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!)

I understand the intention behind it, like the kids dressing up to cause them to talk about their favourite book character and by extension their favourite book.
But yeah it can be a pain in the butt, I'm sure.

My DD once went in school uniform and described herself as generic fictional schoolgirl.

Our school PTA asked for parents to donate old costumes and accessories which they've been re-selling for a donation to the PTA.

I am Moore than capable of making something decent, I just have neither time nor energy.. Wouldn't be so bad had my kids committed to it a while ago but they were both disinterested until this week when I'm back to work and running on empty

I’m tired of all these pushes to reading at the moment. It’s not just Workd Book Day and it’s not just crappy costumes either.
If you really want to support reading and literacy, bring back libraries. Bring back the staff and pay them the way they used to be. You’ll find it gives an impetus back to publishing and allows small publishers to thrive, the way it used to. Until that happens all these Literature Festivals and Workd Book Days and other shite are just money spinners, rip offs, and upper middle class pretensions, rubbing the noses of lower class groups in what they can never have. It’s very simple.

It’s no accident that all these pushes have started as libraries have declined.

I loathe it - not good at creativity, work so no time and my kids always want to be something specific

Although it's a myth that parents don't have the skills to help kids with simple costumes at home

Not as far as I am concerned, I can assure you. DH is a little more creative, luckily for ds. But why do schools set "challenges" for parents, whether it's craft/art homeworks or making/devising costumes? Yeah I know all about school-parent "partnership". No fun for those of us who are creatively challenged though (and it can be expensive if you throw money at the problem because you don't have the creativity).

And totally agree with the library thing. Every school should have a library with a staff member who is at least certification qualified, ideally chartered.

And stop local authorities from closing libraries and hollowing out the provision. Oh lets cut opening hours. Oh, fewer people are using the library (because it's not open as much). Lets close it!

To be honest they should just take a book in. I have bought an outfit from Asda and will then give to the school as a dressing up outfit.

Our school is just doing a book swap...much better idea

Our school are doing reading/book related activities all day, no costumes but the option of bringing in a plain old T-shirt to decorate/draw favourite characters on. So far they’ve made bookmarks & read favourite stories to the nursery & reception children.

"I understand the intention behind it, like the kids dressing up to cause them to talk about their favourite book character and by extension their favourite book"..

Pretty sure not much of this actually happens.....it will be a case of "who are you supposed to be"...oh I'm so and so".."oh right"..

I was walking home against the current of kids from a nearby primary school. I saw a few orange boiler suites - spacemen/persons?

@Midlifeargh

I 100% agree with you. Why on earth don’t they ask children to bring in a favourite book? The costumes are a complete waste of money, no doubt strain some families’ budgets and end up in landfill because they rip in 3 minutes.

The whole lower/middle school overload of dress up days used to really annoy me - unimaginative and thoughtless. We’re now in secondary, and whilst I’m not enjoying teenage mood swings, I am very pleased dress up shite is behind us.

It's bollocks and a total waste. I used to teach English...get the kids to do a poster, write a blurb, design a quiz or a book review instead.

I don’t remember it as a child. When did it become a big thing?

Apparently UK version started 1998. I didn’t notice it becoming a big thing until much more recently, though I didn’t have kids then.