Swaps and low-cost sales are popping up around Cardiff to ease the stress for parents
WORLD Book Day can be a chance to be creative with your child – but for many parents this kind of school costume day spells dread.
Whether it’s cost, a costume-related tantrum or simply an extra thing to fit in before the school run, World Book Day can cause more stress than fun.
And with St David’s Day celebrations falling in the same week, for parents in Wales it’s a double whammy of dress-up days.
But there are some mums across Cardiff who want to ease the pressure by making low-cost, second-hand costume options available.
One of those mums is Harriet Valentino, who has three children at primary school in Barry.
She enjoys the fun of World Book Day, but always tries to reuse or borrow something instead of buying new.
Last week, her kids had a dress-up day on Thursday and Friday for St David’s Day – on top of World Book Day next Thursday.
“I’ve got three kids, so that’s six outfits for me. It does cause extra stress to parents. And it’s on top of all the other things, there’s always a bake sale or a school trip or something going on,” she said.
Her children have dressed up as all-sorts for World Book Day – from Matilda to David Bowie.
“One year my son wanted to be a racoon. Where do you get a racoon outfit from?
“Sometimes they’ll change their mind the night before. My daughter will wait and see what her friends are going as, because sometimes they’ll all want to go as the same thing. So that means it’s always last minute,” she said.
Harriet volunteers at Eto, a preloved children’s store in Barry, which always has a rail of second-hand seasonal costumes which parents can buy for less than £5.
Costume swaps and second-hand sales ahead of World Book Day have been popping up across Cardiff, which recognise how the extra costs for parents can add up.
From a glance at Amazon’s best-selling costumes ahead of next week, parents might find it hard to get their hands on something new for less than £15.
Harriet is also part of the parent-teacher association at Romilly Primary School, which she says has become more conscious about making these days more inclusive.
The PTA has set up a costume rail alongside its uniform exchange for children who don’t turn up in the costumes.
Eto is also donating book vouchers to the school, so parents and children can come into the store and get a book for free.
“They are so happy when they come in, because they get to choose a book they want,” she said.
Another mum, Kaytay Egglestone, dislikes World Book Day for a host of reasons.
“World Book Day is a great idea, but it can single out kids who don’t want to dress up or who can’t afford to.” she said.
One of her children struggles with the material that is often used for kids’ costumes due to sensory issues, which means a lot of options are off the table.
But she also doesn’t like the pressure it puts on parents.
“Most people buy new, and I think a lot of it is driven by parents trying to make sure their kids fit in and they’re not excluded.
“You can’t go out and spend all that money on a costume they’re probably going to wear for one day. Anything can be a costume, even if it’s an old T-shirt with stains on it, it could be repurposed,” she said.
Lauren Page, who has two daughters and a son, agrees that costume days adds another layer of stress.
“It’s not just financial. It’s also just another thing to remember. Usually it’s a last minute thing, which often means I end up paying for something.” she said.
She welcomes how projects like Eto are making cheaper and more sustainable options available to parents – as well as how schools are introducing hassle-free alternatives, like the option of simply wearing a pair of pyjamas.
“I’ve got so many costumes at home, so donating or swapping them is a really good idea.”
Where can I pick up a second hand costume near me?
- Rhiwbina Eco Team runs “dress up for less” costume sales. Their next sale is on March 2, which will have a range of St David’s Day and World Book Day options. Find out more on Facebook.
- Eto in Barry sells low-cost costumes as well as other second-hand clothes, toys and books for kids. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
- The Honeycomb is a toy library which runs on a Wednesday from 10am to 12pm at Grange Pavilion. It has kids’ costumes which are available to borrow at a cheap price. You can find them on Instagram.
- Benthyg Penarth, a library of things, has a catalogue of kids costumes that are available to borrow.
- Check whether your local school’s PTA or uniform exchange are running any costume swaps.
