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.

I would probably enjoy it an awful lot more if our school didn't dictate what the children had to dress up as. It's romans this year for ds. Nursery class has nursery rhymes, year 6 has warhorse (WWII).

A couple of years ago they did get to choose and it was far more enjoyable. Yes there were plenty of kids in avengers costumes from asda, because there are plenty of parents at the school who both work and are still skint, so a cheap dressing up costume from the supermarket that will be played with at home is a win win for them. Ds went as Charlie from Charlie and the chocolate factory. He had wavy blondish hair at the time (it's a good bit darker now). He wore a flannel shirt, beige trousers and brown leather desert boots that he already had, I made a golden ticket by printing something off the Internet and sticking it on a bit of gold card - took literally ten minutes and cost pennies.

Now I have to figure out a costume that a) will be less likely to be cheap in the shops, b) is not already part of his wardrobe and c) will take more than ten minutes to throw together.

I don't happen to have any roman soldier's armour, a white sheet to chop up or a roman peasant tunic floating around and those are the three options we have been given.

I might send him in with his own clothes and a cheap camera and say he is dressed up as a time traveller to ancient Rome

You have literally a year’s rolling notice for WBD. If you’d said that the school had announced it was dress like a Tudor day on six days’ notice, ywnbu.

DD (doesn’t know it yet but) will be going as Burglar Betty. DTs will be Thing 1 and Thing 2, because this is the one time of year to milk having to raise twins .

@smallestwhale

^I would have to buy tights and face paint. ALso don't have black trousers.^

Next year take a picture of your kids wardrobe and ask on Mumsnet what you could go as without spending a penny.

If you don’t have face paint use a felt tip or eyeliner, your kids will be fine.

Also it would be a lot easier if they mentioned all these days at the start of term!Easy to source things with multiple uses.
But no they just have to give a few days notice and usually the week you’re already up to your eyeballs in rubbish to do…

World book day is the day before I get paid this year and I already have no money left at all. Luckily my DD's school has said they can dress up if they want to but they don't have to, the day is about their favourite book not the best costume, for which I am very thankful.

Also not all children even enjoy dressing up. My kids absolutely hated it - eldest in particular. Youngest was prepared to dress up, on his own terms - we had a dress up party when he was 5 or 6, but even then we had a few kids (out of 40) turn up in their own clothes because they didn't like wearing costumes.

WBD and similar is the worst kind of organised 'fun' which really is only fun for the show offs/ people with too much time on their hands, and more for parents than kids.

I think it may be dying off a bit now. The school I teach at isn't dressing up this year. My DCs school are doing Harry potter theme which is nice and easy. I hate things like this as it's an extra job for women as if we haven't got enough to do

@forinborin

I made a massive mistake sending my oldest in a home-made costume for one of those dress-up days. Apparently a faux pas in Britain, you're supposed to buy a brand new thing. Have been asked if we're struggling by the clique of school sahm mums, and if so, they would be sooooo delighted to help.

Never again, amazon it is now.

Quite the opposite at my child's school.

@Dippydinosaurus

I think it may be dying off a bit now. The school I teach at isn't dressing up this year. My DCs school are doing Harry potter theme which is nice and easy. I hate things like this as it's an extra job for women as if we haven't got enough to do

The only year my sons school did a theme was the only year I ever bought anything. Namely a plastic cutlass (which cost me a couple of pounds) as they were doing a Treasure Island Pirates theme.

WBD and similar is the worst kind of organised 'fun' which really is only fun for the show offs/ people with too much time on their hands, and more for parents than kids.

It can also be a great opportunity for the more reserved/introverted dc to take part in something they enjoy. My own introverted, book loving child doesn't like competitive sports or some of the more boisterous activities and is often overlooked by teachers because she's quiet and just gets on. she gets so excited for things like WBD because she genuinely loves books and stories, getting to dress up and share whatever book is closest to her heart at that time is wonderful for her and many like her.

Like so many other things it's been overtaken by show off parents and consumerism. So my DDs costume she's put together herself will be overlooked because someone else's mum spent £££ on a costume of a movie character. Just like the winner of any completion (drawing, comics, eggs) is always the one made entirely by a parent.

