Kids can be unpredictable, especially toddlers. It’s normal for families to come into my studio for their newborn session with an older child. While the focus of the session is on the new baby, we do capture sibling photos and updated family photos, so keeping all children happy is a must!
Here are a few of my tips and tricks to keep kids happy during a session:
- Make sure they are fed – a hungry child is a grumpy child, so make sure their mealtimes aren’t disturbed when getting ready for your session. Pro tip: Bring Snacks!
- Embrace the tablet (or phone) – I have a TV in my guest lounge that’s set up to keep kids entertained while I’m photographing the baby. It’s normal for kids to have a favorite YouTube channel or show, so even if you don’t normally allow a lot of screen time at home, this is a good time to bend that rule.
- Let them help – A lot of times, kids just want to be involved in what’s going on. If a toddler approaches me during a session and wants to help, I let them! My goal is to meet them at their level to gain their cooperation, even if it’s short-lived.
- Let me be crazy – I have plenty of games that I play with young kids to get them to look/smile/engage with me. The best thing you can do is just keep smiling even if you’re stressed that things aren’t going how you think they should.
- Embrace the chaos – it may seem like mass chaos during our time together, but embrace it! Some of the best images are candid ones of everyone just having fun.
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Catie Ann is a newborn and family photographer with a studio in Mckinney. Click here to learn about the experience.
