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Original poster

School Photos - it's all kicking off!

69 replies

pretentiousrubberduck · 27/09/2021 20:30

My daughters school had their individual and sibling photos today. Unfortunately, the school didn't let any parents know, so many of them sent children in without proper uniform, in dirty jumpers, messy hair etc. The school emailed at the end of the day, apologising profusely, and said they had made sure everyone had the correct (and clean) uniform and neat hair for the photos. Well, it's all kicking off on the school fb page. Am I the only person that thinks that you should be sending your child in in clean and tidy uniform anyway, regardless of the day? Especially as it's a Monday (I'd understand if it was later in the week and you'd run out of clean uniform!). The school are getting slated on social media, although nothing like this has happened before. I feel a bit sorry for them.

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coldwarenigma · 27/09/2021 21:28

Circa 1972 aged 6 I had my photo with DB at school..they did them after lunch..chocolate pudding was round both our mouths...DGM was not amused ..she complained that if they were going to do photo shoot after lunch we should have had a flannel round our faces..

NerrSnerr · 27/09/2021 21:29

My children go to school on picture day the same as they do every other day. I wouldn't do fancy hairstyles etc unless they wore their hair like that every day as I want pictures of what they look like at school.

TidyOmlette · 27/09/2021 21:31

If it makes them feel any better our school had to send out an email confirming that the ‘family’ photographs would just be the siblings at school. I’m thinking someone obviously thought it was a whole family gig!😆

SpringRainbow · 27/09/2021 21:46

@NerrSnerr

My children go to school on picture day the same as they do every other day. I wouldn't do fancy hairstyles etc unless they wore their hair like that every day as I want pictures of what they look like at school.
So glad it’s not just me GrinConfused
chocolateoranges33 · 27/09/2021 21:46

It wouldn't bother me but I like the photos to look real, and not the awfully posed pictures where they look nothing like they do in real life!

My DMs favourite photo of me now is the one she absolutely hated at the time but bought as she my DH made her. I was about 7, had a few teeth missing as they'd fallen out, had bunches in my hair but looked liked Id been dragged backwards through it as most of it had fallen out, my fringe was all messed up and some of it sticking up. She hated it at the time but now agrees with me thats its my best one as it actually looks like me!

I also send my DC to school clean and tidy so a spontaneous photo shoot wouldn't bother me either!

mumwon · 27/09/2021 21:47

forget messy or dirty my ds always looked cross or miserable or both

sHREDDIES19 · 27/09/2021 21:51

Whilst mine go in clean, slightly messy hair and stained clothes are both possible so that would annoy me. And to the pp, no this doesn’t actually say a lot about the parents other than perhaps they hate to waste perfectly good clothes with stains that are impossible to get out!

CiaoForNiao · 27/09/2021 21:58

@NerrSnerr

My children go to school on picture day the same as they do every other day. I wouldn't do fancy hairstyles etc unless they wore their hair like that every day as I want pictures of what they look like at school.
Same. They always go to school clean and tidy. Whether they still were by photo time was another matter. (I like to think they can stay clean by now! )
NoYOUbekind · 27/09/2021 21:59

There is just something about the photos that brings out the wrath of parents though.

When I was on the PTA we changed photographer for the pics to one that would actually donate a higher percentage of sales to the school (because that's actually what school photos are for...). He had the bright idea to do full length shots as well as head and shoulders, but the DCs wore plimsoles for the school day, so basically you could see the plimsoles in the shot. OMG. There was nearly a riot in the playground the day the shots went out. I ended up getting someone else to do drop off and pick off for a couple of days because of the daggers I was getting.

Auroreforet · 27/09/2021 22:00

The best school photos are the awful ones.
I have one of my ds with wet hair because it rained on the way to school and his class were first to be photographed.
I don’t remember anything from other years but I remember that and it makes the photo more special.

SushiGo · 27/09/2021 22:02

@CarryOnNurse20

How ridiculous. I understand if maybe you’d have put them in the school emblem jumper instead of the Asda own or whatever but every day children should look neat and tidy. That says a lot about the parents imo.
It says my son has SEN and chews/pulls holes in his uniform. Mostly I just sew it back up these days for many reasons including the enormous environmental waste of throwing out jumpers that still fit, but I'd be a bit fucked off if people were judging me because he sometimes looks a bit scruffy.
Idontgiveagriffindamn · 27/09/2021 22:02

My son never goes in a jumper until it’s a freezing temperature but I force him on photo day.
Would be slightly miffed but only internally

gratedbeetroot · 27/09/2021 22:03

@TrashPanda

If something is stained it's not clean- just putting that out there!!!

Of course it can be. Whiteboard pens are a bloody nightmare for staining white polo shirts and there is no way I'm replacing barely worn tops because kids don't always pay attention to where the pen is pointing.

I wouldn't be disappointed, my lot can't smile on demand so always look a bit crazy, so I never buy them but I can absolutely see why people would be. We've always got a spare jumper from last year or the top with the pen marks that would be avoided with notice.

