So you want to book a session but you are worried your toddler won’t cooperate, follow instruction or behave? DON’T WORRY!!! The worst thing you can do in that situation is to get angry, upset or stressed because your little one will feed off it. They will either get upset themselves or they will keep going and you will get more worked up.
Please please please don’t be embarrassed, kids are kids and at the end of the day they are their own little person and the aim of the session is to capture their personality which is just what they are showing. The best way to deal with it is to play with them, play their game, let them show you what they want to. Don’t direct them to me, engage with them. If you draw their attention back to me they will most likely start the whole process again. As great as I am with kids, some don’t want a bar of it, sometimes it is the camera they are nervous of, sometimes it is the new baby that they are just not interested in and sometimes it is just not what they want to do.
If they aren’t cooperating the best thing to do is let them lead the situation somewhere they are comfortable. I will some times ask you to move to a better spot lighting wise or positioning but mostly I can work around your little one and what they want to be doing.
It also helps to keep the session moving, don’t let them do anything in particular for too long and get too engrossed in it, distraction is key. It really helps prior to the session to think about what you do daily that gets the kind of reaction you want eg kisses, cuddles, laughing, smiling. It might be a song, phrase, book, silly face or dance. Something special for you.
I also find bribery really works as well! Have a couple of lollies or something they love on hand, just don’t bring it out too early in the session because you will run out or all the images will have them chewing something!
The most important aspect though is to connect with your kids and just have fun with them. Try not to get angry or stressed out, kids will be distracted, naughty, cheeky and then 5 minutes later sweet as pie. I get it don’t worry! I have three terrors of my own.
