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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:
dannydyerismydad · 17/02/2022 10:12

Unfortunately it's something ofsted loves. Dressing up = bringing learning to life.

I'm quickly learning that I hate a dressing up day, and my child awaiting ASD assessment struggles to cope when school is too "fun".

SarahAndQuack · 17/02/2022 10:15

@MatildaTheCat

I read yesterday that 47% of British adults never read a book. If WBD can help even one child to love reading then it’s done it’s job. Obviously some schools are going way too far but having DC does involve a fair bit of effort and it’s not so different to being invited to a fancy dress party.
What makes you think playing dress-up is going to encourage a love of reading?

I love reading myself, and I read a lot, but I also think that if 47% of adults never read a book (and I'd love to know if that's true), well, fair play to them. Maybe they don't much enjoy reading. Does it matter?

OnlyAFleshWound · 17/02/2022 10:15

@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 got kids in primary school & have done multiple outfits for 8 years now. Never bought a costume for it.
Tabitha005 · 17/02/2022 10:16

Everything gets monetised and commodified these days, and it's sad that reading - and being seen to enjoy reading - has turned what should be a day of pleasure for al book loving-kids into something stressful for both parents and teachers.

A couple of years ago, I spent some time working at a school with a high proportion of kids who had zero interest in reading or any desire to understand the joy to be found in books, so World Book Day was a fairly simple affair where I just focused on the seven (yep, seven kids turned up to my WBD event out of a total school roll of around 1,300 students) children who actually had an interest in reading - none of them were dressed in costume, either.

PAFMO · 17/02/2022 10:17

@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 complete waste of time. I've been a teacher for 27 years and a mother for 18 and have yet to meet a child who didn't like reading but changed once they'd dressed as Hagrid.
TempName01 · 17/02/2022 10:18

It’s not just this though is it, our school has dress up or theme days, bun sales, discos, non uniform days etc every week. It’s too much pressure for the mental load, time and cost to parents.

smallestwhale · 17/02/2022 10:18

I also hate the environmental impact of all those single use costumes that are bought for sodding dressing up days. Our school gives our endless environmental messaging and lecturing yet also runs endless bloody dressing up days.

Bit of joined up thinking please!

Dresslover1950s · 17/02/2022 10:19

@smallestwhale

I completely agree with you OP. Ours are expected to dress up. Its an expense and/ or time consuming. The idea that we all have stuff lying around to pull a costume together with is nonsense. As is the idea that your child can just go to school without one. Hands up who wants their kid to have to go to school being the odd one out?

The costumes are completely unnecessary.

Love of stories comes from good story telling skills from teachers in the early years and then reading books and enthusiasm and interesting engagement from schools in stories. Not from sodding costumes.

Dressing up days can also be very stressful for anxious children, or those who find comfort in routine and familiarity.

Schools should know better.

THIS

I posted a near enough exact comment on my sons school and got flamed for it

DePfeffoff · 17/02/2022 10:19

DD did dancing classes. She just used to wear the skirt she used for classes and a pink ballet cardigan and say the book was Ballet Shoes.

BertieBotts · 17/02/2022 10:20

Dressing up is fun, but they could get the kids to make the costumes in school, that would be a great learning activity for creative skills and problem solving. Except I rather suspect there isn't time for it. Which sort of proves the point!

ThePlantsitter · 17/02/2022 10:20

Completely disagree. I used to love the walk to school on World Book Day, all the kids talking about books, asking each other about characters and stories, acting out their character. It was like watching reading for pleasure in progress. That doesn't mean it's not a pain in the arse (though doesn't have to be costly with a bit of imagination) - but for me it's utterly worth it. We've got so hung up on measurables that we can't even see that 'doing something fun' has value educationally.

lanthanum · 17/02/2022 10:22

DD's school had a Dahl dress-up day. A number of children went dressed as traditional witches, which just served to demonstrate that they had not read the book.

One book day, one year 6 class collaborated and the boys all turned up as "The boy in the dress".

It is possible to get away largely with what you have in the wardrobe, but that doesn't stop there being a lot of pressure if your child really wants to go as something specific.

Ozanj · 17/02/2022 10:23

The trick is to make your dc wear the same costume for halloween / world book days / fancy dress using normal clothes were possible. Harry Potter is popular at our nursery because kids often just turn up in their normal clothes with a rolling pin or xylophone stick or an actual stick for a wand.

