I was happily relaxed on the sofa, surfing the tinterweb reading fellow Mummy blogger Alison Perry’s (Not Another Mummy Blog) latest post whilst E had a nap in my little bubble of peaceful bliss when I suddenly read the dreaded words ‘World Book Day’.
Whilst I love reading and I’m very much into encouraging the kids to inherit my book-worm tendencies, I find World Book Day generally irritating for many reasons.
Firstly, there are only so many costumes which can be purchased to go alongside your child’s favourite reads.
Secondly, In order to get hold of a new costume it means either driving at least fifty minutes to the supermarkets often to find they don’t have anything suitable or in my sons size. It’s either that or order online usually to be let down by the post and end up in a last-minute panic, thus resorting to yet another year of Harry Potter.
Thirdly, it’s just more money being spent on a random costume, which my child is only likely to wear for a few hours before becoming completely stressed out by the itchy fabric and stripping down to lose parts of said costume somewhere within the school.
Fourthly, whilst I may be fairly crafty with a sewing machine and have once made J an Underdog costume for school, I am not wonderfully talented at dress making and now fear that my attempts would be more likely to embarrass than impress my son. That and I just don’t have the time or materials on hand to throw together a Fantastic Mr Fox costume. Oh for the love of God, not another late night session swearing at the sewing machine… Please let him choose something that we already have.
Finally, your child will be asked to take the book which inspired their costume along with them to school. Do not expect this book to return home in a fit state or make it home at all for that matter.
I decided to brave the ‘costume conversation’ with J who looked as impressed by the idea as I felt. We eventually agreed to him wearing his new Peter Pan costume. Of course this includes a small sword which he will have to take and will probably cause chaos with and no doubt loose at some point during the day. Now where did we put the book…he hasn’t even taken it to school yet and it’s already been misplaced, sodding typical!
For those of you reading this that were blissfully unaware I apologise, but just to keep you in the parental loop, World Book Day takes place this Thursday (March 3rd 2016). Good luck my friend, may you be blessed by the fancy dress fairies and pull it off without a melt down which may not necessarily be from your child.