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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

698 replies

LumpenProletariat · 17/02/2022 09:18

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

OP posts:
MissTrip82 · 17/02/2022 21:31

Loving all the puzzled emojis. ‘Why costly?’ Puzzled face puzzled face.

If you really can’t think of a single reason why this may be costly for some - really, not one - then perhaps it’s not just your kids who need to read more widely.

cansu · 17/02/2022 21:55

I am a teacher and i think it is a PITA. What shod be happening on world book day are stories and talking about books. The dressing up is pointless and I agree just an expense and pressure for parents

StripyHorse · 17/02/2022 22:00

My DC's primary school used to do this. In the later years that DD2 was there they switched from fancy dress to PJs so children can have story time with a book.

That said, one of the better costumes DD2 had was Sophie from BFG. She went in dressing gown and nighty, so not much different anyway😉

SleepingStandingUp · 17/02/2022 22:01

Can't they just go to school in uniform? DS lives for out of uniform and dress up days.

IstayedForTheFeminism · 17/02/2022 22:05

When DS1 started school way back in 2009, and for the first 3-4 years WBD was great. They went to school dressed as their favourite book character, and took the book along. They read too each other, the older children read to and listened to the younger dc. 99% of costumes were homemade/ normal clothes.
Then they changed so they changed into costumes after lunch so no drawing moustaches/HP scars with eyeliner.
Then school decided to have a best costume wins element. And everyone started buying shop costumes which always won over homemade. And if your child is the only one in a homemade costume they stick out and want a store bought.
Then they added a theme so you had to find a book by a specific author and hope dc would agree to choose a character from it. DS2 was a book worm so would happily read something and pick a costume.
DS1 has ASD and hates reading anyway so would get really stressed about going as a character he didn't really like.
It certainly didn't encourage him to love books!

Phormiumjester · 17/02/2022 22:08

I'm not skint at all but neither am I paying for a silly costume that will probably end up in landfill.
We've been dragged into an event that lines Walliams' & Sainsburys pockets.

And the mini books are a waste too.

Just encourage reading. And sharing of stories. This rigmarole is consumerism at its finest.

Phormiumjester · 17/02/2022 22:09

@londonrach

It's free. Lots of free costumes on Facebook and at the school..just a fun way to encourage reading. My dd very excited by it. Her costume cost £0. It was donated. No one buys anything
Yeah not here. School has no costume stock!
Pedalpushers · 17/02/2022 22:11

Fancy dress days give me the shivers thinking about them. When we had them at primary school I was the kid sent in in 'clothes they already had' and was massively bullied for it. So I'm anti school dress up now.

GrendelsGrandma · 17/02/2022 22:12

We're a very book loving household but I don't really like it either. It seems very supermarket driven, the costumes and the books. We usually buy charity shop books but because we have a voucher we had to go to a massive supermarket specially to spend it.

Thankfully DD only wants to wear purple this year to be a purple dinosaur or something.

00100001 · 17/02/2022 22:12

@londonrach

It's free. Lots of free costumes on Facebook and at the school..just a fun way to encourage reading. My dd very excited by it. Her costume cost £0. It was donated. No one buys anything
LOL
00100001 · 17/02/2022 22:16

[quote SleepingStandingUp]@tigger1001 of course people have different lifestyles but if you have children part of that lifestyle is finding time to do school stuff with them or paying the Nanny to do it. We have half termly projects (used to be weekly!). This one was something about the rainforests, the term before was dinosaurs, reception always end up making a castle. You just have to find the time to do some stuff with them surely?[/quote]
Why should kids and parents be doing all this work outside of school?? It's madness. Why does a 7 yo need to spend their spare time doing bloody school projects???

Phormiumjester · 17/02/2022 22:21

@00100001 No I agree. Happy to help with actual learning in term time but holidays are just that. Holidays. Not building the Eiffel Tower or making a 5 page pamphlet on ladybirds.

I don't mind term time curriculum tasks or charity own clothes days but WBD has become a vehicle for celebrity authors to sell merchandise at the supermarket.

SleepingStandingUp · 17/02/2022 22:22

@Phormiumjester

I'm not skint at all but neither am I paying for a silly costume that will probably end up in landfill. We've been dragged into an event that lines Walliams' & Sainsburys pockets.

And the mini books are a waste too.

Just encourage reading. And sharing of stories. This rigmarole is consumerism at its finest.

Why are the mini books a waste?

Most clothes end up in landfill ultimately, doesn't mean they can't be thoroughly worn out before they do so. Just donate if you cba to sell

damnthisvirusandmarriage · 17/02/2022 22:22

I might send my kids in as themselves and send them with their personalised books.

SleepingStandingUp · 17/02/2022 22:23

Why should kids and parents be doing all this work outside of school?? It's madness. Why does a 7 yo need to spend their spare time doing bloody school projects??? because I don't expect my kids learning to finish at 3.10 pm.

Nc123 · 17/02/2022 22:23

@00100001

Schools and nurseries should stop the dressing up aspect.

Just have it as bring a book to share with your classmates or be prepared to talk about your favourite book.

End of!

This.

I love books and reading but there’s no need to put us through this every year - getting pestered by kids for specific costumes which they have grown out of by next year. If you try and send them in something that doesn’t require dressing up they’re disappointed because they want to be Harry Potter or whoever and all their friends are dressing up…it’s a bloody nightmare and surely there are other ways to encourage a live of reading without giving parents a headache every year.

SleepingStandingUp · 17/02/2022 22:23

@damnthisvirusandmarriage

I might send my kids in as themselves and send them with their personalised books.
This would be amazing.
SleepingStandingUp · 17/02/2022 22:31

I don't think schools should be prescriptive though. Picking a book and making 30/60/90 kids choose a character is rather taking the fun out of it for those who enjoy it.

TheKeatingFive · 17/02/2022 22:37

And the mini books are a waste too.

Why would you say that?

Benjispruce5 · 17/02/2022 22:39

At my school all the boys come in in superhero costumes with no idea of the book. It’s a waste of time. We can celebrate book day without dressing up.

Sprogonthetyne · 17/02/2022 22:39

DS's school is having a book drive, so the kids are being asked to bring in books they're finished with, so the school can bulk out their 'read for fun' library. On one hand it's ridiculous they can't afford to buy books, but on the other, it's actually a useful world book day activity. I'd rather this then random fancy dress.

DelurkingAJ · 17/02/2022 23:02

@feejee - we did Captain Underpants although I had a firm discussion with DS1 (then 6) on the fact that he was not just wearing pants but would simply be wearing them over his trousers. I made him a very simple red cape.

HaveringWavering · 17/02/2022 23:09

@sanbeiji what are you talking about- why would World Book Day have the theme of “Romans”? We’re not talking about other dress up days here. As long as the brief is no more complicated than “come as a character in a book” there are thousand and thousands of options and many that can be assembled quickly from clothes at home.

HaveringWavering · 17/02/2022 23:10

@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.

Well said.
SleepingStandingUp · 17/02/2022 23:11

[quote DelurkingAJ]@feejee - we did Captain Underpants although I had a firm discussion with DS1 (then 6) on the fact that he was not just wearing pants but would simply be wearing them over his trousers. I made him a very simple red cape.[/quote]
I'm literally searching for beige / peach coloured leggings right now, 😂😂. DS, also 6, is quite literal about his costumes so this is our compromise. He adored Dav Pikley (sic) tho so hell wear it tons