8 tips for a meltdown-free portrait session with your kids

You found the perfect photographer.  You picked a date and rearranged your family’s schedules.  You shopped for the most perfect outfits that coordinate but aren’t too matchy-matchy.  You even know which wall you’re going to hang that new family portrait on after your session.  You are 100% ready for this portrait session!

But, wait… what if your kid melts down?  What if he loses it and you don’t capture a single smile?  What if your kids start fighting halfway through the session?  

That’s every mom’s worry, right?  I’ve never met a mother who didn’t have those same panicked thoughts running through her head before a portrait session with her little ones.  

Lucky for you, I’ve worked with hundreds of families and getting kids to laugh, listen, and smile comes pretty naturally to me!  My teaching background plus a solid 20 years of working with kids has made that pretty easy for me, and it sure comes in handy during our family portrait sessions!

Here I’m sharing a few tips to help your family portrait session go more smoothly.  But the most important thing that I want every parent to remember is that I never expect to show up to a portrait session and have the kids be little angels.  I expect them to act like kids, and kids like to run, jump, spin, be loud, get silly, sing, show off, say no, and assert their independence.  When they are free to do all of those things, that is when we capture the best portraits that showcase their beautiful personalities.  That is when we have fun and create memories that your family will laugh about twenty years from now.  

So please, mama.  Don’t put too much pressure on yourself or on your kids, and let’s just have fun together! 

The most important thing to remember is that your kids will feed off of your energy.  Stay calm, happy, and relaxed, and your kids will, too!  

Give your kids a snack before the session.  With a full belly, they’ll be able to run and play without getting distracted by hunger.

Healthy babies are happy babies!  If your child is sick, please reach out to postpone!  I promise you we’ll capture better smiles when your little one is feeling 100% like themselves.

Plan the session around nap times, and if it’s a sunset session, sneak in a late afternoon nap.

Talk with your photographer and let your photographer know what interests your child.  Tell them about your child’s personality, songs that they love, characters that they like.  Your photographer will use this information to help your child feel comfortable and open up in front of the camera!

For little ones, bring a favorite toy or have a song queued up on your phone ready to go in case they need a little extra familiarity and motivation.

If you have older children who are in the “awkward smile” phase, spend some time encouraging them to smile naturally in the week leading up to your session.  Help them see and feel what their natural smile feels like versus what their “forced” smile feels like.

If you have a baby and we’ll be doing a family session on grass or sand, be aware of possible sensory issues that the baby may have of the grass or sand against their bare legs.  Have you seen those funny videos of a mom or dad putting the baby in the grass, and the baby holds their legs straight up into the air so it doesn’t touch their skin?  Cute on video, but it can be stressful during your portrait session, especially if baby bursts into tears and won’t stop!  Ease the baby into it by letting them play in grass or sand in the weeks leading up to your session, and bring a neutral blanket (or swaddle, or scarf) to sit them on top of. 

Finally, don’t feel awkward about doing a small bribe to get everyone through the session!  It’s amazing what kids will do when they know they have a treat to look forward to!

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful!  I can’t wait to see your family to capture some beautiful memories for you!

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