When the link to Gabriel’s school photos arrived, I thought I’d sort it out in five minutes. My son is almost four. One nice picture, one little keepsake from the year, job done.

Except he looked adorable in every single shot. In one, he was smiling. In another, he had that serious expression I love. In a third, he was looking slightly to the side. Objectively, there wasn’t much difference. To me, they were three masterpieces.

Then I saw the prices.

One absurdly expensive photo, twenty that almost make sense

One photo cost a frankly outrageous amount. But the photographer also offered a bundle of twenty. Much more expensive overall, of course, except the price per photo was suddenly quite reasonable.

There I was, doing value-for-money calculations on photographs of my own child. Did I need twenty portraits of Gabriel? Absolutely not. Could I bring myself to eliminate a single one? Also no.

I even considered another option. The previews were there on the website, each with a big watermark. What if I asked artificial intelligence to remove it?

The thought crossed my mind before I realised I was contemplating using the latest technological advances to save money on a nursery photo. Not to mention the photographer’s work, which the watermark was there to protect.

How many photos does a memory need?

The ridiculous part is that my phone already holds thousands of pictures of Gabriel: birthdays, walks, funny faces and perfectly ordinary moments that felt magical at the time. Many are still waiting to be sorted. Some probably haven’t been looked at twice.

So why did I want twenty more? Because his smile was different in that one. And his expression in the other was irresistible. Besides, these were his school photos!

I knew perfectly well how silly my reasoning was. That didn’t make choosing any easier.

My Christmas present: twenty more photos not to sort

In the end I found a solution. For Christmas, I asked my mother-in-law whether she’d mind giving me Gabriel’s school photos as my present. She very kindly agreed, and I was delighted.

All twenty joined the thousands of other pictures waiting to be sorted on my phone. And I haven’t even put a single one in a frame.

Looking back, maybe next year I’ll buy just one photograph, even at its ridiculous price. I’ll find a nice frame and give it a proper place in the house.

At least, that’s what I’m telling myself now. Ask me again when the next batch arrives. Gabriel really is far too cute.

And if you bought them all and never framed a single one either, please don’t feel guilty. You can adore your children and still be overwhelmed by the mountain of memories you collect.

We’ll have plenty of time to sort them when they’re grown up. Or when we retire. Hopefully.

Keep this handy

The situation

One outrageously expensive school photo, a twenty-photo bundle that suddenly looks like a bargain and a child who looks adorable in every shot.

Try this

You can adore your children and still be overwhelmed by the mountain of memories you collect.

  • “What was the easiest part, and what was the hardest?”

Keep in mind: A difficult goodbye or pickup does not tell the whole story of the day.