How to Prep Young Kids For Family Photos
All photos taken by yours truly, SariRisbeyPhotography
Going for family photos when you’ve got young kiddos or toddlers can be capital S STREEESSSFUL! I know! I’m a mom who has been there too! Photo sessions are an investment and the thought of paying money (especially in this economy... yikes!) just for your kids to be miserable the whole time is nightmare fuel.
If you want to enjoy your session, avoid disappointment, and set your family up for photo success, keep reading!
“What if we don’t get a single good photo!?”
Let’s dive right in!!
The NUMBER ONE thing that you need to do to ensure your family photos go smoothly is keep your stress around the session as low as possible. Kids pick up on everything and your vibe will always affect theirs. Even before they can talk, they can sense stress and anxiety in you. Let’s start with how you can prep yourself!
Outfits
First thing’s first! Plan your outfits in advance! Try to have your clothes laid out one week before your shoot. This way, you’ll know if you need to run out to pick up any last minute items for your outfits! Having your clothes picked out and prepped early means that you officially do not need to think about what you’re wearing on the day of. Check that off the list (woohooo)! You have already set up your fam to look great! I always recommend bringing a backup outfit for your kids in case the plan A outfit gets dirty or ruined - prep this too!
Bonus: Try to choose outfits that your kids will like and/or find comfortable so that we can skip any emotions or frustration around itchy shirts!
A few days before, Tell your kids…
That in a few days, they’re going to be playing with Sari!
At sessions I have heard parents tell their kids “remember what we talked about, we’re taking photos and you have to stand still and smile” or some variation of that statement. Although I looove that these parents chatted with their kids about the session in advance, hearing this tells me that the kids were set up to understand photos are a chore instead of something fun to do together with their parents.
Most kids don’t like chores (hey, me neither!) and they don’t like being restrained or made to sit still either. The kicker is that, when I am taking your family photos, I don’t expect them to sit still in the first place! In fact, I’d really rather they not.
My sessions are full of games, movement, and fun and engaging questions and conversation between parents and their littles.
To prep your kids, tell them that you’re coming to play games with Sari as a family. This will get them excited! They’ll view your upcoming photo session as a fun outing and this sets them up to look forward to taking family photos with you. The lead up to your family photos is everything! Make sure to show them that you (and your partner if applicable) are excited to play too!
the day of
Often, I try to schedule family shoots in the morning. Everyone is fresh, there is no (or less) food stuck in the kids hair, and parental overstimulation hasn’t kicked in as hard as it does at the end of the day!
Here are three things that you should be doing on the day of your shoot:
Ensure you have plenty of time! Wake up early! Make sure the diaper bags are packed. Better yet, pack your bags the night before! Make sure there is lots of time for eating breakfast, playing, and getting everyone ready. Rushing doesn’t feel good for you and it doesn't feel good for kids either. Remember, we want to keep your stress low so that your kids can keep their mood high!
Get your kids dressed for the session right before your leave. You might even wait to put certain items on until you park at the shoot (ex. a white shirt on a 2 year old - haha!!).
Make sure that your kids are well-fed and ready to go. Bring snacks, keep their diaper fresh that morning, etc.! It sounds silly, but putting extra attention into making sure that those super basic needs are fully met will help keep your littles happy going into your session.
during the session
This is the time to let go of your expectations! Leave behind your ideas of how your session “should” look. Interact with your kids. Enjoy them! Follow their lead. I’ll guide your family through a fun session and your job is to come along for the ride! Your kids will explore and take the session in their own direction, and that’s exactly what we want to encourage.
Picture those incredible shots of families smiling and laughing together, moving together and connecting. Believe it or not, this is how those photos are created! Attempting to force smiles or cute photos actually has the opposite effect and can create frustrated children and disappointed parents. Allowing your kids to explore and be, well… kids, will bring so much personality and life into your photos!
Let go and enjoy the moment and I promise your gallery will showcase all of the love you envisioned when you booked your session ♡
