PICTURE DAY DOs and DON'Ts

Picture Day has a funny way of feeling like a much bigger event to parents than it does to our kids.

After 20 years as both a mom and a children’s retailer, I’ve learned that the best Picture Day outfits aren’t necessarily the fanciest ones. They’re the ones that let your child look like themselves, feel comfortable and give you a photo you’ll love pulling out years from now.

Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way.

Keep the Outfit Simple

Picture Day probably isn’t the day for the giant graphic tee or the busiest print in the closet. The goal is for your child’s face to be what you notice first.

Simple patterns, classic colors, subtle textures and smaller prints photograph beautifully. Think stripes, small florals, plaids, textured knits, a pretty collar or an interesting sleeve.

And remember, these photos live forever. There’s something to be said for choosing an outfit that won’t completely overwhelm that sweet little face you’re trying to remember.

Comfortable Always Wins

This is one of my biggest Picture Day rules.

They still have to be kids that day.

They’re going to sit on the carpet, walk through the hallways, go to lunch, run around at recess and do all the normal things they do at school.

You don’t want an outfit so stiff, itchy or complicated that your child spends the entire morning tugging at it.

Choose something polished, but comfortable. Soft sweaters, easy dresses, comfortable pants, layered pieces and clothing they can move in are perfect. If they feel good, chances are they’ll look more relaxed in the photo too.

Think About What Happens to Hair at 10:30

We can send them out the door with perfect hair. What happens after that is between our children and the playground.

For girls, I love accessories that actually help keep hair away from the face. A comfortable headband is wonderful because there’s very little that can go wrong. Simple clips or bows are another great option, especially if your child can put them back in or adjust them without a teacher’s help.

My rule is simple: if they can’t fix it themselves, don’t make it too complicated.

Practice the Smile

This sounds silly, but it works.

A day or two before Picture Day, take a few practice photos. Have your child look directly at the camera and smile. You’re not trying to teach them the “perfect” smile. You’re just helping them get comfortable with the experience.

Try making them laugh. Ask them to think of something funny. See what brings out the expression that looks most like them.

Sometimes kids get in front of the school photographer and suddenly produce a smile you have never seen before in your life. A little practice can make the whole experience feel more familiar.

Let Them Look Like Themselves

This may be the most important advice I can give.

It’s tempting to create a Picture Day version of our children. Perfect outfit. Perfect hair. Perfect smile.

But the photos we treasure most are the ones that capture who they actually were at that age.

Choose something you love, but make sure they love it too. Let their personality come through. Straighten the collar, brush the hair, send them off with a reminder to smile and then let the rest happen.

Because someday that missing tooth, slightly crooked headband or enormous kindergarten grin may be exactly what makes that picture priceless.

After 20 years of dressing children at My Urban Toddler and raising my own, I’ve learned that childhood rarely looks perfect.

And that’s exactly why it photographs so beautifully.