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.

These threads make me so grateful my kids' headteacher is a single working mother.
They only do bring in a book, no random dressing up other than for a specific project in one class for which they get lots of notice and is a cobble together at home job. No homework other than reading til the end of school and no 'make a scene in s shoe box' every other week.
They even provide the costumes for the Nativity. It isn't a nice feeling to not be able to afford these things and it is an unnecessary stress

I think it's nice having a day to celebrate reading. I really don't agree with the schools that make costumes compulsory. Our school have always offered a choice of dress up or pyjamas and there's always been a pretty even mix of what the children come to school wearing. Regular clothes are an option too so there's no pressure on parents.

I'm just reminded of the Motherland episode where Amanda sends Mannis in as Connell from Normal People 😂

DD’s school have done a book swap day before for WBD which I think is a great idea, people bring in a book/s and swap for one they haven’t read.

@Filthyslattern

Anything schools do to bring a bit of joy gets moaned about .

Nobody is moaning because kids have fun. I make it my business to ensure my kids have fun.

I used to hate it when mine were young! Just another thing to add to the ever growing list of non uniform days that cost money!

Also there are plenty of people whose utility bills will be doubling right now. Food has gone up by a considerable margin. In the midst of this, a lot of us are going to feel like we need to hit Asda and spend a considerable amount on a costume. For families on constrained incomes, who are hitting food banks to eat & who might have multiple kids, this is a sh1t situation.

@Mundra

You dress up using things you already own, surely?

It would be great if that was what happened... although even that can be problematic if children don't have much to use in the first place (same issue with non uniform days).

Our school does all of these dress up events every other year in an attempt to keep every parent happy and to reduce costs. This year there is no costumes for World Book Day instead they all take their favourite book into school (DS won't be taking his favourite book, he'll be taking one we have a duplicate of incase it goes missing). I'll be heading to the supermarket the day after to see what's on the reduced rack for next year.

I have a child with autism and cannot go into shops. I also don't have time to start putting together costumes from charity shops. So will have to buy and have it sent. It will probably cost me £30 for something they will never wear again. Added to which, my child with autism will insist on being dressed as an angry bird or something rather than a character from a book.

There's no need to spend £30, depends on your DCs age and interests but here's a few quick and cheap ideas:
normal trousers and a tshirt/jumper, bucket with a toy dinosaur and he's Harry and his bucket full of dinosaurs.

Any clothes and a toy dinosaur and he's Danny from the Dino that pooped (yeah there's a theme with my sons books)

A wooden spoon and empty medicine bottle is George's marvellous medicine. Can add them to a ribbon or string as a necklace if your son would tolerate it.

Blue tshirt and some bandages - mr bump

My DD is going as jack from Christmas pig- PJs and a toy pig

David Williams the worlds worst children has lots of choice without needing to buy a costume too.

I just find it a bit of a pain as neither of my kids enjoy dressing up, or books! So for them it's something they dread. I can see the vast majority of the kids at our school love it, but there are always those who don't.

It was parents evening last night, and my youngest son's teacher commented on how his written stories are lovely and that it's like reading a novel, and that he always contributes to lessons in a very knowledgeable way, but the truth is he's never voluntarily read a book in his life. He's much happier with an atlas. I've never really understood the mania for reading, but I understand I'm probably in the minority.

@TheKeatingFive

The judgement is fucking dumb btw. My children live in a house full of books. I have a PhD in 18th century lit as it happens.

But if my child wants to go as Spider-Man and I can pick up a cheap outfit in Tesco, then I'd leap at that. It isn't indicative of anything.

Me too. Masters degree. I love books. I will still be hitting supermarket to buy a costume. My child with autism will be looking for some outfit from television/movie.

We thought last year’s Harry Potter cloak etc would do, but the school said ‘Come as your favourite Roald Dahl character’

@TheSongAboutMe

Even worse than world book day are the ‘dress up as a Tudor or an evacuee’.... not even a tiny chance of a child wanting to wear those costumes again. Amazon did well out of it.

Oh yes mine had a dress up as a victorian school child........,absolute waste of time and money.

@LumpenProletariat if your kid is happy and comfortable in that and the school haven't been too prescriptive then just get that. There's a book/comic about most things .

@MajesticallyAwkward there is no way my child is going to go dressed as something from a younger child's book. He's going to have very specific ideas and there is no way he is going to accept some random remnants from a wardrobe as a "costume". He's on the autistic spectrum and has quite firm ideas. He would hit the roof.

I think it's becoming trickier now clothing has changed more.

When I was little, characters from a lot of the books set 30s-60s were easy because the girls wore cotton summer dresses, or skirts, jumpers and knee high socks; all things I already had (although didn't wear all the time). Now I'm not sure children have "home clothes" that match those characters the same.

A friend's DC won a prize last year for going as Darrell from Malory Towers. She goes to dancing with some girls from a local prep school who wear brown pinafores, so she borrowed one for the day, and added an orange strip of fabric as the belt.

YANBU.
I hated WBD when my kids were in primary school. (And I'm another one with a PhD in Literature - I love books). I'm shit at costumes, so always bought something - and yes they could have gone in ordinary clothes, but then they would have stood out and been upset, so that didn't ever really seem like an option. Some of their friends went as David Beckham because of the ghost-written biography etc. I never felt that they came home fuelled with a new love of books. One loved books anyway and the other didn't. WBD changed nothing.

It is a pain in the arse. You either have to buy an expensive costume they'll wear once or make one. I haven't got the time or imagination for that.

You need to look in your DCs wardrobe for an outfit you already have.

Then you “remind” your child what their favourite book is.

Ballet outfit? Ballet shoes.
Jeans and a sweater - Alex Rider
Nightwear, Sophie from the BFG

Oh crikey, just had the email from school and twigged my sons favourite book is Captain Underpants currently. Cant imagine they'd want him to turn up in pants and a cape!

It's fine if your DCs are happy to go as any character, making use of ordinary clothes, but often they'll want to be something specific, where a problem arises if the costume is specific and expensive. Making costumes can be just as expensive too, with materials. People imagine making your own is cheaper but often it isn't.

The supermarket outfits are stupid as well. Do the designers think World Book Day is being held in July in Marbella? Usual short sleeved dresses for girls.

(Gosh maybe I got out of bed on the wrong side today).

It's an enrichment opportunity to encourage discussion about reading and perhaps branch out into a different style of book. You know it's coming every year so you can always sort a costume a couple of months ahead of time. I think you should make an effort to support these things.

no voting on this one? YABU