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.

@BobHadBitchTits

The faux-confusion is just embarrassing.

Shop bought costumes are expensive, therefore making the day costly.

Home made costumes are time consuming, therefore difficult for a single working mum.

I'm on maternity leave, with full pay and a working husband, and I still find it a pain in the arse!

Completely agree, the first answers were ridiculous.

I hated the dress your kid up as a character.

What if your kid doesn't look like any character in a book? especially non in any book he reads.

I honestly found it impossible to find a character representative of my oldest so just sent him in in generic costumes Halloween costumes - for kids with 'non-standard' appearances, it's just awful.

Towards the end they switched it to wear PJs and bring a book which was much easier.

I agree. Luckily so does our nursery and they ask us to only send kids in the pjs with their favourite bed time story.

@XiCi I honestly didn't realise our school was in such a minority. This thread has opened my eyes. They really are focussed on environmental impacts so clearly follow through with that.
We also have a local Facebook page where people give away old uniform, Christmas jumpers, Halloween costumes etc. so things are widely reused.

@LovelyLovelyWarmCoffee mine was the first answer and it wasn't faux confusion. Our school doesn't ask pupils to wear costumes, I didn't realise it was such a wide spread thing.
The op didn't explain it was costly due to buying a costume.

Surely people can find something between now and 3rd March, there are two weekends for a start and plenty of evenings. It's fun to be inventive and doesn't have to cost much.

It didn't happen when mine was at school (though reading was encouraged in other ways), but I would have enjoyed it even though I went to work. Charity shops (those that are open now, I know some have not re-opened), often yield surprises too.

There's nothing to stop them, parent can read it to or with them

Have you read Robinson Crusoe in the original? It was published in 1719. Even for adults it's a niche read.

While there are condensed versions, I would be of the opinion that children are better engaged with books aimed at them. Most of those condensed versions are terribly written (occasionally there are exceptions)

Not everyone has stuff at home they could use to put a costume together.

I’m a home that isn’t full of that sort of stuff. Still managed to cobble together a homemade costume for the couple of WBDs my daughter chose to dress up for.

It isn’t mandatory, at least half the kids never dress up. People always seem to want to make these things in to such a bloody big deal.

YANBU and I work in primary. Another pain for parents and staff alike!

My yr6 is asking me to keep her home on world book day because she’s anxious about dressing up.
But she knows if she goes in school uniform she’ll stick out,

She has some long denim dungarees, can anyone think of a character that she could be wearing those? Or another one that wears sort of normal clothes? The books she has genuinely enjoyed lately have been hunger games, wimpey kid, Mallory towers

They really are focussed on environmental impacts so clearly follow through with that.

Our school pretends to be too. Like when they encourage kids to take recycling in to do crafts with. The fact that then renders the stuff unrecyclable doesn’t fit with their green credentials but they just ignore that.

My DDs are adults now but their school suggested PJs or onesies which was easier. The association was obviously bedtime reading.

She has some long denim dungarees

Matilda.

Or, cut out some words, pin them to her clothes, she’s gone as the dictionary.

She has some long denim dungarees

Or, scarecrow from Wizard of Oz. Huckleberry Finn. Fern from Charlottes Web,

I've had 3 go through school and never had to buy anything for WBD, so I am surprised people don't think cobbling something together is pretty straightforward.

I like it - we would go to the local bookshop straight after school to choose the WBD short books and there was so much chat about which stories various classmates brought in.

For two years school stopped dressing up and went for "bring a prop from your favourite book" which was even easier.

She has some long denim dungarees

Ooh! Or pippi longstocking!

@BoredZelda Pippi Longstocking too

Jeans, top, toy dog or bottle of ginger beer.
Famous five. Job done.

Ha! Snap

@ABitBesottedWithMyDog

I think it's a load of wank.

I agree....so glad my kids are grown up and I don't have to participate in this bullshit anymore.

@SpiderVersed

I can't believe it wasn't my first thought. I loved pippi longstocking!

Or, cut out some words, pin them to her clothes, she’s gone as the dictionary.

or, cut out some numbers, pin them to her clothes, she's gone as the phone book.

I've seen both done and thought they were pretty cool.

[quote ThePlantsitter]@sarahandquack there is an established link between reading for pleasure and academic success (moreso even than socioeconomic status). It's not a moral judgement.[/quote]
I think it is a moral judgment, though.

There is also a link between high IQ and academic success, and socio-economic status. We have not yet decided to go back to coralling all children with low IQs into special schools and not bothering with them, have we?

I don't follow why it is acceptable to guilt children (or adults) who do not enjoy reading.

Thanks all!

I agree....so glad my kids are grown up and I don't have to participate in this bullshit anymore.

Yeah, how dare schools do fun stuff for the kids. What wankers.