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 😂

I have a soft spot for World Book Day. Back when I was in primary school almost 30 years ago my Gran always made my costumes. Now my dd is in preschool I’m making hers and I love that (I sew for a living so I enjoy it). But I get for people who can’t/dont want to make it’s a total PITA.

I also hate that when my dd goes in she will be surrounded by Disney Princesses, Marvel characters and Paw Patrol pups. I get it as it’s using what they’ve got but I’ve loved getting my almost 4 year old to pick a character and have her help me make the costume - it’s been amazing sharing this skill with her. She loves books and took a while to pick a character and she’s super proud she’s been helping me make it.

My mum works in a school and they do pyjamas and take a book in - I think that’s a good way to make it a fun day but without as much pressure. That way the focus is also on books rather than dressing up as a Disney Princess.

the most inspired book day ever in our house was when my kids went in as Biff and Chip from the Oxford Reading Tree. Minimum Effort.

I’ve just been sewing my DC’s outfit and it is shit. More to finish tomorrow night as I had a busy weekend and it was too late to begin last night.
DC’s school had “Numbers Day” in January so I got yet another cheap long sleeved t shirt and did “6 7” on it in sequinned trim. But it cost £20 in total to make and the one I’m doing at the moment will be around that.
I refuse to buy a costume DC will never wear again but I know I’m probably paying out the same amount for a crappy homemade one.
World Book Day is annoying as we don’t have much spare money and there are parents worse off than us who will feel the pressure financially.

I understand this, but surely a school's uniform should be comfortable enough to read in?

My son (Y4) isn't really interested in dressing up. His favourite books atm are the choose your own adventure types, so that's fine, he can go to school as himself.

This is ours too.

• Dress up as a word
• Sponsored readathon - record how many minutes a day the child reads for in a set period and sponsor/ pay them for it. Prize for class with most minutes.
• Extreme read - send a picture of you reading in an unusual or extreme location/ way (except of course nobody is actually reading, they're just posing with a book)
• Disco after school on the day - competition for best dressed, buy tokens so the kids can get temporary tattoos, glow sticks and hideous drinks and sweets bought in bulk from costco
• Book swap - bring in books you've finished with and children can choose one to swap (every year so far I've sent in a few good quality books and DD has returned with a terrible, falling apart book with pages missing and scribbles everywhere)
• Decorate a potato as a book character

We do it all, because DD is a joiner and wants to. But it's a lot, and it's unusual for our school which is generally fairly good about not asking too much of parents, but some reason they go batshit for Book Day.

Plenty of people make costumes after work. Some people (like me) enjoy crafting and the pay-off of a cool costume (and the DC enjoy dressing up) so it's more of a leisure activity.

My DC school has stated that all costumes have to have accessories like swords and medallions to prove it's a character. They were told not to dress up as characters in normal clothes (e.g Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and that those who can't find (afford) a proper costume have to wear full uniform instead

Looking at last years photos - English teachers wore Shrek outfits. Is Shrek a book?

The whole thing has made me feel very uncomfortable! But it's my very last WBD. Might celebrate that instead!

I have twins in year 2 and its cost me £50 in sodding costumes.

All the other kids have shop bought they'd get picked on if they had home made. They don't even have to go as book characters this year. Just something they are interested in.

It does my tits in!

True, and to be fair theirs absolutely is - it's of the polo shirt and comfy sweatshirt variety, no ties and blazers here. I think they just know that the opportunity to wear something different marks the day out as different and special for the children.

This is terrible messaging. "No, your favourite character doesn't count because they're too relatable". "No, you aren't allowed to improvise a costume using things you already have, you must spend money and destroy the planet".

Exactly right @CasperGutman - I did message the school but I'll probably be deemed "one of those parents".

Imagine not being able to afford World Book Day! They've alienated some of the children.

Not to mention that some older children's books don't have illustrations meaning it's down to the child's imagination.

I spoke up and now I'm worrying that the school have put me on an "annoying parents list" 😂

Yes, @Queenpeeved , Shrek was originally a children's book by William Steig, who also did Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.

