SAT in the middle of her living room floor surrounded by discarded fabric, empty bottles of glue and ribbon Chelsea Leeland took a gulp of wine.
The entire room was a mess, littered with fabric scraps, glue guns, spilled glitter bottles, cardboard, and splattered fabric paint which had even made its way onto the wall.
Chelsea Leeland’s children won’t be taking part in World Book Day[/caption]
Instead Elson and Ella will be heading to school in their uniform today[/caption]
The mum estimates she’s spent around £600 on costumes in the past[/caption]
It was 1am and the mum of three still had not finished the fairy wings for her nine-year-old daughter Ella’s costume.
The fairy crown was covered in more glue than sequins and her six-year-old son Elson’s bear outfit ‘resembled roadkill and still needed a tail’.
As Chelsea’s then two-month-old Ernie began grumbling in his cot needing a change and the mum, exhausted after spending eight hours making costumes burst into tears.
“I started blubbering like a baby making World Book Day costumes,” Chelsea, from Nottingham says.
“Everyone else was asleep and I was still up trying to make sure my eldest two kids had the perfect outfit.
“I made a vow then and there that my kids were wearing a normal uniform to school and going ‘as themselves’.
“I refuse to fall victim to the competitive mummy madness.”
Chelsea argues that she shouldn’t have to spend money buying costumes either.
“Equally I refuse to spend hundreds on the ‘perfect costume’ or face the judgmental gaze of the yummy mummies who have their child’s costume tailored or specially made,” she says.
“World Book Day is more about posing for an Instagram post than it is reading and I would rather concentrate on my child’s reading than costume making.
Chelsea, 28, in her dislike of the event which schools will celebrate across the globe today.
A survey by Tu Clothing discovered four out of five parents or 81% feel pressured to create a good costume.
While almost a quarter or 21% of parents find last-minute costume preparations more overwhelming than getting their children ready for the first day of school after holidays.
Like Chelsea one in 20 parents are driven to tears over costume preparations.
Meanwhile a Mumsnet study revealed three-quarters of parents think World Book Day is a “hassle” and one in ten parents or 10% felt judged over their choice of outfit.
In the past four years Chelsea admits she has spent more than £600 including a Wednesday Adams dress and special wig, a Wonder Woman outfit, a Princess dress and three outfits one year including Alice in Wonderland on Ella’s costumes since she started reception in 2021.
“She couldn’t decide one year, and I couldn’t face book day tears so I bought three.”
“When Elson started nursery school, the competition intensified and took World Book Day dressing to a whole new level” she says.
She says that her children won’t mind heading to school in their uniform[/caption]
Chelsea feels that World Book Day has lost its message and has become overly competitive[/caption]
“Mums were bringing their three-year-old to nursery in designer costumes.
“One mum sent her child as a ‘Gucci toddler model’ and bragged her outfit cost more than a £1,000 . She brought in a catalogue from the store as ‘the book’ showing off the posh outfits.
“The nursery staff were dumbfounded especially as they were doing finger painting and a catalogue isn’t a reading book!.”
“I was gobsmacked.”
Since then, Chelsea says World Book Day and the competition between parents has only intensified.
“I watched hundreds of hours of DIY costume making, determined to create perfect Princess outfits, wizards’ costumes, mini superhero looks and every year I felt like a failure,” she admits.
This year when mums at the school gate started comparing notes on costumes Cheslea said there was more pressure to up the ante.
The day is a bizarre competitive sport for parents to show off their costume making skills
Chelsea Leeland
“They refused to say what they were dressing their child as so that they could do a ‘big reveal’ on social media,” she says.
“Others bragged they would hire a seamstress to make their child’s outfit look ‘just right’,”
“As a mum of three we do not have the income to hire professional help and so for the past four years I have stayed up until well past midnight finishing costumes.
“The day is a bizarre competitive sport for parents to show off their costume making skills.
“The stress of World Book Day has been so overwhelming I have had to say no to costumes altogether, and I feel great about the decision.
“My children will be arriving at school in their uniform today.”
Chelsea says many parents have lost track of the true meaning of the annual event.
“It’s about encouraging reading and celebrating the characters and the books your children love,” she says.
“It is not an opportunity to outdo other mums.”
Chelsea admits that she does feel sorry for her children as a result of her decision.
“This year Ella and Elson went to school wearing their normal uniforms and carrying three books they liked,” she says.
“I do admit that I feel a little guilty about my decision, fellow mums have been left horrified but I know I’ve made the right decision.
“My kids don’t seem too bothered anyway.”
What is World Book Day?
World Book Day was first held in the UK in 1997 with the brilliant intention of encouraging children to discover the pleasure of reading.
There’s a ton of evidence to show that the benefits of books are huge; from improving literacy and language skills to building empathy, concentration and emotional skills.
World Book Day was set up with the intention of changing lives through a love of reading.
Chelsea, who lives with husband Tom, 30, says her mini-costume rebellion has also led to arguments being avoided at home.
She explains: “Previously my kids fought over what they could wear and even when I’d made the outfit there would be complaints it was too scratchy, or they’d changed their mind.”
Chelsea says she knows some mums will label her lazy and selfish, but she does not care and feels no guilt.
“I want my kids to value reading and to actually learn to read, rather than focus on costumes,” she says.
“One of my children has special needs and using picture books has become a keyway for him to communicate his feelings.
“Many households do not have books relying on tablets and computers. I know the value of books for learning and especially their value for children with specific SEN needs.
“I would rather do practical things on world book day rather than waste money on costumes that get worn once and thrown out.”
I would rather do practical things on world book day rather than waste money on costumes
Chelsea Leeland
Chelsea is also encouraging parents wanting to ‘buck’ the World book Day costume to donate to Book Aid International, a charity dedicated to changing lives through books.
“If you would rather donate old books, find a baby or toddler bank using The Baby Bank Alliance website to find a bank for the books there,” she says.
“More people than ever are hit by the cost-of-living crisis and need any help you can offer.
“I also give old books as birthday presents to younger children in my family to my friends’ kids.
“Reading and books are the gift that keeps on providing pages of fun.”
“As for parents who think I am lazy. Throw the book at me. I dare you. I do not care.
“I know someone who will read it and enjoy it.”
Chelsea says that she’d rather donate books to those in need[/caption]
