Three dress up days in three weeks

[DonkeyKong2019]

DD has SEN. One of her things is she can't cope with non-uniform days. Her school have just sent the weekly emails where she has 3 in 3 weeks. World book day, dream job day and sports relief.

Its not as simple as just sending her in uniform. SEN aside surely 3 in 3 weeks is bonkers?

Well two of these are national ones and most schools do them

Our school stopped doing these. Works book day, we organise a design a book cover comp that kids do in school.
Dream job day? What does an influencer or Youtuber look like?
Sports relief -PE kit
It’s bonkers!

That’s an awful lot. I know book day and sports relief are dates picked nationally but the school could have put the other one at the end of term. That’s crackers! Hope your dc manages.

How is it hard or bonkers SEN aside?

It's just clothes other than school uniform

Oh come on join in and have a bit of fun ... when they are too old and you look back at these days you'll miss them.

Surely sports relief is just about them wearing their sports kit ... eg if a member of a local rugby or football or tennis or random shorts, t shirt trainers or similar.

World book day, similar as most sports people have "written" a book. Dream job day, presumably it could be the same again! Who is to say what people wear to work!

Every year my little boy now not so little went as Didier Drogba for Sports Relief, Comic Relief (he is funny as well mum), Dream Job, World Book (he had the DD autobiography which I had the "joy" of reading to him).

My daughter not so sports mad went in shorts, jodphurs. Also just went in jeans and T shirt as Violet Beauregarde, similar with plaits for Pippi Longstocking.

@hepsibar

I would LOVE for my child to join in and have fun. Reality is that non-uniform days are a massive issue for her and I know she certainly isn't the only one in her school who struggles with them. It takes several days to get her back on track and with one a week for 3 weeks it's going to be a big issue in our home for several weeks.

It's not just a bit of fun for many kids.

Well it isn't just about your kid either

The majority of kids love it.

If non uniform days freak her out that badly keep her at home for the day. It sounds as if it would do less damage

I never said it was which is why we always just get on with it but they really didn't need the third one timed when it was or perhaps one could have been celebrated without dressing up!

Oh come on join in and have a bit of fun ... when they are too old and you look back at these days you'll miss them.
OP isn't going to miss the things at school which stress her daughter with SEN out is she?

And knowing most kids love it doesn't make it easier for op or haughter when she's struggling on the day. Try a little bot of compassion.

OP I agree thry could have spread them out or thought up something other than dress up, it does seem sometimes like a lazy thought process to celebrate something. We had three very close last term as end of month is always out of uniform, had a mental heth wear yellow day, rock star day and then Halloween not long after. Its also expensive if you have to keep buying new costumes.

I have forgotten about them in the past, felt guilty and then at pick up realised that quite a lot of children don’t dress up on dress up days. It may vary at other schools. Would she be happier if she went in wearing uniform or maybe just a themed accessory so that she is joining in just a bit?

My dc hates dressing up.(has SEN too.)I always asked if she wanted to do it or not. And she always said no. So, sometimes she was one of the only few who turned up to school on dressing up day/ Christmas jumper day, whatever, in school uniform, but as long as she was fine, I couldn't careless. And I think it was never only her. Once she was the only one in the year, but there were others in other year groups.
What does she wants to do? Does she care if she turned up to school in uniform when everyone else is dressed up? That's the issue. Not having the dressing up day, where all the other children enjoy.

I feel your pain OP. My two, one with SEN and one without both hated dressing up days. I would have to literally carry my NT child into school screaming when he saw other children dressed up.

My two just wore their uniform or normal own clothes. The teachers really did not mind. Things got better as they got older. They found it easier to cope with by year 2.

Ds has autism and hates dress up days. He just goes in his uniform and staff know if it’s fancy dress not to wear OTT make up as he can’t cope with that.

However many other pupils (including a lot with additional needs) love them so it really is a case of you can’t please all of the people all of the time

En

One of DD1's friends hates "novelty" dressing up (she's happy enough in own clothes days but she's quite a sensitive child and doesn't even like costumes for school plays - think it's a confidence thing really). She just comes in in own clothes, and school tend to give her parts for plays that are wearing own or "normal" clothes and it's not an issue.

My youngest's school has ditched WBD dress up altogether this year - previously they've changed it into a bedtime stories theme and had a pyjama day - but this year they're just doing activities in school completely. We do have a lot of dress up as X days in general though (I've just sent a batch of costumes in for previous curriculum themed days to pass on to future yeargroups).

That sounds like a lot in one week, could you just avoid school those days? (I know not possible for everyone). Even putting sen aside that's a lot of hasske/expense for other parents too!