Picture Day is this coming Thursday (Sept 7), just in time to get good pictures of the kids to compile a nice holiday card. And of course, this will be a long lasting picture they will have in their memory box….hence the stress and pressure to mark that date in our calendar – to make sure on Friday we don’t go “YESTERDAY was Picture Day???”

We all have had had our share of “I can’t believe my parents let me go to school dress like that” as well as “Oh….gosh, what happened to my hair?” school pictures moment. So to prevent our kids from having picture day disasters of their own, and though it is not totally fool proof, yet…we are here to provide you with some tips and tricks for the day. Disclaimer: these tips and tricks will not prevent your kid from sneezing, blinking, or making funny faces if they want/have to. With any luck, they will help you stress less and you’ll have a wonderful image you can frame, share and treasure.

Picture Day Package 

Tips: Don’t forget to fill out the Picture Day form. Properly mark which package you want and send it back to school with the exact payment amount.

Tricks: Not sure which package you want (in fear of the “What happen to his/her hair?” situation)? Go with the cheapest Basic package. You can always order more or add in the magnet, keychain or mugs later when you are sure they had put on their greatest smile on the picture.

Clothing 

Tips: What should they wear? Let them wear something they will be comfortable in and of course weather appropriate. They don’t need to be in fancy dresses fit for Cinderella ballroom dance party (and do NOT…I repeat…do NOT give them any ideas because they will want to be and you will be regretting it). Their clothing should reflect their personality so they can look as natural as possible.

Tricks: If it is not already a regular habit, try for this one day: pick their outfit the night before. This will help reduce the fight of them wanting to wear their comfy shirts with visible hole and those hard to remove food stain residue that very day.

Hair Styling

Tips: Make sure your child has a good hair day (Yes, little Mrs. Obvious here, I know…) With any luck your kids will not have to take their picture right after PE, but there is a way to give them all the resources to achieve the – at least semi – good hair day: equip them with their own hairbrush or comb. Due to lice prevention, we do not provide any comb/brushes nor do we allow children to them, but if they bring their own, our parent volunteer might be able to help them with a quick brush when they are in line waiting for their picture to be taken (emphasis on “quick”, so please do not send them to school with a dreadlock or Merida’s style hair and instruction to have their hair brushed so they can look like Mulan for the picture). Also please let them know to NOT share their comb with their friends.

Trick: Have them wash their hair the night before and for girls with long hair, brush them well. You will pat yourself in the back in the morning when you don’t have to struggle brushing Tangle’s hair just before they hop on to the school bus. For the lucky girls with curly hair, it’s a good idea for them to wet their hair the morning off and style it.

Make-Up 

Tips and Tricks: We are in Elementary school, so lets be real: Just skip it! You might think your little one need a little tint of blush on her cheek or some red on her lips to spark her picture, but think about what happen if they get sweaty or just simply wipe their mouth with their sleeves having that red lipstick on.

Safe Lunch Packing

Tips: Pack a safe lunch. This is especially important for small children prone to spilling and kids with braces. Aim for foods that won’t stick in teeth, have a tendency to smear all over, or stain.

Tricks: Here is some on the avoid list of picture day foods: Broccoli, spinach, celery, orange, corn on the cob, chips, chocolate anything, concord grape juice, black bean soup (or any kind of soup for that matter)…and not to forget: apple sauce (love that thing, but we all know what happen when it starts dripping.) Try to keep with dry food instead: PB sandwich (skip the jelly for that day, trust me…), cheese sticks, grapes, bottled water.

Special Instructions

Tips: Give your child specific instructions: Tell them to smile naturally, maybe give them something funny to think about so you can capture their real smile. Help them relax and remember, those missing tooth or braces are part of the memory you want to keep, so show it all. Don’t forget to remind them to follow the instruction from the photographer and his/her helper during the shot.

Tricks: For the older kids, remind them that this picture will be on the collage for their High School graduation party, so they better think twice about making silly faces or neglecting to brush their hair because you can always come up with a great caption for the picture.

The moral of the story? School pictures are stressful but with a little preparation and foresight, you can wind up with a cute snapshot of your little angel. And if not, well there’s always retake, Spring picture, and of course…..next year, so close your eyes, take a deep breath, think happy thought and let go of the stress!