World book day, it’s fun, isn’t it?
I used to love dressing my children up in all sorts of outfits, but when our youngest and most active child asked to go as Billy The Footballer for the fourth time in a row, in his regular football kit, and the teacher had asked if parents could avoid the football route, I think we knew then, we were fighting a losing battle. The days of dressing up as a Dinosaur were well and truly over, and with the third child, a little too soon for me as a Mummy.
I remember spending ages putting outfits together for some obscure characters that our children had chosen, often at the last minute, it was exciting. I loved the way books had, and still have their very own special own day, as a parent it was really hectic, but it was fun, for the most part.
We took obligatory photos of them each year, at the bottom of the stairs, excitable children, books in hand, ready to take on World Book Day. They all had to take the book, that was relevant to their particular character into school with them, it was always a very busy time.
However, on occasion, when we got to the school car park, we would get the stiff-legged child, the smile had turned into a frown, then the hats come off, makeup smudged, accessories left in the car and a half-dressed book character of around seven years old, walks into their classroom, ever so slowly, head held low, eyes searching for some reassurance, with a little sulking going on as well because they suddenly felt silly and worried that their friends might be in something a little more cooler than their own outfit. It’s then that they wish Mummy had let them dress up, as a footballer or a fictional pop star, even though they were dressed up in exactly what they had decided on just two days ago.
After a busy week with three children and limited sewing skills, I soon learnt how to improvise and found that plastic gems, large pieces of material, home printing, cardboard, string, felt tips, face paints and glue came in very handy.
I have been thinking that perhaps, us parents should host a World Book Day Party for adults, we should get our children to help us choose an outfit, be patient while we change our mind a hundred times, then they should run us up a homemade outfit with sparkles on, take it up with glue, find the book that is relevant to the character, that was definitely by the side of our bed but takes an age to find, make us read the book from start to finish, just in case we get questioned by the book police and allow us a change of clothes in the car if we have to pop into the supermarket on the way home.
I wonder if they know how much trouble we went to and parents go through each year, to make it fun for them, of course, it doesn’t really matter, I guess we just hope that when it’s their turn to dress up their own children, that they look back and remember that dressing up as a Dinosaur, Pippy Longstocking, Willy Wonka or Wanda The Friendly Witch was actually quite fun.
If I had to choose a character for world book day from the time that I was at school, I would choose Mrs Pepperpot, as I was so tiny for my age and I really loved her stories as a young girl.
How I would have loved to have dressed up at my old junior school as my favourite book character. However, my Mum with the six of us children may have found that just a little too much, six times a year, as well as all the plays, parties, homework help and packed lunches!
Maybe a detailed video on how to prepare for World Book Day could be used as contraception in the future 🙂
Happy World Book Day to all the parents out there, feet up later, unless you have to do something for British Science week?