@sanbeiji

Also it would be a lot easier if they mentioned all these days at the start of term!Easy to source things with multiple uses. But no they just have to give a few days notice and usually the week you’re already up to your eyeballs in rubbish to do…

Agree. We already have a bonnet on the make as I know they'll do it, and I've discussed WBD so know what DS wants to be. Rockstar is still the same costume as last year but prob won't fit next. Colours were normally OK for. He always gets new CIN pajamas in advance. But school never tell us until last minute

My kids primary school used to do an evening where the parents dropped the kids off for a bedtime story and hot chocolate in their pjs. It was lovely and the kids really enjoyed it. It was stopped bd side the staff complained about having to take part🙄. I would much prefer that to the ridiculous competition that is world book day

@TheKeatingFive

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)

I read the original version. I think there's nothing wrong with a child's version, in simpler language. It isn't a bad way for classics to be introduced but it does depend on the child; many prefer factual books to fiction. We're all different, there's no right or wrong about it. I was a book worm from an early age but that included some trashy novels at times.

@anothernamedoesntsmellsosweet

My kids primary school used to do an evening where the parents dropped the kids off for a bedtime story and hot chocolate in their pjs. It was lovely and the kids really enjoyed it. It was stopped bd side the staff complained about having to take part🙄. I would much prefer that to the ridiculous competition that is world book day

To be fair to staff, presumably this was outside their working hours? Why should they have to take part

I hated WBD as a child, and I've always loved reading. My parents didn't have any interest in that sort of thing. I would go in non-uniform and claim to be Matilda or some other character who wore 'normal' clothes.

I would then watch every parent, teacher, TA, dinner lady, etc fuss over the children with the best costumes. Some teachers even made comments about children who "hadn't made the effort" (e.g. me). None of the children had made an effort - it was just about whose parents cared and had money or time!

Now DS is at nursery and his nursery are doing story activities but no dressing up. I was hoping that this was a sign that schools had moved on too, so it's disappointing to read here that they haven't.

I hated WBD when mine were at primary. It was one of those schools with the ott competitive mummies. By contrast one primary I worked at had everyone come in their pjs for WBD which was less stressful for the parents.

It’s never cost us anything but mine never went dressed as their favourite character necessarily, more just as a character from a book based on what we had. We had a box of superhero costumes that were largely Christmas or birthday gifts then I just used to fashion stuff out of whatever we had. I have no creative bones in my body so I couldn’t actually make anything but various things included.

Victor Frankenstein - old white shirt of DH’s, some red marker, wrote a name badge, Goggles from a science kit we had and my own makeup to make his eyes a wide red and manic.

The Creature - Harry Potter cloak from the dressing up box with a rucksack containing a cushion underneath to create a sort of hunch and then my own makeup to make him a bit more interesting.

Musketeer - Woody from Toy Story’s hat and a drawn on moustache

Poirot - had a bowler hat bought for Halloween and added a drawn on moustache with a waistcoat from a wedding and bow tie.

(My personal favourites were various Sultan’s that they went as but we have South Asian heritage so had outfits worn to weddings with headgear made from my shawls and then draped in lots of my costume jewellery).

I mean, overall I do agree, but as someone with not much money and no artistic streak and a job and study, it was ok.

I agree WBD is completely pointless. DS loves reading but hates dressing up and I don't have the time or inclination to hand sew a beautiful costume so just end up wasting money on Amazon for some outfit he'll never wear again.

It should be called "cosy book day", where the children come to school in soft clothing and they can relax whilst reading a book 😀

I couldn’t believe it when my eldest got to secondary and I discovered that they also dress up for world book day! And I had a younger Dd also to go through the school. Two more years of it!

The best thing about WBD is that when they go to secondary school you have the hugest sense of relief that you don't have to do it any more!!!

Not me, I'm happy to do fun things like that for the kids, all part and parcel of having a family

Pollysmum, there is a middle ground between hand sewing a beautiful costume and buying stuff on amazon

@TheWayTheLightFalls

You have literally a year’s rolling notice for WBD. If you’d said that the school had announced it was dress like a Tudor day on six days’ notice, ywnbu.

DD (doesn’t know it yet but) will be going as Burglar Betty. DTs will be Thing 1 and Thing 2, because this is the one time of year to milk having to raise twins .

Yes, there is 12 months notice for world book day, but not 12 months notice for what your dcs school at actually going to be doing for WBD. There are several variations just in the posts I’ve read (and I haven’t RTWT). Dress as your favourite character, wear your pjs, dress as someone from a non fiction book, dress as someone from a particular book of the schools choosing. How can you plan in advance for that?
And it’s great that your dc will go along with you choosing what they are to dress up as. Many dc have a mind of their own and would want a say in what they are wearing.

Sanbeiji what does cba mean? And what's wrong with a costume that's not all that, it's just a bit of fun, not the met gala