Need Mom Hacks Help Kids Enjoy Holiday Photo Sessions?
As the hustle and bustle of the season kicks into gear, so do the family portrait sessions!
Trying to coordinate outfits and schedules can become a real headache.
But these tips are a game-changer for holiday portraits!
And I’ve learned the hard way what NOT to do!
After trying to get the perfect Christmas photo with each of my six kids, I’ve learned a few, creative ideas that help make the experience MUCH more pleasant!
Tips to Help Your Child Take Christmas Photos
Schedule portrait sessions in the morning.
Kids are fresh, happy and ready-to-go in the mornings.
You never want to schedule a photoshoot near your child’s nap or mealtime.
For some crazy reason, children do not understand how important it is for moms to have the perfect holiday portrait to hand out at Christmas.
But choosing the right time can help you get the perfect holiday photo!
Breathe and relax.
Don’t expect too much.
Your child is probably not a professional model.
This means she is not use to sitting still and having a machine flash bright lights in her face.
So breathe, be patient and love every photo…even if it’s not “picture perfect.”
Pun intended…ha!
Create excitement around photo session day.
It’s crazy how much our attitudes affect our kids.
Sometimes it’s just plain scary…:)
If you have a positive attitude and act excited about photo dession day, your child will catch the “yay for Christmas photos” spirit!
Prepare the kids.
Don’t surprise thet kids with a photo session.
Instead, prepare them a few weeks ahead.
Show them older Christmas photos and let them know how precious family photos are during the holidays.
They represent one of the happiest times of the years and seem to freeze those special moments so we can enjoy re-living them and sharing them in the future!
Invite friends or family.
Some kids behave much better around certain family members or friends.
Inviting these friends or family members along could help you catch the perfect holiday photo.
Tips to Make Your Child’s Holiday Photo Shoot Stress-free
Stash some grub!
Munchkins are always happy when there are cookies or candy lying around.
I know, normally moms shouldn’t give out sugar-laden snacks, but really — it’s the holidays!
Gummy bears or fruit snacks always work great with my munchkins.
I try to save them for any meltdowns that might happen when one of my younger kids spy a large, flashing machine.
The photographers are normally thankful to get some help — especially when I bring in a small army of kids!
I try to stay away from crackers or cookies just because of the crumbs.
Fruit snacks have saved many a photo session during my kid-picturing days.
Choose comfy clothes.
There are some outfits my kids really deplore.
Are they going to be sporting those duds on picture day?
Nope.
They will be wearing some cute, fairly new clothes that they enjoy.
I have tried to force them to wear itchy sweaters or cute hats, but it just makes the photo session even more difficult.
If your kids like new clothes, why not wait until portraits sessions near and purchase new outfits?
Let them wear them for the first time during their portrait session.
Every single one of my kids, boys included, love wearing new clothes.
It will make the holiday portrait session something to look forward to!
Plan a fun activity afterward.
Whether your kids love visiting the library, playing at the park, grabbing ice cream cones, or visiting Grandma’s — plan a fun activity after the photo session.
This will give you an opportunity to reward good behavior.
I like to remind the kids of their reward during the photo session like, “Say library!”
A good holiday portrait session can really capture some great memories, so I bring all my mommy tricks out of the bag to ensure a happy experience!
Offer assistance.
Many times I have sat back and let the photographer take over.
But there are have been other times when the photographer was — how do I say this — extremely lazy.
One time the photographer lady looked at me and said, “Your son doesn’t want his picture taken.”
So, I stepped in, fake sneezed a little bit, grabbed some props and played classic peek-a-boo.
Really, it didn’t take much creativity or coaxing to get my munchkin to smile.
The photographer reluctantly began snapping pictures and we ended up with some nice shots.
If your photographer is handling it well, just sit back and enjoy the session.
But if you see the photographer struggling, ask if you can offer assistance.
These Tips Help Your Child Enjoy the Holiday Photo Session
Let your kid play “photographer. “
The day before holiday portraits, give your child a camera and let her practice taking pictures.
Let her see how fun it is to capture moments in time.
Then, take some fun pics of him or her and let them see the immediate photos.
After that, explain that someone is going to take her picture tomorrow with all kinds of fun colors and items in the picture.
Many times the photographers will also let the child click a few pictures on the big camera to ease any tension.
Take a comfort item.
If your child has a special teddy bear or blanket, consider taking that along as well.
You can let her hold it in the picture for security.
If your blanket or teddy is pretty tattered, many times you can try some camera tricks to crop out of camouflage the item.
The most important part of the picture is a happy kid — with a smile!
What is Your Master Mommy Plan for Getting Amazing Holiday Portraits?
Do you get yours professionally done or do you snap some at home around the Christmas tree?
Share your holiday tips and memories with us in our All Things Mommy Facebook Group!
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