Daughters school not doing world book day

[Bibbitybobbityboo86]

So my daughters school never do world book day - AIBU to be disappointed?
I imagine some parents will be relieved but my daughter gets upset when she sees the costumes in Sainsbury’s or sees other kids in their costumes.

It’s not just world book day- it’s also children in need & Red Nose Day. The school won’t do anything in fact none of it even gets mentioned - it’s like it’s not happening.

Would you feel disappointed?

WIBU for me to contact the head teacher and ask why? I don’t want to be that parent

I’ve mentioned it to other parents and they agree and say it’s a shame but they don’t seem as bothered by it as me

My house is so cold the DC wear joggy bottoms and two teeshirts to bed. Pjs days at school is a non-starter in this house.

Your daughter will get over it. Well done to her school. YABU.

@hauntedbillybass

We were poor when I was young and I hated these days.

My pyjamas were dad's old boxers and a tshirt.

I hated non uniform day because my clothes were all scruffy hand me downs.

Same with sponsored things for charity and donation day, I could never take in what other kids did.

No way could I have participated in WBD. Or my costume would have been shit and I'd be embarrassed.

This with bells on. Even in leafy middle class school there will be a poor child for whom these days are hell. I preferred the pj and book theme we had one year but then parents were going out & buying new onesies and pjs Kids have fun but not all

I’m a secondary teacher and we celebrated it in the true way it was intended by celebrating reading! Every lesson for every year group was started with an extract from a book. Book prizes were available and staff dressed up so kids had to guess which character we were. It definitely inspired loads of discussions around books and reading which is basically the whole point of WBD. Reading is such an important part of learning in so many ways. I think it’s sad when it just becomes about costumes though.

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

I’ve heard of two schools that just get kids to come in pyjamas and bring a book they like, for World Book Day. V good idea IMO. No costume stress or expense.

Pyjamas will be an expense for children who just wear old clothes or have warm but tatty looking pyjamas as it doesn't normally matter what you look like for bed! DS always had two or three pairs of pyjamas lasting for two years.

Some children may have pyjamas that would look presentable in public and be warm and practical enough for a full day in school in early March (including travelling/playing outside etc), but many won’t.

I hate the commercialisation of all of these events that now basically involve buying a nylon outfit from the supermarket for fifteen quid. No imagination, too much expense, not serving much purpose.

I like the way our school does it, decorate an item from home (decorate a box or draw a picture etc) plus a non uniform day. Focus is definitely on reading and books for the day.

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

I’ve heard of two schools that just get kids to come in pyjamas and bring a book they like, for World Book Day. V good idea IMO. No costume stress or expense.

Of course there's expense.

Loads of children won't own pyjamas- or if they do, they won't be suitable to be worn out of the house.

So their parents then feel pressured to go out and buy fancy pyjamas or a brand new onesie etc.

Why cant children just take their favourite book into school for world book day!! So annoying having to buy an outfit to wear once!!! What a waste of money!

The whole thing is just a money making opportunity for stores my oldest is fifteen now it actually carried on into secondary school,and then COVID came along and put and end to the nonsense
My youngest is in a special needs high school and they decided to have dress up day ,bearing in mind these children have severe learning disabilities some have profound and multiple learning disabilities my sin has no clue it was world book Day and he went in his uniform ,I just haven't the money to spend on an outfit for one day ,I used to make the effort with Ds1 as he didn't want to feel the odd one out ,but ds2 couldn't give s stuff what he wears

The thing is parents can reach out to the school for help, there are also tonnes of second hand costumes on Facebook marketplace or in the Charity shops, but this takes some work and time. Or just think about what you already have. Have a toy doctors set then use that.

I actually think dressing up, is of benefit to kids. My DH was mute outside the house and world book day he dressed up as something he loved and he spoke at school saying what he was. We have never been a fancy dress family, but role play is great for kids.

Given the amount of world book day stealth boasting that goes on Facebook I often wonder how many of these things actually for the benefit of the children.

My kids really like WBD, almost no kids wear bought costumes at their school , its a sea of anti consumerist home made items here- although its a very mixed demographic indeed. The school encourages home made costumes for cost / environmental reasons - it does require some parental engagement to get a costumes together. The kids love talking and comparing costumes and on a dull March day it was nice, fun but learning was still normal. I think its hard for schools to change from one side to the other, parents all hate change!. I dont think its wrong for OP to wish her child school did these things, but I think you have to accept all schools are different.

@Bibbitybobbityboo86

It doesn’t have to cost money

Wear your pjs to school
Odd socks day
Crazy hair day
Not everything costs money

Well it does cost money, unless the school doesn't ask for a "donation" on those days.

The dressing up thing must be a fairly new thing as I went to primary 93-2000 and never dressed up but always did activities and got a token?

My DC school doesn’t do dress up but does activities, favourite book etc and gives tokens. I like this as feel there is enough already throughout the school year that requires organising and money as is

My son's school stopped the 'dress up' element ages ago. Many parents just couldn't afford to keep up with it.

