What to expect during an in home newborn session with a toddler/ New York City Newborn Photography
Bringing home a newborn baby and having your toddler adjust to all the changes can be a stressful time for the entire family. Having a photo session may feel daunting because parents may be concerned with how their child will behave during the session with their new sibling. In this post, I will share what to expect during an in home newborn session with a toddler and how to make the experience fun.
When photographing toddlers with their new sibling, my goal is to always make it fun, laidback and stress free. Here are a few things to expect during a newborn session with a toddler sibling.
- It’s important to establish some form of trust from the very start of the photo session. On arrival, I get down to your child’s level and introduce myself and ask their name. I also ask about the things they like, the toys they play with, the shows they watch etc.
- I know first hand that toddlers may lose interest quickly therefore, I like to start the photo session with the images involving them right away. This includes the entire family, toddler with the newborn and parents, as well as individual portraits.
- If on the other hand they are shy or clingy, I just allow them to get comfortable and don’t push it.
- I like to play games or ask them to smell baby’s feet, tickle baby’s toes or give baby a kiss on the head. This allows me to capture natural expressions and interactions.
- We take snack and water breaks as needed. This allows time for me to photograph the newborn alone and/or with mom and dad.
- Many times I ask them to help me with the baby because this makes them engage in an activity where they feel like they are actively participating in what’s going on.
Toddlers can sense anxiety so I like to tell parents to relax and be present. The ultimate goal is make the experience memorable and fun.
For help on how to prepare for your newborn shoot, read my post HERE.
I can’t wait to capture your family soon!
