There’s no way my toddler will do that!

There’s no way my toddler will do that! | A lot of parents look at the family and sibling photos in my newborn gallery and tell me, “that will never be possible for us!”. It may surprise you to know that it is possible and it’s actually a lot of fun.

The time we spend preparing families for newborn photos with toddlers and children is WAY longer than we actually spend together in the studio on family and sibling photos. Today we are sharing some of our favourite success strategies.

-Try on outfits ahead of time to make sure your kids aren’t itchy or uncomfortable. It’s really important on the day of the session that they are wearing clothes they feel comfortable in. If not, it will show on their face and in their body language.

-Leading up to the session use “first, then” statements to talk about what is going to happen on the day of photos. “First we will arrive at the studio, then we will take off our coats and boots”. “First we will take photos with all of us together, then we will take photos of just you and your sibling”.

-Show them photos of your photographer, the studio, and the types of photos you are going to be taking. Even toddlers can benefit from seeing photos ahead of time. That means there are fewer surprises when they arrive at the studio!

-Reassurance rather than rules go a long way on photo session day! “You can sit in my lap.” “We will be with you the whole time.” “You don’t have to hold the baby.” When kids, even toddlers, don’t feel the pressure to “perform”, they are much more engaged and willing to participate in photos. Even as they adjust to the arrival of their new sibling.