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

[Peachy]

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

[solidgoldbrass]

I wonder if the parents who did that are very young parents, to whom Hitler and WW11 are really distant historical events.
It is a bit odd.

[edam]

wtf?

I'd steer well clear of his parents. Must be very odd people indeed.

Maybe they were on that list of members of the BNP that went round a while back?

[Peachy]

cherry i dont sorry- was going in but was then told my sn ds1 had escaped school theday before so had to dealwith that as a priority iyswim

infants re co-orrdinator (will be helping her next term) 3was very

[Smithagain]

"Church School so no Jewish famillies"

Don't bet on it. DD1 goes to a church school and the Head of Inclusion is a practising Jew.

Am sincerely hoping that the child has genuinely read and enjoyed "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit" - therefore providing some book-related excuse for it.

But still amazed that the parents/teachers didn't veto the costume. Was he still wearing it at the end of the day?

[wotulookinat]

If it's good enough for one of the princes...

[cestlavie]

Ah, our nursery had a dress your child as your favourite dictator day as well. All the little ones dressed up as Idi Amin, Mussolini, Papa Doc Duvalier and Uncle Joe of course as well. 'Twas a sight to sweeten the heart of any parent.

[HSMM]

I might have done it if it was a dress up as a historical figure day ... but wouldn't have been the first though in my head for WBD! Perhaps they already had the costume for a play he had been in, or something?

[catsmother]

That's astonishing.

What on earth were they thinking of ?

WBD is supposed to be fun ..... how does that correlate with dressing a child up as an evil dictator ?

Would be really interested to read anything more of how the school dealt with this but IMO, they should have asked the parents to take him home and change him.

I can't get my head around the idea that Hitler supposedly exists as a sympathetic character in a child's book. I'm sure he doesn't. It simply wouldn't be allowed ..... and if, by some obscure chance, such a thing was published, say, by a far right organisation, and this particular child happened upon it, then the parents should have immediately jumped in.

The parents must be incredibly thick and insensitive, or rampant neo-Nazis. Really can't think how anyone would ever think this was okay ...... and it seems so much worse somehow to involve a very young child, than compared to the "high jinks" of a twat like Prince Harry (who, IIRC, was "only" a Nazi, and not the dear Fuhrer himself).

[duchesse]

Well, he did write some books. I wonder if the kid had actually read Mein selfpityingdrivel Kampf.

But he's not on the whole remembered as an author so much as an evil murderous dictator.

[Smithagain]

catsmother - I'm sure he's not a sympathetic character in any children's book. But he most certainly is a character in many books set in WWII. As far as I know there's nothing to say that kids have to dress up as a goodie - otherwise most of the pirates and witches at DD1's school yesterday would have been out of order!

Am not condoning it btw, just trying to figure out what thought process might have been involved

[Peachy]

Am fairly certain no Jewish kids only becuase of the fact that I have links to feeder school and my field is world faiths. Appreciate that Monsieur Average wouldn't necessrily know though.

Will be interested to find out what happened when I get there later; I asked Dh several times if I might have hallucinated but no, sadly not. DS2 (very up on such matters- becuase of my background) was following kida round expressing amazement apaprntlya s they went in (was dropping ds3) but the reason I didnt express horror at the time was that it is clearly at Priamry age a parental issue and I didn't want to make child feel bad. Forexamplebya sking if I should take my SN duo home in case someone had ideas for them (becuase after all hitler wanted a great many peoples ended).

[Hulababy]

At 5-10 I doubt any of the children seriously would have chosen Hitler as their character of choice. It surely has to have come fromt he parents, and obviously as he did come dressed as Hitler his parents condoned the outfit too.

It is inappropriate.

[catsmother]

Maybe I used the wrong adjective there Smithagain. Obviously, witches, monsters etc are not strictly sympathetic but, (at least in most books meant for young children) they are usually meant to be fun in some respect ..... even if that is "funnily" scary.

Like you I'm sure Hitler doesn't exist as a sympathetic character in any child's book (excluding Neo-Nazi propoganda perhaps) but taking that a step further my understanding of World Book Day and all the dressing up was that the chosen character should at least be one you admire, or find interesting ....... I suppose (stretching it somewhat) it might be argued that Hitler is an "interesting" figure but really can't see that a 7 year old is going to have a genuine interest in the psychology behind your typical dictator/meglomaniac/ruthless killer etc etc.

I hope the school are equally baffled and concerned about this. It's highly inappropriate and they should be speaking to the parents to find out what their motives were ..... maybe they are just incredibly thick and need to be re-educated in 20th century history.

[theITgirl]

The only reason I can think of, is that the parents hate finding a costume for WBD hae 5 more children to put through primary school and think that this is the way to stop once and for all ever having to organise a costume again

But even so .......

(sorry, I know it is not a laughing matter)

[theITgirl]

I am going to regret hitting post

[Peachy]

The letters BTW said 'your favourite literary character'.

[Peachy]

(And I am not assuming the parents are neo-nazi's btw. Naive at worst? Am blinding myself to possibility of anything worse as really that would be too awful)

[buttercreamfrosting]

I'm not sure it really matters whether or not there are Jewish children attending the school.
Wouldn't most people be offended by this - regardless of their religion?

[oopsagain]

yes, polish, gay, catholics,

ffs - hitler

they don't do tjose at woollies do they?

[squeaver]

W
T
F
???????

Update us after pick-up, peachy. Surely someone will have said something to the school?

[Peachy]

OOps they dont do anything at Woolies now y'know!

I do realise about Hitler being out for more than Jewish people- wonder if thats why I was so chocked, as I have disabled kids and recognise what might have happened to them if Hitler had succeeded .

Willupdate if I hear anything; hoping he was quietly reoved and all I hear is DS2 saying ' I didnt see him again Mummy'. Would be terribly sad if the parents caused child to get into trouble.

[Peachy]

Justabout, the nly reason i didnt go haring in is aI was presented with another issue to sort (apparenlty ds1 escaped school yesterday) and didnt want to be going in with a list IYSWIM? However I am awaiting a CRB check clearance to start volunteering there, and that seems to me a point where I can ask and learn abut attitudes?Infants are hoping to use my background toexpance their RE beyond Christianity and that alone, am hoping that willfollow through (Vicar always been anti it but he and I get along so might hel, thin he'd trust me not to have an agenda)

[oopsagain]

sorry- !i didn't see him again, mummy" has made me laugh
really laugh.
wonder where he went.......




and if he's comiing bacl.

I'll not go any further re the joke becauce is it s bloody awful subject to be thinking about-
bloody hell.

and, yes, I am missing woolies big style.
I need laces and blue tack and felt tips.
(and dictator costume )