It is no secret that school pictures are a *very* big deal. The whole week -- if not month -- leading up to school picture day is often spent shopping for the right outfit, perfecting hairstyles, and ironing out all of the wrinkles -- literally!
However, no matter how organized and ready we try to be as parents, there are quite a few things we need to do for our kids to make sure their school picture goes well and that we can get get a photo to treasure for years to come.
Here are three tips to help make school picture day perfect.
Remember that beauty sleep is real. Make sure your child gets a good night's rest before picture day so they'll feel energized and refreshed for their photo. Enough sleep will also (hopefully) ward off the cranky moods allowing for a genuinely happy smile!
According to Today's Parent, when children sleep just one hour less than normal, they will wake up irritable and frustrated which does not a happy picture make. On the other hand, children who sleep one hour more than normal wake up in an even better mood.
Related: Here are the best bedtime & mental health apps for kids
You can find how much sleep your child good be getting each night based on their age from Sleep Advisor here, but you know your child best so, on the night before school picture day, you can decide when the clock strikes bedtime.
Let their personality shine. School pictures are meant to document exactly who your child is and who they become throughout the years, after all. Try to avoid dressing them in stiff, uncomfortable clothes or outfits they wouldn't wear any other time. You want your child to feel comfortable and excited, not nervous and embarrassed.
If your daughter is a fan of giant pink bows, let her wear one for the picture. If she's going through her funky pig-tails phase, let her rock 'em in front of the camera. Allowing them to be themselves will truly showcase their personality so that, in years to come, you'll be able to look back and remember exactly what that year was like.
Understand that every picture is perfect in its own, unique way. There iss no doubt you want your child's school picture to be absolutely perfect but, remember, perfect is what you make it. Sure, a wide, toothless smile may not be what you had in mind the morning of picture day when you had your child practice the closed-mouth look, but being able to look back at the adorably dorky face someday will be perfectly worth it.
Even these hilarious yearbook photo "fails" are perfect, even if they are not what the parents were hoping for. Enjoy!
Want to show off your child's school picture? Share them in the comments below!
