Since expanding my business to include school photography, I’ve gotten a wide variety of responses from friends, families, and local moms when they find out it’s something I offer. Some parents share a funny stories and others are more of, shall we say, horror stories. Picture day elicits a lot of feelings! Here are a few tips to prepare your child for a (great!) school picture day!

Let your kiddo know in advance!

If your child isn’t a big fan of surprises, I highly recommend letting them know in advance that picture day is coming. Let them know it’ll be quick and painless, and maybe even fun. I really do try to make it a light, no stress situation for children. My goal is to always meet them where they are. If you find me on social media, feel free to show them my face and let them know who I am. This could make picture day feel less intimidating for them.

Picking what to wear

My oldest is fully in her “I want to dress myself” stage and sometimes it’s painful. But, I know there’s a lot of value in letting kids be involved in picking their clothes! My general rule of thumb for picture day outfits is:

Of course, your child’s comfort is ultimately the most important thing so make suggestions or offer choices as you can, but don’t let this become a point of contention! If you’re looking for some picture day outfit inspo, Old Navy, H&M, and Zara usually have great kids’ options!

Pack a mess-free snack

As a mom of two small kids, I know how snack time can go. Things can get out of hand quickly, ha! On picture day, I recommend avoiding snacks like yogurt, jelly/jam, fruit juice, cheese puffs – anything that can drip, or stain mouths/hands. If these snacks are unavoidable, I’d send a back up shirt. Similarly, if your sweet babe in teething and drooling, send them with either a bib on or a back up shirt so they don’t show up for the picture day turn with a wet shirt.

Niki has been taking our preschool photos for 3 years, and she is amazing. She is kind and patient with the kids, knows how to get a smile, or when to wait and let the child warm up to her for a picture. Her pictures are filled with light and personality. – Laura R., Baltimore Preschool Director

If you’re reading this and would like to bring my approach to school photos to your child’s school, head over to my school photos page for more details, including the fundraising opportunity available to the schools I work with!