There’s no sure way to guarantee that your baby or toddler won’t have a meltdown at your family portrait session.

So, let’s set aside any expectations that your kiddo must be in a good mood during your session.

With my almost 20 years of experience as a professional photographer and as a mom of 3 small children myself, I’ve come up with some easy ways to help an unhappy child.

These tips usually do the trick or at least tamper down any stressful moments.

Well-fed and well-rested babies make for the best photos.

Let’s schedule your session around your child’s naptime.

Are they happiest in the morning? I know my kids are! Are they at their best in the afternoon? We can make that work!

Also, make sure you eat a good meal before the session.

Bring snacks and water with you so we can take breaks if we need to.

Bring their favorite toy to the session.

I love photos with the child’s well-loved stuffy or truck.

If you prefer to have photos without the stuffy, we’ll do some with and then we’ll “put stuffy to bed” so we can get photos of just your child.

I have a small box of toys here that we can incorporate into the photos as well.

In my experience, it’s best to let the kiddos play at least for a little while with the toys and then eventually they’ll want to move on.

I’d rather have a few minutes of happy time for photos than a child who is upset because they can’t hold their toy.

Most importantly, parents should stay calm and compassionate.

Remember, I’m a parent to 3 small children myself.

I’ve been there.

There’s no harm in taking a break to gather our thoughts and take some deep breaths.

The front of my studio has a spacious and quiet sidewalk where you can have some private time to listen to your child and help them understand why we’re taking these photos.