Yes, my 6yo old got whiteboard pen on two brand new jumpers in the first week. It doesn’t come out fully and I refuse to buy new jumpers every week. I have a spare which I will keep for photo days etc.
Hugoslavia · 27/09/2021 22:06

One of my favourite school photos of me was with messy hair. My mum had no doubt sent me in looking neat, but I looked like a right mess by the time that the photo was taken. This was back in the days when you got one shot and no previews. One boy, who was a right fidget, wobbled backwards off the piano stool where we had to sit for a photo. His mother got a blurred photo of the soles of his shoes! Sometimes the messy ones are the best!

Soontobe60 · 27/09/2021 22:07

As a teacher I’d always make sure the kids look presentable for their school photos - straightening collars, ties, hair reasonably neat. This backfired one year when one child’s hair was in what we now call a one sided messy bun, but which didn’t really exist back then. I straightened it up for the photo. Mum went mad at me when she got the picture back and I had to apologise profusely.

PatchworkElmer · 27/09/2021 22:08

I would’ve sent DS in his ‘proper’ school branded top if I knew it was photo day. And tried a bit harder to tame his mad hair. I wouldn’t be annoyed though, I kind of like photos that capture him ‘as he is’… delightfully messy 😂

BarryTheKestrel · 27/09/2021 22:14

My DD has totally unruly hair and most mornings it's pulled back and away she goes because it takes a long time/a wash to get it looking properly presentable. School announced at 3pm today its photo day tomorrow, so we've spent a large chunk of the evening taming the mane ready for tomorrow. She looks like she's been dragged through a hedge backwards by lunch time every day and I wouldn't want that photo.

Onthegrid · 27/09/2021 22:27

I have one school picture of DD1 when she looks like her head had not only been dragged through a hedge backwards but then done again for added effect,
She also had missing teeth and her cardigan done up wrong.
She went to school clean with neat tied back hair, but did PE before the photo. I’m just grateful that she didn’t also have lunch because we could have added food to the picture.
We are keeping the photo to blow up for her wedding album!

DD2 always looked neat but didn’t like having her photo done so the smile was always forced and I only have a couple of them together as DD2 refused to have her picture taken with the disaster that was DD1

Original poster
pretentiousrubberduck · 27/09/2021 22:27

I do see both sides, but the arguments about proper uniform are moot. They raided the spare uniform cupboard so every child that needed one had a clean, branded jumper. Including the children that dropped yoghurt down themselves at breakfast club (can you tell that one was mine Blush)
The photos were taken straight after the register this morning, so no remnants of lunch around mouths either!
I don't know, I quite like a more natural photo. Why not have one of how my kids actually look every day? They're always in fairly clean (sometimes stained, but always clean!) uniform, and their hair is mostly tidy!

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Legomania · 27/09/2021 22:29

@TidyOmlette

If it makes them feel any better our school had to send out an email confirming that the ‘family’ photographs would just be the siblings at school. I’m thinking someone obviously thought it was a whole family gig!😆
Ours does do any siblings, not just those at the school (not the parents though Grin )
Original poster
pretentiousrubberduck · 27/09/2021 22:32

It gets worse! The main complainer is now having a go about the swimming lessons, because they weren't informed that they were free! It wasn't enough that the school obviously didn't ask for payment, just an email informing parents what day they need to bring swimming kit in. It wasn't clear enough that the school were covering the cost, and that was very inconvenient for them! No word of a thank you anywhere Angry

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Mrsfrumble · 27/09/2021 22:35

Last picture day I sent mine in looking neat and tidy, but by the time they’d got near the photographer DS has wiped his nose all over his shoulder (SN and permanent runny nose due to allergies). The dried snot was VERY visible! The picture was otherwise lovely so we purchased the digital version and DH worked some photoshop magic before we sent prints to the grannies. We’ve kept the unedited version to laugh at.

Mondaynightnamechange · 27/09/2021 22:35

I’m guessing no one took the siblings in for photos so that’s annoying, it’s out school photo day tomorrow and DS had his hair cut for it.

TyrannosaurusRights · 27/09/2021 22:38

@TidyOmlette

If it makes them feel any better our school had to send out an email confirming that the ‘family’ photographs would just be the siblings at school. I’m thinking someone obviously thought it was a whole family gig!😆
I remember when I was in infants my little sister was brought in for the sibling photo.

We are talking about the early 80’s and a fairly small school but I can imagine others might have had the same experience and have enquired what time to bring the baby/toddler/preschooler in.

Original poster
pretentiousrubberduck · 27/09/2021 22:44

@Mondaynightnamechange

I’m guessing no one took the siblings in for photos so that’s annoying, it’s out school photo day tomorrow and DS had his hair cut for it.
It's only siblings within the school this year, due to covid. It's a shame for those with little ones at home, but understandable. But like another poster commented, phones are so good now that you can get some decent shots at home, if you have a nice background!
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