Nothing demonstrates more clearly how much your children have grown and changed than starting a new grade. As they walk off (alone!) to first grade, you can’t help but remember one year ago, when they were four inches shorter, had all their baby teeth, and strutted off to school as proud as little peacocks at the new phase in their life, officially becoming “big kids.” It’s the same every year, when parents hastily wipe away tears and remember the changes that have happened in just 12 short months.
School pictures can show the differences in face and hair, but nothing beats your own photos of the big day. The following are some tips that will help you select and create the best back-to-school layout for your memories.
Start early. Getting ready for school to start actually takes weeks. You and your kids shop for school supplies and new clothes, for example; these are yearly rituals that change even while they remain the same. Take pictures of your shopping expeditions, show the four different backpacks your son couldn’t decide between, and let your daughter model all (or at least some) of her new clothes. You might even include those school supply lists in your layout.
The morning of. Some night-before organization will free you to take pictures as your kids get ready for school on the first day. Consider a picture of their first 1st grade breakfast, their first 7th grade hair-do, or climbing into their first car on their way to their junior year.
Dates. Make sure to include dates on or near every photo you take. Have your kids pose while holding signs with “August 2008″ or “8th Grade,” on them. Make a banner with the year and drape it across the dining room table as the kids eat. The last thing you want to do after all this work is to confuse the first days of a child’s 6th and 7th grade.
After you take such great pictures, you can then place them into the layout of your choice!
