Who, in the name of my dearly departed kindergarten teacher, agreed to let wolves in photographer’s clothing into my child’s school?
One year ago my first grader came home from school one afternoon absolutely buzzing. He had his “Spring Pictures”. Spring pictures? What the? Since when do we take photos of you twice a year? You’re not that cute.
Not only had the school taken the photos (which they supposedly told us about), they ordered and sent them home BEFORE asking for the money. “Hey, here are some photos of your kids we’ve printed off in a $45 packet. Since your kid handed half of them out on the bus, you’d better pay up, Dawg.”
I won’t waste my time telling you that last year my kid had yellow beaver teeth (he was trying a new smile technique) and this year he had un-gelled hair and a big boil on his neck. We. Are. Not. Keeping. The. Pictures. (And once again, the “opt-out” sheet never saw the inside of his backpack.)
Alas, my child now thinks we don’t love him. Just because we are willing to turn a cold shoulder to his immortalized image–“Can’t we just buy one sheet? It’s only $15”–he is practically a smelly orphan.
I can think of seventeen different necessary things to do with fifteen dollars at Walmart alone.
Today I am calling the school and giving them a piece of my soon-to-be-moving-to-Germany mind. To those of us who are not made of plastic, this is nothing short of playground robbery. I hate this worse than parents who take their kids’ fundraising magazines to work and peddle them. I really really really hate that.
(For the record, parent peddling robs a child of the totally uncomfortable life-building experience known as Selling Crap to Strangers, something that will someday make them just a wee bit nicer to the magazine salespeople when they knock on the door.)
We really do love him. When he’s clean and cute and freeze framed on mommy’s camera.
This just happened to us too! I was lucky and caught it before they took the pictures, but SERIOUSLY, its ridiculous! And of course my daughter threw a huge fit about us not getting them…uh, what about those pictures we bought at the beginning of the year?! Yeah, those crappy, low quality ones. I don’t need ones with trees in the background too, believe me!
I prefer the Selling Crap to Total Strangers thing (as long as a parent is along for the ride). It was a confidence-building experience having to do that sales thing at a young age. And we get those spring pictures too. Nothing new around here–it’s been going on since my 13YO was in 1st grade. Good luck!
I don’t buy the school pictures. They never turn out as nice or fun as mine!! so the girls know that they aren’t going to keep them. They can ask. but I can so easily say no…..well, maybe……..
Amen sistah! My kids had “spring” photos at school today with some dumb fake waterfall. Whatever!
Oh girl, I have got a ton to say about this . A ton.
First off, I got that packet last year, and like the lazy A mom I am, I just scratched my head and went, “how come I have pictures I never paid for?? Huh.” And then stuck them in a drawer, kept them, and forgot all about them. I am serious. I guess I am a klepto.
BUT at the same time, it pisses me off royally. Now, I’m not paying you for that craptastic picture you took of my son. I like my photos better of him, thankyouverymuch.
Second, I am so with you on the fundraiser pet peeve. Can you add to that though, the insanely crazy multimarketing schemes in this state? I think we definitely need your input on those. It’s my #1 pet peeve of all time.
I am still shocked you haven’t been turned in to CPS, yet.
We got spring pictures, too. Luckily we only received the proofs and not the entire packet. Is ridiculous, if you ask me. Maybe they do it for people who don’t own cameras. Though, if you don’t own a camera, it’s probably because you don’t have the money for it. In which case you DEFINITELY don’t have money for the pictures!
Please call for thrifty parents everywhere.
Wait. Didn’t you see the little note on the pix telling you it was a school fundraiser? That’s what they do here plus the class photo is taken in the spring. Nor does it help that several of my kids teachers have actually purchased the class photo & given it to the kids making them want the reg one even more cause everybody is sharing those cute bookmarks! Ugh.
Annnnieeeeee………..I love you. That was hysterical.
Really….??? a boil on his neck
OK, that was funny!
Poor child.
Hope the school recovers from the tongue lashing you are going to give them.
From your title I was thinking that there was going to be some tantrums and tiara-type pictures or something.
I think you should post the beaver teeth pictures.
You know, it is illegal for ANYONE to give you a service and ask you to pay for it after the fact! I’ve got tons of FREE spring pictures of my kids and I look at it as a gift from them. They CANNOT and will not come after you for the balance, never have come to me. I get the whole package because I keep it, and if they hound my kid about it, I tell my kids to just ignore it, there is nothing that will happen.
FREE pictures . . . . a nice addition to the school year!
My kids were always APPALLED because I didn’t send them back, but they got over it 🙂