world book day is a pointless, costly pain in the arse for working parents?

[LumpenProletariat]

Does it make any difference to reading levels? As a solo working mum, I find it a total pain and costly too.

It’s a PITA but anything that makes school more fun is probably to be encouraged

So talk to the teacher/school/parents’ association at some point earlier in the year and explain that any theme beyond “character from a book” is not workable, for the reasons you give.

I'll be talking to them about how more reading focused activities would achieve the aim better than dress up. Ta very much.

@TheKeatingFive

And wearing parents’ clothes or sibling clothes is an option, so ordinary clothes are dressing up clothes too.

I would struggle to see how my 40 year old mum clothes or his brothers toddler clothes would be of any help here.

“40 year old Mum clothes” is a pretty broad category.” You’re just being defeatist.

You’re just being defeatist.

Call me what you like, absolutely nothing you've said has convinced me you're POV has any merit.

@TheKeatingFive

So talk to the teacher/school/parents’ association at some point earlier in the year and explain that any theme beyond “character from a book” is not workable, for the reasons you give.

I'll be talking to them about how more reading focused activities would achieve the aim better than dress up. Ta very much.

Well that’s silly because they are unlikely to abandon the dress up idea altogether, but they might take on board a suggestion to widen the criteria.

YABU I used to send DC’s to school in normal clothes or clothes I could somehow align to a book character rather than choosing a character and going out and buying / making clothes. Some parents really went to town but I don’t think it’s necessary and my DC’s were never competitive or felt hard done by for not being in some kind of over the top fancy dress. What’s more is that my DC’s used to get really excited with the £1 book token they could put towards a book. If you bring your DC’s up to appreciate the little things, life is a lot simpler, I find.

WBD has to be well planned by the school if it is impact on children's reading, as does careful choice of a character, from a story a child loves or a new book to them, supported by parents.

Dressing as a footballer or princess (broad character, tv film linked) defeats the main objective - which is reading.

It is all very wasteful and full of consumerism, sadly.

In my own school, I knew children didn't have books and parents didn't have the knowledge or skill to support their child. I knew the WBD vouchers would be wasted. I knew children didn't really go into our local town and wouldn't visit the bookshop.

So that's what we did, a planned visit to the local bookshop, time to spend our vouchers followed by a visit to the library where we signed up for library tickets and listened to stories read by the librarian. Met the needs of the children and families perfectly.
A follow up session was planned a week later, where children did some work linked to their WBD book, talked with others, swapped them if they wanted to.

Best, easiest option out there, decorate a potato to make a book character. These were taken to school with the book; books read in groups, discussed and character shared.

@Soffit

I love it personally. There should be a rule that costumes should be homemade. In terms of reading, it could be substituted with a library holiday scheme condition that every child must read and review, say, three books. I have seen children in costumes which prove that they have never engaged with a single book in their lives and their parents are equally as clueless and ill-read.

I couldn't disagree with you more!

I'm so glad mine are in secondary school and have left this nonsense behind them.

World book day isn't about costumes it's supposed to be about encouraging reading.

Why should costumes be homemade? You are aware that not everyone has the time, materials or know how to make something at home?

Schools should stop the dress up days due to the financial pressure it puts on parents.

The problem is that any request can usually either be handled cheaply by throwing time at it (make do with what you have, home made costume, baking, whatever), or by throwing money at it (buy a cake, buy a costume).

If you’re resource constrained in both money and time these things become a burden really fast.

Well that’s silly because they are unlikely to abandon the dress up idea altogether, but they might take on board a suggestion to widen the criteria.

Your input has been noted.

Totally agree with everything you say there @Randommother

It's assumed that all kids love a story book. They don't!

On second thought, the "I've seen costumes that prove the parents are drooling knuckle draggers" post isn't likely to be serious...the bit about homemade costumes being mandatory was a bit of a giveaway. Kudos, though, it got me. I've just come from a "judgement of other people's houses" thread and I'm primed for it after all the predictable, pretentious and performative book-related sneering.

YANBU. Both my children go to different special schools, both have been asked to dress up. It's time consuming, expensive and might cause meltdowns (how am I going to explain they ARE going to school, but not in the uniform?) But I don't want to look like the only parent who didn't bother...

Choose Robinson Crusoe... send them in old ragged clothes. Job done.

Choose Robinson Crusoe

No primary aged child has read Robinson Crusoe

It's not about boring reading targets and levels. It's about enjoying books and reading. There are a huge number of tips out there for cutting effort and cost on something for any dress up day at all. I've often spent bloody ages making costumes (i enjoy it) but only because I've gone where the kids have led me and I've had time. This year the only one still at school actually wanted to go with something that means I can reuse a bought costume from something else. There are also plenty of kids who don't do it. Focus on the book aspect. What's their favourite? Get them to draw a picture or something, the teachers really will praise their knowledge and anything they can share with their class.

There should be a rule that costumes should be homemade

Well this can fuck off to the depths of beyond

It's not about boring reading targets and levels. It's about enjoying books and reading.

I don't think it is though.

Look at some of the suggestions from the enthusiasts on here. Choose a character you can do the costume for and put your child in it, regardless of whether they have read or like the book. Take a book manifestly not aimed at children and tell them they're Robinson Crusoe. It doesn't stack up.

Doesn't have to be a whole costume! Send them WITH accessories (bucket of dinosaurs for Harry, cardboard ladybird for what the ladybird heard, magnifying glass for where's Wally, golden ticket for Charlie and the chocolate factory, a Thomas the tank train, bottle for George's marvellous medicine, got a skeleton from Halloween? Funnybones etc).

@TheKeatingFive

And wearing parents’ clothes or sibling clothes is an option, so ordinary clothes are dressing up clothes too.

I would struggle to see how my 40 year old mum clothes or his brothers toddler clothes would be of any help here.

Apologies if already linked, I haven't RTFT, but you need to see this episode of Motherland

Personally, I love finding an outfit for world book day but our 10 year old hasn't dressed up for years. His schools scrapped all of that a long time ago.

The school I work in are 'poverty proof' and we won't be dressing up either. We've thought of a theme as a school, each class choose a book from that theme and create something to take home as a reminder of the day.

I think there will be very few schools in your typical 'poverty/breadline' area who will ask the children to dress up this year. There is specific training around for school leaders now to combat things like this.

It's a shame to those who can afford and are happy to do it but a welcome relief to those who don't like it and/or cut afford it

Apologies if already linked, I haven't RTFT, but you need to see this episode of Motherland

I already mentioned that 😂

Genius

It’s a pain.

DS’s Infant school didn’t do the dressing up and still managed to make it a great day. His Junior school (which most of the Infant school children move up to), does.

@TheKeatingFive

Choose Robinson Crusoe

No primary aged child has read Robinson Crusoe

There's nothing to stop them, parent can read it to or with them. I had an illustrated version when I was a child and loved it.

Anything that promotes the love of reading is good in my opinion. My daughter hates dressing up in costume for anything so we don;t bother,we go in own clothes and thats fine. Books both factual and stories are magical and should be celebrated.