You booked your session. Great. You picked a location. Perfect. And you even have your outfits selected. So you are all ready to go. But there are a few things you should note the day of your session. If you listened to your photographer you scheduled your session for golden hour. And depending on your location and the time of year, you might be concerned that your kids will be cranky the day of the session. Because it might not fit into their ideal schedule. But don’t worry. Here are some tips on how to prepare your kids for your family photo session. This way everything will go smooth and you can relax and enjoy the time with your family.
1. Make it the special event of the day.
Try not to cram too many things into the day. The photo session should be the main highlight. This way they will not be over stimulated or over tired.
2. Try to have them take an earlier nap
If you are lucky enough that your kids still nap, then see if you can move their nap time up a bit. Even if they don’t sleep. See if you can fit in some down time so that they can relax.
3. It’s OK to bribe
It is totally OK to promise your kids a special treat after the photo session. Whatever that special something is for your family. Maybe you promise to pick up a pizza afterwards. Or maybe there will be extra story time after. Whatever works for your family. But whatever you promise, do not bring messy snacks to your session.
4. Make sure you are all well fed and hydrated.
This might sound obvious. But in the hectic of getting everyone ready and looking their best, don’t forget to eat and drink.
5. Trust your photographer
Kids behave differently when there are people that they don’t know. Trust the photographer of your choice that they know how to handle kids and don’t worry about your kids behavior. A good photographer knows how to make the best of any situation.
I hope this will help you a bit to relax and to prepare your kids for your family photo session. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me here with any questions.
And follow me on Instagram for more inspiration.