@CoffeeMumForever - haven't you read the Harry Potter series? They are quite well known.

@HeadyLamarr well I never! That's really good to know! Thank you. Embarrassed as I could have / should have Googled it myself.

At DS2’s school it’s optional and they stress that kids do not have to dress up.

They’re doing Shakespeare this year and kids can do their own interpretation of the characters from Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I just did a 5 minute scroll on Pinterest, and went off my memory of DS2’s closet and put something together. Making a cape out of an old shirt DH isn’t using anymore.

World Book Day is the first Thursday in March every year. I get it if it is your first child but after Y1, it shouldn’t be that surprising when it comes up.

In our area, signage about World Book Day is in shops typically a week or two after V’Day. School also sends out info on the theme at the beginning of February break.

Sylvester is a particularly good story book. It used to make my kids laugh.

book day it’s what the parents make of it. Loads of kids coming in their football gear with a football book. Girls coming dressed normal as normal book characters. Pick a book easy to recycle what you have at home.

Mine go on whatever I can fashion from clothes they already have or can add to their normal wardrobe rotation like hence DS has been Harry (and his bucketful of dinosaurs), George (marvellous medicine), Toothless (black hoody with eyes on and black joggers and I covered a clip on giraffe tail we bought at the zoo in a black bin liner 😂)

Tomorrow DS is Harry Potter as he has a HP cloak my friend gave him that was her sons and this is their current class book too.
DD is the purple baby from Smeds and Smoos so has a purple goody and jogger, yellow socks and I made antennae and hair by sticking purple card and green wool to a headband. Last year’s toothless tail is now covered in purple tissue paper for the tail.

My DS (5 almost 6) has been counting down to WBD so excited to be Willy Wonka

I bought his costume for £1.50 on Vinted, including postage was under £5

plenty of his classmates have used costumes they’ve already had, sourced second hand things, or used normal clothes for characters eg Matilda

My DS would be devastated if there was no dressing up element.
We have read Charlie and the chocolate twice through and he can recite bits of it and is ready to be Willy Wonka and say his lines 🤣

Agree, I hated it every year but I absolutely love books. Such a massive deal made about it in our primary when mine were younger, the head teacher was the biggest fan of dressing up and my children were not... especially by the time they were in year 4 and up! One of the other village schools used to do Pj's and a book which I loved the idea of - I'd see everyone in their onesies heading into school while our school was a sea of nylon 😂

Its a day to celebrate reading and the expansion of imagination yet, its not that hard to come up with quick and easy ideas

I LOVE WBD but tend to do easy things that can be achieved with a couple of accessories - e.g., Winnie the Pooh (red t-shirt, yellow ears), Paddington (blue coat, red hat), Peter Rabbit (tail, ears, blue jacket). I don't like the idea of buying the tat in the supermarket as it doesn't seem very environmentally friendly and also doesn't really feel like the spirit of WBD to me.

It was really nice to see the kids all happy in all their costumes today. We did see a couple of superheroes etc, but mainly just cute little costumes you could tell had been just be cobbled together. A couple of the teachers in my kids' school go all out every year and did so this year too. I can't get wound up about it at all.

Mine went in tshirts and jeans plus props and a hat / special hairstyle today. They look like their characters and were delighted with it all. We already had the hat and all I bought was a cheap tshirt in the right colour, which will get worn to death anyway.

Don’t know about anybody else, but I don’t think dd (3 dcs at primary school) has ever bought a new outfit for World Book Day. It’s either charity shop, or more often, outfits are passed around among friends, or there’s something in the dressing up box.

Not options for everybody though, I know.

Speak to the school. Our school is in what was one of the poorest wards in the area but new housing is being built all the time and it's a commutable distance from Edinburgh and Glasgow so people are moving in. As a result there is a real mix of families with different levels of wealth. School is very mindful of this and kids were asked to wear comfy clothes today and take a pillow or blanket in if they wished.