Why Bribery Can Be OK
Your kiddos are your world and we all know that changes in the blink of an eye. Those precious curls on Sally's head? They won't last forever. That adorable face that Max always makes? He may move on to different expressions. Those tiny fingers? That sibling affection? The chubby cherub cheeks and shy grin? If only you could freeze all those little quirks in time… but wait! You can! With a children's portrait session, of course.
Children's photography sessions with us are always a good time. I love bringing out a child's personality -- no matter how young he or she might be.
Typically, one of a parent's biggest "fears" when it comes to a child session is a.) forcing their child into something they don't want to do and b.) having a child not participate in the session at all. Let me qualm your fears.
First, my sessions always go at the pace of your kiddos and I've got a number of tricks up my sleeve that'll make sure your kiddo wants to be there. Second, if your child, or children, are having a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day (hey, it happens!) we'll just reschedule -- no cost to you -- and make it work at a time that's convenient for both of us.
In other words: no matter what, we are going to work together to capture your kiddos on camera.
So, What Do You Mean by Bribery?
Sometimes, having a photo session can be stressful if you have children. Finding the right outfit and a date that everyone is available on already causes you a headache. Once you have that down, though, everything is smooth sailing. You have prepared everything to be perfect, and then your worst nightmare happens – your child won’t cooperate. Even after you’ve coached him or her for the past two weeks and the entire car ride leading up to the session, your kiddo still just isn’t having it. You’ve tried all of the usual tricks and nothing is working. Sounds terrible, right?
Well, I’m here today to save you from this nightmare, and help you prevent this from even happening. First, if you read our previous blog post about kids and photography and how we are totally ok with your children's behavior, then just add those items to this list!
Keep in mind, we do draw the line at a few things, such as hitting and behaviors that can cause problems for another. Those need to be dealt with as soon as possible when we are together. But, mostly, behaviors such as being shy, running away, standing and not moving when asked can all be worked with.
Photographing your children as authentically as possible and developing creative ways to do that is all part of the process. Bribery can be another part!
I know some people frown upon this, however, they probably haven’t tried to get a two, six, and 10-year-old to sit in one position together, look at the camera, and smile. It’s no easy task! As a photographer, I’m going to give you the green light and tell you that it’s OK to bribe your kids for the sake of good photos.
We have a very limited amount of time to get all of the photos that you need, and I don’t want you to be stressed out or feel crunched for time because little Timmy is having a meltdown, is hiding behind his hands the entire session, or sticking his tongue out at me. So, I welcome bribery with arms wide open just like getting to know your kiddos ahead of time, allowing them to be themselves, and developing those creative ways to be sure we get what you want!
Every child is different when it comes to bribery. They all have different personalities and like different things. Some children are motivated by candy, others cash. You just have to find out what works best for your child.
Here are some suggestions that we’ve noticed have worked.
- Candy or fruit snacks
- Dinner at their favorite restaurant after the session
- Later bedtime
- That awesome toy they’ve been drooling over
- Extra TV time
- A sleepover with a friend
- Cash
- Extended play time
- They don’t have to eat their vegetables that night at dinner
- They don’t have to do chores the next day
- Give them back a privilege that’s been taken away the last time they were in trouble
While these aren’t the only options, we thought we’d give you a starting point to brainstorm your own ideas to help get your kiddos to have the best time during their session.
And, as always, our hope is that our time together will be as stress free as possible and we do everything we can to help you achieve that. We help you plan, offer advice, and set aside a time beforehand to meet your kiddos.
We have found that utilizing these systems in our process helps even more than bribery. But, bribery can be an option!
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