About Rebecca Eckler
Since becoming pregnant with her daughter Rowan, Canadian journalist and author Rebecca Eckler has penned three hilarious books, including the best-selling Knocked Up. Catch Rebecca’s weekly unique perspective on motherhood and single parenthood.
I just received my daughter’s school photos, and I have many options to choose from. I say this objectively, and not just as her mother — the 12 photos they sent to me to pick from to purchase, are all really, really good.
Unlike my old school photos, where my mother cut my hair, my daughter’s hair looks perfectly in place. She has an adorable smile in some of them. She looks serious and smart in others. And, in one, she’s even sticking out her tongue, which is too cute for words.
But, although there are numerous packages to choose from, when you come from a divorced family, none of the packages seem to work. First, I need a few photos for me. Then her father, of course, would love a few photos of our daughter for him. Then my parents will want some, and, of course, her father’s parents will want some.
So even the biggest package they offer (2 8x10, 2 5x7, 8 3x5, and 8 wallet size photos) isn’t enough to go around. And that package costs $56. And, of course, everyone (all six of us) is going to want her class photo too (there’s also a FUN class photo, and don’t I want them both?) and wouldn’t it be nice of me to also order everyone a calendar with her photo on it ($16 a pop) and maybe some magnets of my daughter for everyone’s fridge ($14 a pop). I’m far from good at math, but I’m now looking at more than a couple hundred dollars of class photos of my daughter just so everyone who loves my daughter can have some.
Since there are no packages that fit my family, or, I suppose, any family who is divorced, I’m going to have to call the place and explain how many I’m going to need, since on the form it’s impossible to choose the photos I think are the best and order them all. I think, too, I’m going to mention that instead of just having option A, B, C, D, and E, they should have a Divorced Family Package, where they give you like 50 photos of all different sizes, at a discounted price (because let’s be honest: they are digital photos that just need to be printed off).
Back when I was my daughter’s age, before digital cameras, we got sent home with one, or maybe two photos, and I really don’t think there was more than the option of photo A or photo B.
How many photos from your child’s school do you buy? And do you find the packages as confusing as I do? Share!