Picture day is on the schedule. Six-year-olds. The photographer has 40 minutes. The lighting is whatever it is. You have one shot.

Here is how to make it go fine.

The night before

Wash the uniform. Iron it if you have to. The uniform from the floor of the closet is the uniform that will be in every photo for ten years.

Lay it out. Socks pulled up. Cleats clean.

The morning of

Brush the kid’s hair. Twice. The cowlick that survives the first brushing dies on the second.

Wash their face. The yogurt mustache from breakfast is in the photo otherwise.

Don’t put them in the uniform until you arrive. The 30 minutes between home and field is enough time for a juice spill.

The arrival

Be early. Picture day always runs late but starts on time. Early means you get the warm-up shots, when your kid is still in the mood.

Late means your kid is already over it.

The pose

The photographer will pose them. Don’t add directions from the side. Smile bigger! Show your teeth! These make it worse.

Let your kid have their normal face. Forced smiles look bad in photos.

The team photo

The team photo matters more than the individual. Your kid is a small dot. The team is the photo.

Make sure your kid is awake, present, and at least neutral-faced. Don’t try for the perfect smile.

The buddy photo

If they offer a buddy photo with a teammate friend, do it. The buddy photo is the one you’ll keep.

Twenty years later, the team photo is forgotten. The buddy photo is on the fridge.

The package

Buy the smallest reasonable package. The 8x10 you order will live in a drawer.

The 4x6 in the wallet pocket and one digital file is plenty.

If you want the wall-sized one, you can blow up the digital later for less than the photographer’s package costs.

The skip option

You can skip picture day entirely. The team photo will happen without you. Your kid is in it.

Some families skip every year. The world keeps spinning.

The after

Take the kid out for ice cream or pancakes. Picture day is exhausting for them. The reward makes the next picture day easier.

The single rule

You won’t get the perfect photo. The photo you get is good enough. Buy it, frame it, move on.

Your six-year-old in their uniform is cute regardless. The cowlick is part of the story.