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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

In thinking it'sprobably best not to send your child to school fro WBD dressed as Hitler?

111 replies

Peachy · 06/03/2009 09:27

efore anyone says LOL I didn't get it wrong- DH pointed it out, I said oh no must be Charlie Chaplin or somesuch then kid took off coat toreveal lovingly embroidered swatiokas.

It did concern me that the Mummight be on here then I thought no! It isn't OK and its worth making a fuss over.

AIBU?

Does anyone elses thought processes runa long the lines of 'Oh a favourite literare character? no darling skip Roald Dahl, Seuss and Grimm.... we'll go for a genocidalmaniac instead! No chance of suplication there!'

FFS

OP posts:
solidgoldbrass · 06/03/2009 09:45

Reminds me of the South Park Halloween episode: Cartman dressed as Hitler, the teachers made him change - into a costume made of a white sheet with a hood...

Bellebelle · 06/03/2009 09:45

Oh come on! Do you really think that the child/parents thought "Hmmm, I know, dressing as Hitler will help stimulate a thought provoking discussion in the classroom. By jove it's a marvelous idea!"

Original poster
Peachy · 06/03/2009 09:46

'I can't see the problem with it. Maybe he'd read a book about WW2 and that's why he chose to dress as Hitler?

Would you object to any other historical characters? '

Pol Pot, and his ilk- abolutely!

Hitklers name is assocuated with genocide and the worst activities of the human mind. not with a random character from history. Imean what if tehre are any people at the school who were directly harmed? We do have some Polish famillies, its possibvle they lost relations isn't it.

I did vaguely remmeber a book- it must ahve been that pink rabbit one- still you'd think surely- or I would.

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choochoochaboogie · 06/03/2009 09:47

I think the parents are obviously to blame here, not child. I find it quite disturbing and it must have been difficult for the school [cringe].

My DS went as Gandalf the grey, couldn't see through wig and kept tripping over robe....LOL

MamaG · 06/03/2009 09:48

Blimey - I laughed in shock when I read this, then though "bollocks", then saw it was Peachy in OP so knew it wasn't bollocks!

Horrible thing to do - I once drew a swastika when I was about 6. It was just a pretty symbol I'd seen . My Mum was VERY shocked and upset, I can still remember her face.

FannyWaglour · 06/03/2009 09:49

Oh come on! Do you really think that the child/parents thought "Hmmm, I know, dressing as Hitler will help stimulate a thought provoking discussion in the classroom. By jove it's a marvelous idea!"

Point taken.

JackBauer · 06/03/2009 09:50

I knew it wasn't likely but I would rather you were uncahracteristically taking the piss rather than being serious.

I wanted to ask if you live ina multicultural area but didn't know how to word it, I mean it is offensive to anyone but if any polish grnadparents were possibly taking their kids to school it's just unbelievable.

lowenergylightbulb · 06/03/2009 09:50

I can just imagine all the teachers at the school in Basil Fawlty 'don't mention the war' mode

EyeballsintheSky · 06/03/2009 09:51

LOL, still struggling to think of a reason! Please let them be mnetters so we can ask!

AIBU to send my child to book day dressed as a twentieth century dictator?

Original poster
Peachy · 06/03/2009 09:51

(mind- AIBU that even Dh's first reaction after shock and then confusion was 'oh this ahs to go on MN' )

(I did raise it with the RE Co-ordinator at the adjoing infants as they share facillities btw, am not just snigering from a distance)- would ahve raised with Juniors but morerpessing worries (thread in SN)

OP posts:
Original poster
Peachy · 06/03/2009 09:53

Now ahd it been just a swastika i'd have been wellqualified to debate the Huindu origin of the swastika and how it was stolen from their culture but it was moustache / hair the whole caboodle

It's not massively multicultural - Church School so no Jewish famillies but there's no such thing as a non mixed schoolt hese days is there? (thankfully)

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LucyEllensmummy · 06/03/2009 09:55

blimey - it really makes you question the parent's motivation. Why would you do that? Is yours a multi-cultural school peachy? Do you think they were having a dig?

I suppose the teacher could turn it around as i guess they learn about hitler at school but thats not going to make the child feel very good is it. "Oh look Jonny, you have come as the worlds most hated dictator"

LucyEllensmummy · 06/03/2009 09:56

Maybe they were dressing him as prince harry!!!

mrsgboring · 06/03/2009 09:57

No, I really don't think it was appropriate for a child to dress as Hitler. If he'd read a book about WW2, then his parents should have been explaining that this is still fairly recent history which many people will remember and find upsetting. That the world is so appalled at what happened that we must ensure it never happens again. Not embroidering swastikas (seriously? embroidered??)

Hitler doesn't appear as a character in "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit" - it is from the refugees children's viewpoint and a wonderful, sad, book.

I think there is a young teens' book about a group of schoolkids who become obsessed with dressing up in SS uniforms and emulating Hitler (my sister read it for school, I didn't). But even if he were ridiculously precocious and had read it, it surely wouldn't be a suitable response to the book to decide to dress this way.

ZZZen · 06/03/2009 09:58

I find this extremely bad taste, the dp should have been called in for a discussion. I hope they were.

How old is this boy?

fryalot · 06/03/2009 09:59
littleducks · 06/03/2009 10:21

are you sure???

love to see the letter that goes out next year anouncing wbd costume comp, i expect you may have some 'guidelines'

LurkerOfTheUniverse · 06/03/2009 10:26

maybe they should have a 'murderous dictators dress-up day' instead, much more of a challenge getting that costume together

Buda · 06/03/2009 10:32

Our Book Day is not till week after next and theme is goodies and baddies. Maybe the parents thought they had the ultimate baddie?

peachyfox · 06/03/2009 10:39

I read when Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit in my early teens and loved it.

Also grew up having to sit through 'Allo 'Allo with my parents.

Surely in the UK we have always dealt with the trauma of war through humour?

Also we have huge tradition of fancy dress which is a self-explanatory activity.

It is strange to put a child in swastikas but perhaps it was meant as a poke in Harry Potter's eye - those books are badly-written and not nearly as good as other literature available for children.

LurkerOfTheUniverse · 06/03/2009 10:42

yes, 'Mein Kampf' is a great read at bedtime

Original poster
Peachy · 06/03/2009 10:51

Well if it was a poke in HP'seye it didnt work- no two matching costimes today which I was about and thought well done them! even the regualrtory footie kid had flags on, metre tall hat etc.

It might well be inspired by something innocent but what it seems to say is @the aprents of this child have No Bloody Idea'.

I mean,its not as if its an ancient dictator is it?Loads of Grandparents take kids tos chool- well lots of them may have lots parents or relations in thewar. or camps.Or ahve been displaced. Or just as mine GD did spent the war removing corpses fromairplane crashes- he's be extremely offended. taht'shis amtes they killed after all.

OP posts:
Original poster
Peachy · 06/03/2009 10:52

(no ascribed theme, no guidelines, school 7 - 11)

OP posts:
cherryblossoms · 06/03/2009 10:55

You know, I read this post and I just think "poor kid". I do really wonder what his parents are thinking of.

Peachy - do you know what the school said/did?

mrsgboring · 06/03/2009 10:57

Lolita is a better book than Harry Potter, but I wouldn't suggest it as a costume idea for WBD.

I don't actually have anything much against Allo Allo and things of that ilk, but fail to see how simply dressing up as Hitler counts as humour or cathartic. Especially not if the wearer of the costume is a young child.