I have photographed many newborns and have figured out a few things to make things go a little better for the older kids who are getting used to having a new member of the family. This is a hard time for those kids. Their world has been turned upside down. They are going from an only child to the oldest, or from a duo to a triple, or even more! It’s a big time of transition, and everyone deals with change differently. Some kids are happy and oblivious and some are down right annoyed.
I know you are adjusting to a new family dynamic after you bring home a new baby, but this is a special time that deserves to be photographed. If you worry about it being chaos, and it might be, but that’s ok!, here are some of my tips I’ve learned along the way for having a smooth newborn session with siblings:
Don’t have any expectations for their behavior. They are going through something really big and their mood might not be great on the day we have the session and they might not want to participate, and that’s ok. I don’t want to push kids to do something they don’t want to do.
Schedule a maternity session with me before the newborn session. This will really help get the kid or kids used to me and to trust me. It will really help with their comfort level, and that makes things so. much. easier. Trust me, kids who already know me are excited to see me again and really comfortable in front of my camera.
In-home sessions help kids feel comfortable too. When I go to a person’s house to photograph their family, especially if I have already met the kids before, they get so excited to show me their room and their toys. They are ready to participate.
I always tell parents to tell their kids that they are going to have a really fun time. Really build it up. “Guess what we get to do tomorrow? A really fun lady is coming over!” You get the idea. Stay away from saying things like, “If you smile for the camera we can get a treat.” This one is common, and I understand why parents say this, hey I’ve even said it before. But the reason I suggest not to is because that sounds like it’s going to be a chore, or a hard thing to get through and then they will be rewarded. It will make your kids dread it, and getting out of that mindset can sometimes be challenging. I’m not against treats after though!
Don’t give kids treats to eat during the session. I see a lot of people suggest giving your kids lollipops to make it fun, but then you end up with photographs with them sucking on lollipops, and it will be the longest lasting lollipop. When I first photographed kids I would bring smarties because they are quick to chew, but I found kids don’’t need that during a session. They are usually good with waiting until after for a treat!
Lastly, in-home newborn sessions are great because little ones can take breaks and can play with their own toys while they regroup. I like to start with pictures of the family together, then depending on how the little ones are doing I’ll either give them a break then or do sibling pictures then move on to mom and baby, etc. Having the flexibility to give breaks is key for getting little ones to participate.
This family is a perfect example of this. I photographed them in the fall and then again a few weeks ago when their son arrived. The girls were excited to see me and were so excited to have their picture taken. We were lucky to have mild weather and the sunset was gorgeous. I loved getting to photograph this family again.
Are you expecting? I’d love to chat! Connect with me here
