School Pictures

[HeatherJay]

Do you always buy the school pictures? How many times a year does your child's school take pictures?

Right now, my daughters' school takes pictures at least 3 times a year...once in the fall, a Christmas picture, and once in the spring. My hubby thinks it's really excessive, expecially since I always feel compelled to by the pictures...and with two kids, that's almost $80 each time pictures come around ($36 each for the full package).

But, I love pictures of my kids...grrr...I'm sure they know that parents have a hard time saying no to such sentimental things.

LOL, how do you guys handle this sort of dilemma?

BTW, bringing this up because my angels just brought home absolutely gorgeous school pictures and I want them so bad!

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

I'm a sucker for pics of my daughter though I just can't justify even to myself to spend that kind of money so I just get pics when I have a coupon for Wal Mart

 

[Linnis]

My BIL always gets one of the smaller packages but I'm the only one who puts up his pics in a frame. I'm glad he does because I really like the pics.

I don't think I'll be able to spend $35 for school pics, I might get a smaller pack when I have my own kids. The baby will be almost 6 weeks at Christmas and we're doing the $6.99 wal-mart package.

 

[HeatherJay]

I know, I love the WalMart deals, too. I'm just wonder why the school package has to be so much more expensive?

Actually, no, I'm not wondering...I'm just ranting because the price ticks me off, but I know I'll buy them anyway. I get ticked off sometimes that it feels like someone is using my kids against me.

LOL, allow me to rant about PTO for a moment...we are members, and we go to meetings when we can, BUT as an incentive to get more parents to go to the meetings, they give the kids whose parents attend a special prize. So the kids come home begging their parents to go to the meetings so they can get a prize, and the parents look like the bad guys if they just can't make it. Not to mention the poor kids with parents so uninvolved that they could care less what type of school function is going on, they're not going regardless how much their child would like to be included in getting a special prize. Grrr...actually, the last meeting, we told our girls that we weren't going based on that principal...it's just not right to participate in something that could make some kids feel so bad.

Whew, lol, that was totally NOT about school pictures! I guess I just get ticked off at the subtle manipulation that goes on sometimes.

Thanks for letting me get that out of my system.

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

The baby will be almost 6 weeks at Christmas and we're doing the $6.99 wal-mart package.

How sad is this - I won't even pay for the $7 package at WalMart. I wait until I get the coupon for the $4 package at her birthday!

 

[CarrieAg93]

This year DSs school did a sibling pic that turned out really good so we bought 2 sheets of that one. I think it was $12 a sheet. My oldest son's individual wasn't very good and my other son refused to take an individual pic.

 

[HeatherJay]

This year DSs school did a sibling pic that turned out really good so we bought 2 sheets of that one. I think it was $12 a sheet. My oldest son's individual wasn't very good and my other son refused to take an individual pic.

Oh no, the sibling pics make it worse, lol. At Christmas time I ended up buying all three packages...the two individuals AND the sibling pic. Those were only $25 a piece, but still!

Okay, it's becoming clear...I have a real problem here and I need to seek help immediately, lol. I just can't say no!

 

[Linnis]

How sad is this - I won't even pay for the $7 package at WalMart. I wait until I get the coupon for the $4 package at her birthday!

Really, it never goes on sale around here.

I am going to convince people that money is an okay baby shower gift so I can save up for a good digital camera.

 

[lucypevensie]

Our school only does pictures once, at the beginning of the school year. We get one of the smaller packages. I guess we're not really portrait people, but prefer the naturalness of candid shots.

 

[sunshiinedays]

We homeschool so we don't get school pictures. But I really prefer candid pictures anyway. With the exception of the 1.5 years my oldest did spend in school, I've never had my children's photos done professionally. I like to take my best shots and get them blown up and framed instead. So on our walls, we've got black and white closeups, the kids digging in the dirt, playing at the park, etc, hanging on the walls. Visitors always seem to notice and comment And I like the memories associated with the pictures.

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

Really, it never goes on sale around here.

I am going to convince people that money is an okay baby shower gift so I can save up for a good digital camera.

When you take your baby to get their photos for the first time you'll fill out a little form with all your info on it and they'll send you a coupon about a month before your baby's birthday.

 

[Athene]

I usually get the photos, I didn't this september gone, the picture was terrible, my daughter didn't want to get a photo with her brother so she complained and winged, and in the photo she had a really horrible expression on her face. The photo before that was nice though.

 

[Linnis]

When you take your baby to get their photos for the first time you'll fill out a little form with all your info on it and they'll send you a coupon about a month before your baby's birthday.

That's cool.

 

[JoannaJoy]

-

 

[Princessperky]

what I would do is..keep the proof sheet if there is one, scan it and leave it on the computer. or buy the absolute smallest package..

both cheaper than regular updates. I get walmart twice a year, but my computer is full of candids...

 

[Leanna]

Really, it never goes on sale around here.

I am going to convince people that money is an okay baby shower gift so I can save up for a good digital camera.

Luckily digital cameras aren't too much money anymore.... compared to what they were a few years ago. You can even get disposable digital cameras where they put your prints on a cd!

I think 3 times a year is excessive, my school it was only once a year... I hate school pictures because they're always a plain background with a child facing directly at the camera.... blah! Its an insult to photography!

 

[HeatherJay]

Luckily digital cameras aren't too much money anymore.... compared to what they were a few years ago. You can even get disposable digital cameras where they put your prints on a cd!

I think 3 times a year is excessive, my school it was only once a year... I hate school pictures because they're always a plain background with a child facing directly at the camera.... blah! Its an insult to photography!

Well, lol, I usually agree, but these are actually nice. There's a nice green, spring type background, and there's a nicely done border around the edges. Plus, they do a good job of capturing the child's most flattering angle. The photographer that the school uses is one of the local professional photograhers, so, they do a pretty decent job...which is why I have such issues saying no.

 

[HeKnowsMyName]

Our school does it twice a year. I bought them in the fall, but didn't in the spring. If they had turned out good I would have bought them, but they had DD's long hair pulled over one shoulder and not the other plus she looked a bit peekid (sp?) since she had been sick for about a month. I decided not to waste my money. I felt kinda guilty though cause DD would have been upset had she realized I wasn't keeping them.

 

[bliz]

3 times a year is more than excessive. I can't help but wondering who is getting kick-back or who from the school district is related to whom at the photo company...

We always bought the smallest packages - if we liked the photos.

 

[seamonster]

My parents always did once a year (except for the first year, they did newborn & 6 month pics), and it was totally fine. That's what we're planning on doing for our kids. Once a year should be more than enough.

My aunts and uncles, on the other hand, take their children's pictures at least 3-4 times a year. I think it's ridiculous. I love my cousins, but there's no reason I need *that* many pictures of them.