Teachers in pjs on world book day

[AutisticLegoLover]

I'm not a fan as it is but we have just been greeted at the school door by the headteacher in his pjs and dressing gown. He usually wears a suit and looks professional. I know the children were to go in their pjs or a onesie but I did t expect staff, especially the HT, to be in nightwear. It feels over-familiar perhaps, for what if a better word. I'm not sure I'll look at him the same way again. I have a very low threshold for revulsion thanks to many, many sensory issues as part of being autistic and I don't always understand norms so I'm happy to be told I'm being unreasonable. I'd feel the same way if it was the past female HT too about the professionalism. Admittedly him being male makes a difference to my personal feelings due to trauma but from a professional point of view it doesn't sit right.

It was his World Book Day costume. He didn't just rock up to school in his jammies because he couldn't be bothered to put a suit on.

You might have felt he looked less professional, but the kids probably loved seeing their HT relaxing things a bit.

My daughters female teacher was in pyjamas this morning, I didn’t bat an eyelid. It’s nice for them to be joining in with the kids and showing a bit of fun.

I think it’s fine. It’s a fancy dress day, a special event. It’s not like he’s showing anything he shouldn’t be.

YABU. Seeing teachers in daft clothes is half the fun of WBD.

(Although I would question why pjs on world book day … what character is that supposed to be?! I have autism and that would annoy me more)!

It’s fancy dress day and he came in costume. There’s no problem 🤷🏼‍♀️

I would find it a bit cringey, as in 'I'd feel so awkward if I were him', however I would be glad that the teachers were willing to put aside embarrassment to make the day more fun/entertaining for the kids.

It’s great for children to see a more human side to teachers and management.. you’ll find these days also have a more realxed vibe to them.. I think it’s good for everyone. There has to be fun in everyday

It's for the benefit of the kids not the parents.

Because costumes are expensive and kids already own nightwear. It's less exclusionary.

Quite.

It might be from “the midnight gang” by David Walliams. That’s what my kids went as.

I think it's nice he was joining in with the kids for world book day. It wouldn't make me think any differently about him professionally at all. It's a once a year event .

I think it's better if the adults at school join.

You are being very unreasonable. Do you always suck the joy out of fun things?

I once did a day in a school office in PJs and dressing gown. It was horrible, even though my PJ were really joggers and a T-shirt!

Today I have a high level meeting with LA this afternoon and I'm not doing that in fancy dress, so I am being a misery.

Honestly I hate the whole thing. At least when it's PJs there isn't the expectation that staff spend money on a costume.

YAB-more than-U. Massively so. Poor teacher to be judged (I know he doesn’t know you were judging him) for doing something to make things fun for the kids.

And there’re loads of characters in pyjamas. Michael and John from Peter Pan? Arthur from Hitchhikers Guide?

It's a reference to bedtime stories and saves staff and parents buying costumes specially

My DC's old primary school did this some years.
The idea of PJs is to get cosy and read books - encouraging bedtime reading.
From a practical perspective, it stops the issue of parents having to create / source costumes, especially when cost of living is an issue.

I think it is a much better idea.

Does it help if you can think of it as fancy dress rather than just not being dressed?

I'm sure he had underwear on under his pyjamas and they were clean on, not the ones he'd actually slept in.

Isn't the idea of pyjamas to be about the theme of reading bedtime stories rather than being a character.

YABU. It’s great fun for the children to see the teachers ‘dressed up’ like them. And it’s for their benefit, not yours. Wearing pyjamas on WBD doesn’t affect their teaching or leadership ability.

YANBU

i hate things like pyjama days. Pyjamas as outerwear looks slovenly.

Just to clarify it was not fancy dress. Just pjs or onesie. Fancy dress would be different.

Yabu.
It’s for the kids benefit, not yours.
It’s great when the adults get involved and promotes conversations.
Ds is going in pyjamas tomorrow, no pressure around buying or making a costume, pyjama day is easy. Kids all own pyjamas. It’s also something you’d usually be wearing for your bedtime story. Ds is 11 so mainly reads to himself (sometimes we do chapter books with him but inbetween times he’s likes to read a lot to himself in bed before sleeping. As do many kids).

Why does that make any difference? I assume it was a ‘bedtime story’ theme?