navigating sessions w kiddos

No for real. Photo sessions with kids are not a drill.

They are hard. And a lot of times they are messy. There might be some tears – probably some yelling and most defenitly some disappointed feeling parents. But I am here to inform you: it doesn’t have to be that way.

The first thing to realize is that trying to demand that your child sits still, smiles, AND looks at the camera is pretty much like herding cats – it does not end well. So throw your Pinterest-perfect family photo out the window (please for the sake of you and your kiddos sanity).

My easiest tip for navigating photos with kiddos is this: get rid of the expectations. My mom has always preached that you cannot expect more out of someone than what they are capable of giving. And how true is this of all people but most importantly children?! It is just not realistic to demand your kid to sit still for 30 minutes, smile, and look at this rando lady with a weird device shoved in their face, especially when all of that will be hard for your husband – the full grown man. No shade, but c’mon guys, we all know your wife is forcing you into this and you’re NOT loving being dressed up and having to endure all that a family session brings.

And that’s okay. Because I am here to make this fun. Yes, a family session that is fun. It is children and husband approved. No but seriously, my next tip is to be adaptable. Your kid might be having a hard day, they might hate me, they might love me but hate my camera (this has happened multiple times). And it’s all okay because I come into this session knowing full well that this could be how the entire slot time goes and adapt to what your kids are putting out there.

I want you to know straight up that almost every kiddo wants to run free during a session. They want to explore. They want to play. And I encourage all of these things – because it brings out the real charm of your kid, it brings genuine smiles, and most importantly it creates a session you can look back on with joy.

I am here to make memories and help you capture those. I want those memories to be joyful – not remembered with dread. I want your entire family to have fun, I want you guys to laugh, I want you guys to be you. If you'd like to learn more shoot me a message – lets set up a fun, kiddo + husband friendly, session.