On World Book Day they were asked to bring a favourite book in with them (and it could be a library book, if preferable.) And they had lots of literature-themed activities.

A fifth of kids at my dd's school are from a poor background. I don't know how many more may be struggling. They have a PTA that is very involved and do great work but it consists of middle class parents who seem to think they only way to raise money is a dress down day. Since January we have had four dress down days including world book day and have a fifth next week with crazy hair day. Each time they ask for a donation of a £1.

My children both wore costumes we have at home for WBD, cinderella and Captain America. I could have bought new but I'm on maternity leave and the money could be better spent elsewhere. They also gave less than a weeks notice to arrange a costume. They did receive their vouchers and took in a book they liked and had to say a few words about it. I understand a lot of kids enjoy dressing up mine included so we do that at home. Our PTA does do great work and the kids get free transportation and tickets to panto every year, free books on world book day, an Easter egg at Easter and a selection box and book at Christmas. The money has to come from somewhere I guess.

Oh just as a plus I shake my head at all the kids dressed as Mrs hinch for book day, that’s the parents choosing that I very much doubt she’s a 5 year olds favourite book

I work as a volunteer for Citizens Advice.
There is no way any of the Clients I saw last week would be able to afford new socks, pyjamas or any type of costume.
Most are living in poverty and cannot afford food or to heat their home.
I think wbd costumes should be banned in schools. The impact it has on children living in poverty is huge.
I grew up in poverty myself but luckily this was in the 70s where the buying of costumes wasn't a thing. My DM would never have had the affordability for that.

I saw a school that provided blank white T-shirts for the kids to colour. Obviously the PTA had to raise funds for those though.

I whole heartedly agree with all the posts from teachers / support staffs perspective. We absolutely dread it and the upset , anxiety and challenging behaviour that comes with it . A number of my children who wore their own clothes were even excluded from a ' parade ' as they weren't dressed as book characters. As staff we are expected to dress up also and singled out if we decline .Ridiculous.

When my children were small a class friend had a pyjama party. I was a single parent. My children's pyjamas were the last clothing item to be replaced. They were probably a hand me down in the first place. Both boys would have worn them for as many months as possible, so they would have been washed to faded oblivion and be far too short, before I replaced them. They were warm and clean but they were not suitable for public display. My mum bought new ones for each of them so they wouldn't stand out at the party. The parent who had the party thought it was a kindness to the poorer children as 'everyone has pyjamas, so that's easy'. She didn't have a clue because her life was a world away from mine.I worked as a teacher in very deprived areas before I had my own children. I was short of money as a single mum but those children lived in desperate poverty. They slept in their clothes or in their tee shirt and pants. The top and pants were worn for many, many days in a row. Having to buy anything at all that is 'extra' to your usual costs is a massive stress to add to all the other stress. I thought about money from the minute I woke up to the minute I went to sleep. You can't make short hair 'crazy' without putting hairspray/ gel/ temporary spray dye in it. If you don't use those things as an adult you have to buy them. And then pay a pound each for your children to have their hair like that too. Sometimes charity begins at home. You don't need a voucher for your child to read the WBD book, your daughter can dress up if you want to buy her the costume, she can raise money/ do something nice with your help without it involving the school.

Our primary school did every possible event going- and the rest. Something requiring a donation, purchase or other expense virtually every week. It’s in a “middle class” area, very few rental properties, only a handful of dc on free school meals (although the cut off for this is so low that there must be children living in poverty that don’t get them)

After one such evening event requiring a £3 entry fee and money for food, a class were berated for their “lack of support” at said event. At the parent/teacher meeting that night I brought up the reason for my child’s absence (cost) and not one person there had considered that possibility. Thankfully my dc is now at secondary where there is a lot less “fundraising”, more children who don’t take part and he is less bothered by it.

I’d be relieved if my DC’s school did this. I like the idea of world book day as an English teacher and I understand young children enjoy dressing up but personally think it should be more about books than fancy dress. My DC’s old school once decided to do a book swap rather than dressing up which I thought was a nice idea, children took a book they no longer wanted in and swapped with someone else.

@mouldycrew

The thing is parents can reach out to the school for help, there are also tonnes of second hand costumes on Facebook marketplace or in the Charity shops, but this takes some work and time. Or just think about what you already have. Have a toy doctors set then use that.

I actually think dressing up, is of benefit to kids. My DH was mute outside the house and world book day he dressed up as something he loved and he spoke at school saying what he was. We have never been a fancy dress family, but role play is great for kids.

When you are in financial difficulty asking the school for help is just another massive stress. It is mortifying. Parents will scrimp and go without before they will put themselves in that position in the school office in front of the receptionist. Second hand is not free. The money you spend on a costume cannot be spent on food. You can put a plastic stethoscope round your child's neck and tell them they are a doctor. They still know it's shit.