..."as part of the day it is asked that your child dresses in Victorian clothes" ...

[Smithagain]

... thus reads the request, so casually inserted in an otherwise innocuous letter about a school trip next week.

... oh, and by the way, DD1 also requires white shoes for her play on Tuesday ... and a warm shawl which will look elegant with her fairy godmother costume, without interfering with her wings.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE THINGS!

I thought I was doing so well, having produced a chinese costume from thin air. And the other day DD2's teacher asked if I was OK, because "everyone says you're looking very tired".

I wonder why that might be?

(Ignore me, just a light-hearted, end of term, straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back rant so that I don't take it out on any of the hard-working and dedicated staff that normally have my utmost respect, but are just pushing their luck a teeny, weeny bit with the latest costume requests)

Merry Christmas!

the alternative is to train your own children to think it ridiculous to dress up in stupid outfits. they will then refuse to do it and openly mock all those who do, making it less likely that anyone else will want to join in next time round [evil laugh]

I'm sick of all the requests for money & time too - but I've now figured out the things I can neglect without it embarrasing my dd too much and the bare minimum is already too much.

This drivese mad, we have done international language day (colours of a flag), book day, chikdren in need fancy dress already tis term, and just been reminded of the need to dress as an Australian (??) tomorrow, oh and produce an "old black T-shirt" for the play!!

I'm a teacher. Don't worry about it, and don't waste any money on it! Your child will have a great day out however she's dressed! If she is visiting a museum or a living history type exhibition they usually have plenty of costume to dress up the children.

The trouble with a lot of teachers is that they think parents have nothing else better to do and unlimited funds. But then teachers only know teachers!

We have Victorian day next term. Am already dreading it. Roman day last year was easy.

Tudors will be next year.

I mind the money requests far less although to be fair we don't get many of those!

Christmas 'Celebration' tomorrow so have had to bake for cake stall. Again I don't mind that too much. But anything more creative stresses me.

ah the joys of an inner city primary with a transient catchment, ours are happy that they turn up at all, we rarely get these kind of requests [phew]

Heart of Gold - I think that's the problem. Our school is very middle class. Despite some outrageous requests for money - no one ever seems prepared to say no. There is a fear our kids will be the only ones without and that the teacher will make a big issue of it - as they have done in the past.

Thank God DD is an angel and the school has a stock of White Angel Dresses so I don't have to do anything!

Dh is much better at this sort of thing than I am. So between him & my Mam I tend to get out of it!

www.a2z-kids.co.uk/historical_costumes_period/victorian_costumes_and_accessories.html

I have been asked for (in the last 10 days)

a camel costume for DD2
a dancing girl costume for DSD
cakes for the school fair
tombola items
presents for the room where kids can go and buy parents something
a playlist on ipod and slideshow for the disco room
an evacuee outfit for DD1 class trip
themed lunch for same day in suitable container
£16.50 for school trip
My time manning stalls for school fair

FFS, I have 4 DCs including a 12 wo

Like a mug I have done it all, maybe I should stop.

This week was Tudor day for DS2 (Y4). I had to make a black full-head mask and an axe as he wanted to go as an executioner.

Why should parents be expected to be a dab hand with a sewing machine though? I am shit at all that stuff, so my kids will get picked on. Great.

Petrus you honestly think it is fair and reasonable to ask parents to produce all these costumes? A camel? I would have literally no idea where to start so my children will look like utter cocks. How tremendous.

We get this in Year 5 - trip to the Ragged School Museum in the East End, proper Victorian lesson complete with strict and shouty Victorian school marm. Fantastic.

Boys tend to wear culottes or trousers tucked into long socks, shirt (or long sleeved t-shirt) with a waistcoat or tanktop (what are they called now?) Girls generally wear long skirts. It's a mishmash, it's not authentic in teh slightest, but they like dressing up and it puts them in the mindset for the day

I went as a helper with DS2, and I had to dress up too. It was fun in a slightly embarrassing way!

BUT it is really annoying when the school constantly ask for money/contributions. It always seems to happen all at once in ours, and I get really stressed because I just can't afford to keep doing it, so I understand your pain

Petrus, I don't need you getting snappy with me because I am airing my frustration at a situation which makes me very stressed.

DSDs costume was very specific, so she had to have a specific colour leotard with 'jewels' attached, try doing that whilst BFing a 12 wek old

Oh, and I already do all the admin for the PTA.

Petrus why are you being such a bitch?

People who work full time or have lots of kids or who are not terribly creative have real problems getting all this stuff together, it is a source of real stress. i remember my mum sitting there in tears at the sewing machine because some cape thing or other wouldn't go right.

People don't want their children to be left out or be the one with the shit stuff so they expend all their energies and spend £££ producing an endless supply of random stuff.

Then someone starts a thread to say how hard they find it and you say they are ungrateful unpleasant bastards who are lazy, do not care about their children or the school.

Nice.

I got into trouble last year for buying an angel costume from tesco when parents weren't expected to buy anything, they didn't want to pressure people into spending 8 euro on an angel costume.... but that is by far the lesser of two evils. the other evil being MAKING one..

AbetaDad, I bet she saw right through you!! that is the male equivalent, of 'can't swim gotma peeereeeud, whatya gonna do about it sir?"

DSs have always been guided when designing their costumes - I say "It has to involve..." and then list things we've already got.