To despise what world book day has become

[Whoinvented]

Currently searching for an outfit for my child who hates fancy dress but loves books. Why can’t schools just ask kids to bring their favourite book in? Why the expensive ridiculous need for a costumer every sodding year!!! We don’t have the money to waste, I’m crap at making stuff, my kids hate it. World book day has lost its meaning and can get fucked 😂

How i dreaded this.

Not just World Book Day but Victorian Day, Careers Day and come in as a famous person who has received a knighthood/OBE/MBE. All required costumes.

In the 80's and 90's I had none of this at school. There were own clothes days and Red Nose Day, but nothing that needed a custume.

Our school does wear your pjs instead. And this year bring a book to swap.

Dont miss it in the slightest. Kids weren’t really into it either so the whole thing was just a huge pain all round

My youngest didn't like dressing up when he was younger so for a long time he went as various characters who wear normal clothes.

We very rarely buy anything new for world book day and when we do it gets used multiple times. I've got 3 dc who will do it this year. 15 year old is still undecided, 12 year old is going as a shepherd from the bible and 11 year old is going as Harry Potter.

We love it here. The kids love choosing their favourite character and I do quite like the challenge of making the costume. Charity shops are a great source of props and you don't need to spend a fortune.

Agree op. I hate spending money on things they will wear once. Even nursery are doing it, when any outfit would likely get wrecked by lunchtime with messy play or paint or food. Just more bullshit pressure on parents.

This. It can just be effectively a non-uniform day.

My dcs school are doing a wear what you like but bring your favourite book in. Costumes, pjs, comfy clothes, uniform all welcome just bring along a book they love.

We give our pupils a peg and a postcard sized piece of oval card with a 'frame' printed on it, in which they draw their favourite character and then peg it on their jumper. It's a nice talking point and doesn't cost families anything.

Mine used to hate dressing up. They would just pick a school kid book character and go in school uniform

My DS hated dressing up, so he used to go as horrid Henry with his normal school trousers and a stripy top.

If you have a red t-hirt and jeans the George's Marvellous Medicine is great one

I used to really try and make costumes but I have done 11 years of primary now/ Last year! This year Yr6 kid is going as Lottie Brooks - just normal girls' clothes. She wanted to go as Bella from Twilight as she read her big sister's copies! She hates dressing up. About 10% of kids/parents seem to really like it, and for the rest it is a nightmare along with all other dressing-up days.

Kids are now young adults and I hated book day years ago. Kids hated dressing up too… we gave it an ignoring. Ones an avid reader and one isn’t…

God forbid that schools should try and get kids to engage in a fun way - we didn't have that in my day!

What a load of fun sponges. For those who dont enjoy dressing up, there are plenty of contemporary characters in jeans in and T shirts (or equivalent) and it can be as expensive and time consuming as you want it to be - no stress required.

Why should something that many kids enjoy be cancelled for a few parents that can't be arsed and obviously feel bad about it deep down (otherwise they wouldn't be making a fuss and tying to stop other kids from having fun)?

My son won one year as Roderick from diary of a wimpy kid. Black T-shirt with loaded diper in white paint, jeans and I painted his nails black and he wore eye liner. It was simple and last minute.

Wow there is really no need for that, 'can't be ar*sed'??

You have no idea what other parents may go through every day. They may be on their own and getting children to school as well as working FT with no help, can be difficult enough without added stresses.

It's been like this for years. I don't see why there should be any dressing up involved at all - it should be about books.

Mind you, the BBC had a "favourite books" programme some time ago and really it was all about films! The top "books" were all film adaptations, and the clips were of course all from those films. The text of the books didn't feature at all.

Mine knew they had to choose book characters that wore clothes etc we had available. Not good for the environment or bank balances to buy outfits especially
-Greg Heffley (diary of a wimpy kid- jeans and jumper)

• Angelina ballerina (ballet uniform)
• fancy Nancy (party dress and lots of plastic jewellery/hair bows)
• Alex Rider (jeans and jumper)

Totally agree and I have the same rant to anyone who will listen every year!

Thank fuck DC2 is in year 6, so I am done with it for 2 kids (just the 3rd one to go)

The aforementioned DC announced yesterday that they want to go as Gru and a few friends will be minions. Urm - Despicable Me isn't a book and I can't magic up a Gru outfit out of my arse so they'll go in non uniform as planned.

Our school tried to charge the kids to wear their costumes for it.

That did not go down well.

Our school has a theme every year, last year was bedtime stories so all the children wore pyjamas. This year it’s cosy stories by the fire so they just need to wear comfy clothes. And bring their favourite book. It takes the needless pressure off of searching for costumes and makes it about the book rather than the costume. They adopted this approach a few years ago after feedback from parents

How about this?

It really depends on your school I guess.
My daughter's school have said to dress in comfy clothes, PJ's or uniform and bring their favourite book in. The older children are going round the younger classes and buddying up to read books to each other and they're having cupcakes I think.

Totally agree. And to those parents saying dress them in something mufti/no expensive outfits, that's all very well in theory but not if you have a child wanting to fit in with their peers who WILL be wearing expensive costumes - which have nothing to do with books either. Currently making an outfit for younger child who is still happy to DIY. Refuse to purchase a £30+ outfit for the eldest, and there has been a lot of tears, lots of feasible alternatives but no joy.

Definitely open to raising with the school, but also mindful of those children who do enjoy it, and wary of ruining others fun.

Our school allows children to either come dressed up or wear pyjamas (and bring in their face bed time story) which I think is a great alternative!