MonkeyPuddle · 17/02/2022 10:23

Our school has asked the children to dress up as their favourite word, they’ve sent an email with pictures of various ideas, mostly it’s kids with a word written on a sheet of paper which they’ve decorated and stuck to their tshirt. Which is what I’ll be doing with DS.

Ozanj · 17/02/2022 10:25

@MonkeyPuddle

Our school has asked the children to dress up as their favourite word, they’ve sent an email with pictures of various ideas, mostly it’s kids with a word written on a sheet of paper which they’ve decorated and stuck to their tshirt. Which is what I’ll be doing with DS.
DS’ favourite word is ‘poof’ right now. How on earth would that work????
Fluffyhairteddy · 17/02/2022 10:25

Why does the world have to be driven by what’s easiest for working parents, the race to the bare minimum - extend school hours, fewer holidays, no dress up days? Winds me up. I work. I also dress up all my kids for world book day cos they love it and it helps with reading engagement.

CousinKrispy · 17/02/2022 10:27

I'm so pleased DD school has dropped the dressup this year. There are plenty of ways to foster a love of reading without it.

SarahAndQuack · 17/02/2022 10:27

@ThePlantsitter

Completely disagree. I used to love the walk to school on World Book Day, all the kids talking about books, asking each other about characters and stories, acting out their character. It was like watching reading for pleasure in progress. That doesn't mean it's not a pain in the arse (though doesn't have to be costly with a bit of imagination) - but for me it's utterly worth it. We've got so hung up on measurables that we can't even see that 'doing something fun' has value educationally.
But, sorry, if you have a school full of kids (all of them, really?) who are already excited about dressing up as characters from books and discussing stories, then ... you don't really need this activity. It may be nice, yes, but you've already got the desired result.

But what if you don't have that idealised school? What if you have:

  • children who feel left out because their parents can't afford/didn't remember to make a costume?
  • children who feel sad because this is another reminder they're struggling with reading?
  • children who hate dressing up?

I agree with @BertieBotts it might work better if it were possible to do costumes in class, but IMO the less schools engage with events that can make children feel different or left out, the better.

Legoisthebest · 17/02/2022 10:28

SarahAndQuack I just find it ironic that there is an independent book shop 5 minutes walk from my daughter's old primary (and also several other primary's plus close to the bus interchange where 100s of kids get their buses to school) yet the owner of the shop says very few of the vouchers are bought in to claim a free book. Loads of children in my area walk past this shop to get to and from school yet they don't bother to pop in and get a free book.

stargirl1701 · 17/02/2022 10:28

It's your choice to buy a costume.

I always encourage parents and children to look in their wardrobe and match a costume to a character...and not buy a costume of the favourite character of the moment.

It's fun. Children enjoy it (not every child). It's a break from routine. It's an annual event that is part of school life and adds to the cultural literacy of the nation.

Ozanj · 17/02/2022 10:28

@Fluffyhairteddy

Why does the world have to be driven by what’s easiest for working parents, the race to the bare minimum - extend school hours, fewer holidays, no dress up days? Winds me up. I work. I also dress up all my kids for world book day cos they love it and it helps with reading engagement.
Not every working parent is the same. Everyone has different challenges.
Fernie6491 · 17/02/2022 10:29

It's a shame some schools don't do what my grandson's school does.
Parents can send in old outgrown costumes, then when they are all and sorted, they have a sale when costumes can be purchased for a small amount, the proceeds go into the school funds, and the parents get cheap(ish) costumes.

Obviously the older children need larger sizes, but the smaller children (and parents) benefit.

It's also a good example of recycling. The costumes can go on for many years!

ldontWanna · 17/02/2022 10:30

@stargirl1701

It's your choice to buy a costume.

I always encourage parents and children to look in their wardrobe and match a costume to a character...and not buy a costume of the favourite character of the moment.

It's fun. Children enjoy it (not every child). It's a break from routine. It's an annual event that is part of school life and adds to the cultural literacy of the nation.

And when schools decide on a specific book or theme? That doesn't fit what you have in your cupboard or the interests of your kid?
balalake · 17/02/2022 10:30

The dressing up bit I can understand being either costly or difficult, but the basis of the day I think should be supported. Too many children don't read enough.

SarahAndQuack · 17/02/2022 10:30

Let's hope maybe they're just using the tokens somewhere else?