their children are dressing as characters they dont have the book of, 1 mum admitted she explained the character to her ds as he had never heard of the story !

I have just escaped upstairs while DH battles and swears at a cardboard box to try to turn it into a wardrobe as DS insisted that my Lion, Witch and Wardrobe idea (which I did a swift turnaround on this morning as we hadn’t started it!) was better than going as Percy Jackson ( jeans, T-shirt, hoodie). Thank god I found some vinyl covering in Poundland so we don’t have to stay up all night to paint it. Still at least it’s only costing a few quid.

No costumes for us this time yay! We are bringing a book in though.

Book swap sounds much better.

My DDs school aren't doing anything for it. I think you all sound a bit humbug-ish. It's just a bit of fun. If you would rather throw money at the problem then buy an outfit on amazon, if you want to be creative then make something? What's the problem?

Our school has done the dressing up as a word thing for the last couple of years. One of the kids last year chose forgetful and came in his school uniform- genius!

You don’t need to make or buy a costume. Plenty characters wearing jeans and t shirts in books.

It all just gets a bit much. I don't think we have a week go by without something being expected:

Non school uniform for cash,
sponsor this and that with quite heavy expectations,
book day,
costume day,
wear a colour for a charity day,
cross country runs,
forest school,
trips for £££

and all this is on top of a large quantity of daily homework.

Humph.

Our school says you can dress up, or just bring a “prop” in that would relate to a book, or do nothing. No pressure.

I dream of a world where they will do without costumes and instead do book swap and read your own whatever-you-want (including manga or collecting cards) and give them hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows so kids associate books with good times and deliciousness.

Spiderman, Batman, Ironman, Mario, Luigi and utterly fucking Steve from Minecraft should be LEGALLY EXCLUDED as costumes for World Book Day. Rant not at all over...

I agree.
They might as well call it "buy shite from Amazon day".

No way would I buy a supermarket costume! DD 7 has always just wanted to wear a onesie, fine by me!

While our school says “no pressure”, the kids would be disappointed if their friends dressed up and they didn’t. And their friends go all out!

I’m much more for book swaps or other fun reading stuff at school - or even if the school made a prop from their favourite book as part of their art lesson!

All this spending on fancy dress costumes or even stuff from the haberdashery to make things that’ll go in the bin after... it’s such a waste!