Parents Take First-Day-of-School Pictures Through Their Ring Video Doorbells

The first-day-of-school picture is one of the most beloved fall traditions, as students of all ages don new clothes and smile for the camera before heading off to a new year. But many parents have to miss this milestone because they're out of town or they have to be at work before their kids take off.

This year, some parents were delighted to realize they could use their Ring Video Doorbells to wish their children well and get a screenshot picture, even if they couldn't be there in person.

Antoanela Vaccaro and her husband live in Bentleyville, Ohio, but were out of town when their son Brett started school, because they were dropping their daughter off at college. That meant they weren't home to send Brett off to the first day of his sophomore year. He was headed out the door at 7 a.m. in a sweatshirt and shin guards when Antoanela got an alert on her Ring App. She chatted with him through the Two-Way Talk feature and convinced him to pose in front of the house so she could snap a screenshot on her phone. "It was definitely the best first day picture," Antoanela said.

Ricky Pinto also thought he would miss the special moment this year. He recently started a job in Brooklyn, N.Y., about two hours from his family's home in Mastic, N.Y., and wasn't able to be there when his son Noah started first grade. It was the first year he'd ever missed the first day of school. But using his Ring App, he was able to tell his kids he loved them and screenshot a picture of his wife and two boys before they left. "Ring made it very easy for me to experience this moment with my family," Ricky said.

Kristine Hancock is used to missing her son Makai’s first day of school. As an assistant principal at a middle school in Wilmington, N.C., she said she's often out the door before he's even awake, and she feels guilty for working so much. But this year, she didn't have to miss the precious moment, because her family recently purchased a Ring Video Doorbell. Using the two-way-talk feature, she was able to tell Makai to have a good day and that she loved him. Then she snapped a screenshot while he smiled on the front porch.

"I felt so fortunate to be able to see him," she said. "I could be a part of our family life while not being there. I usually miss out on this milestone, but not this time."

Antoanela's, Ricky's, and Kristine’s families learned firsthand what it means to be  #AlwaysHome with Ring—and experienced a moment they'll never forget. 

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