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.

Just worked it out, can't be arsed!

it’s extra wifework.....

My husband made our daughter’s “thing one and thing two” costumes. He was also a dab hand at making stuff for her walking frame. It isn’t the school’s responsibility to make sure the dad parents are active in home life.

Will also add, unless they are very young, the kids can get involved with the making of costumes too.

Oh good the World Book Day bashing has begun for 2022.

Many of us hardworking parents love it and think it’s a great idea. Stop whinging and don’t take part if you don’t want to, that’s what many parents do. Leave the rest of us resourceful parents who don’t see literally everything as a massive hassle to enjoy it in peace.

Spare a thought, at least your children outgrow it....As staff I have made a forced effort every year for over 20 years....

@Momicrone

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

Not when several prizes are awarded and everyone else takes great pains to win. See, if a thing’s just a ‘bit of fun’. I understand. But around here costumes are taken very seriously. Any kid going in with just a saucepan, or pyjamas, or whatever stands out like a sore thumb. They feel bad about themselves, takes all the fun out.

It’s the same with any school competition really the winners are always the ones done by parents. It achieves nothing except emphasising that someone else will do the work. And if you’re on your own you get nowhere.

Many of us hardworking parents love it and think it’s a great idea. Stop whinging and don’t take part if you don’t want to, that’s what many parents do. Leave the rest of us resourceful parents who don’t see literally everything as a massive hassle to enjoy it in peace.

Those ‘lazy and incompetent’ parents are just so annoying to the ‘hardworking and resourceful’ ones. 😂 What a nob. Or just completely naive and/or uncaring about the difficulties some families face. Probably just a nob.

@TheSongAboutMe

Many of us hardworking parents love it and think it’s a great idea. Stop whinging and don’t take part if you don’t want to, that’s what many parents do. Leave the rest of us resourceful parents who don’t see literally everything as a massive hassle to enjoy it in peace.

Those ‘lazy and incompetent’ parents are just so annoying to the ‘hardworking and resourceful’ ones. 😂 What a nob. Or just completely naive and/or uncaring about the difficulties some families face. Probably just a nob.

@Calilaurel how patronising

@BoredZelda

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

They really aren't. I've cobbled most of my daughter's costumes together in a really short time, usually the night before and usually because I had no idea it was happening. And I am the least crafty person, ever.

there is an established link between reading for pleasure and academic success (moreso even than socioeconomic status). It's not a moral judgement.

Correlation v causation. Someone interested in academia is far more likely to read for fun. That doesn't mean they are going to do any better because of it.

And it's great that you're able to do that.

But a lot of parents don't have the money, time or resources to cobble something together at all. That's the problem.

It's all well and good saying it's possible because you've done it, but it's it really that difficult for you to fathom that not everyone can?

It's putting unnecessary pressure on the families that are already struggling. There are better ways to encourage reading than bloody costumes!

Sanbeiji - so we are saying working parents and/or single parents?

@EllaVaNight

I don't understand why some people (OP included) have said they "will have to throw it away after use". You could sell it on or give it to someone else once your child no longer wants to dress up in it. At our school parents will often give them to the class below to use so they get recycled. We're not in an affluent area though and I get the feeling many posters are.

When I say throw it away, I mean get rid of it, charity shop or whatever.

Ebay them! I’ve just sold two WBD outfits

My DS is wearing his Halloween costume.

There are better ways to encourage reading than bloody costumes!

This is really it for me. It seems such a disconnect.

If you want a nice dress up day, then fine, but I can think of thousands of better ways to actually encourage reading.

Ah ok I just took I will need to bin the costume afterwards. to mean you would be binning the costume afterwards. As in putting it in the bin. I've never heard "bin" as a synonym for "donate" before which is why I thought it was a strange thing to do.

@Momicrone

Sanbeiji - so we are saying working parents and/or single parents?

Well if you have enough money to buy a costume. Or the time to make a nice one. If you don’t tough luck.

Again this isn’t a problem with WBD. Or any other event. It’s the schools’ managing of expectations.

Why not make paper cutouts of characters in class, maybe do a puppet show. Or get kids to bring in ONE object from their favourite book, and act out the scene?

There are thousands of ways to keep it easy AND have fun.

But no, it HAS to be dress-up.

It’s like… as much as creativity is demanded from parents.. schools themselves have no creativity.

My kids' school does "dress as an adjective" so no costumes - they can be sporty, sparkly, sleepy etc. I don't mind that, it feels like less hassle than coming up with a costume and less wasteful than buying one.
They always come home with the book token and some of the free world book day books. I assume they do some reading for pleasure based tasks too.

But assembling a costume from clothes you have at home doesn’t need to take more than 10 minutes if you keep it simple. It’s not the school’s fault that parents over-complicate things.

@HaveringWavering

But assembling a costume from clothes you have at home doesn’t need to take more than 10 minutes if you keep it simple. It’s not the school’s fault that parents over-complicate things.

That was to @sanbeiji

I know I'll get flamed for this, but isn't "putting a fancy dress costume together" and "participating in school activities" one of the most basic things you can sign up for when you become a parent?

You'd think the school had asked you to make a functioning space suit or something, the way some people go on.

@HaveringWavering

But assembling a costume from clothes you have at home doesn’t need to take more than 10 minutes if you keep it simple. It’s not the school’s fault that parents over-complicate things.

It is the school’s fault for setting rules that create an expectation of effort. Such as giving prizes, and having themes.

If everyone has designer pencil cases fair enough, school can’t do anything.

However for dress up there’s plenty that they can do, lots of people have given suggestions.someone mentioned an adjectives. And another said school gives simple suggestions.

However if a school has theme like ‘Romans’.. and all the suggestions aren’t just things you have lying around.. it’s going to take MORE than 10 mins.

A little bit of empathy and common sense goes a long way

@SusanSHelit

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

This might have already been said, but for anyone who is faced with Romans or similar. An extra large t-shirt in an appropriate colour (white, brown, black if you need to, even a khaki green) can do good service as a tunic for Romans/Vikings/etc. You can cut the sleeves off or just leave them, bit of fabric for a belt, one tunic. If you don't cut it you don't even have to ruin the t-shirt. I've nicked tops from their dad's drawer and also vests of mine when they were shorter. Works a treat.

@HaveringWavering

But assembling a costume from clothes you have at home doesn’t need to take more than 10 minutes if you keep it simple. It’s not the school’s fault that parents over-complicate things.

It definitely is the school's fault if they're being overly prescriptive.

@rainbowmash

I know I'll get flamed for this, but isn't "putting a fancy dress costume together" and "participating in school activities" one of the most basic things you can sign up for when you become a parent?

You'd think the school had asked you to make a functioning space suit or something, the way some people go on.

Don't give them any ideas.

@Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies

Does it make any difference if I say it’s a costly PITA for teachers, too?

Makes no difference to reading levels, and doesn’t actually promote love of reading.

I guess it’s good for commerce, though. How many World Book Day costumes get sold in the various supermarkets every year?

I’ve never noticed costumes out specifically for world book day.

It’s a bit mad to think that one day of anytime would show a measurable impact on someone’s overall learning of a subject but it does give kids a fun experience to associate with that activity. If something seems enjoyable then we do it more right?!

If there was a day where everybody dressed up like maths equations or test tubes etc maybe kids would associate maths/science with fun activities and feel more involved.

I agree that some parents who are short on time might find it a pain in the bum but it’s clear kids get a lot of enjoyment out of it. (And some parents too)

If the learning aspect is a big concern then getting the kids to organise their character and outfit themselves would kill two birds with one stone surly.