While I don’t have kiddos of my own, I have been photographing kids and families for 10+ years now. Every child and family is different, but in my experience, I’ve learned a few things that will help make the process of prepping your kids for a photoshoot streamlined + keeping their attention less exhausting. Here we go…

Make sure they nap at their normal time. From what I understand, kids really thrive on a schedule so stick to that as much as you possibly can. We want them to be well rested + happy!
That leads us to the next point. Don’t schedule your shoot right before nap time or bedtime. Trust me, I get that in the summer it’s HAWT + the sun is so bright until much later in the evening, maybe past bedtime. You may miss sunset, but from what I’m told, most kids do well in the mornings. If possible, plan for a morning session to beat the summer heat without sacrificing evening bedtime. You will still get great, pretty light in the morning so your photos will still rock!
Just like naps help keep kids happy, full bellies do too. Make sure they’ve had plenty to eat throughout the day + maybe drop them a little snack right before photoshoot time. I know I don’t like to be hangry, so they probably don’t either!
Speaking of food…don’t be above bribery. If your kiddo/s has a special treat or candy they don’t get often, bring that to the session as a reward. Or, you could promise ice cream or whatever they love for after the session if they’re old enough to understand that.
Just like we don’t like to wear uncomfortable clothing, neither do they. Make sure their shoes fit well or the clothes are something that they have worn before or are comfortable with. In addition to that, make sure they’re dressed for the weather. If it’s going to be cold or chilly, bring an extra sweater or nice coat they can wear for pictures. The same goes for if it’s hot. Don’t make them wear anything that will increase the heat or make them uncomfortable.
Sometimes kids do best when mom and dad aren’t around. Yep, I said it. So, let me take them one on one to do their solo pictures and/or sibling pictures away from parents or grandparents. Kids can get overwhelmed when there are too many people telling them what to do, how to smile, etc.
While I believe all of those points are super important, this may be the most important of them all. You ready?! LET THEM BE LITTLE!! Let them act like kids, let them have fun, play or be silly. If they’re having fun, you’ll love the pictures. Usually in the first 5-10 minutes of the session, I will get the formal ‘smile + look at the camera’ photos that the grandparents love + that make the best Christmas cards. After that, if we let the kids be kids, everyone will have more fun and be much more stress free.

Those may seem like super simple steps to you veteran parents, but they are crucial to a good photo experience for you + your kiddos! If you have anymore suggestions or ideas, I would love to see those in the comments.