We all know that convincing our children to cooperate during the photography session can be at times quite a challenge. When you are investing in professional family photos, concerns about your children misbehaving during the photography session can be especially stressful.

Below are some tips to help you prepare your children for a successful photography session:

1. You should always prepare your kids with some laid back references to let them know what will be happening. Tell them you will be going to the park or beach to play with a friend of yours to have their picture taken with their family and keep things fun and casual. It is also good to tell them how long it may take and why it is important to document your family's story. It is helpful when children aren't surprised by a situation.

2. Make sure everyone gets a great night's sleep and eats a good meal beforehand.

3. Make sure your children are comfortable in what they are wearing. If your child hates what they are wearing, they will not feel comfortable and may be trying to constantly remove their adorable hair clip or bow tie that just makes the outfit perfect. As they say - Happy kids make better photos than accessories! It is also important to dress with the weather in mind. You want to make sure your child isn't too cold or hot. Have all of your outfits picked out before the day of your photo shoot so you are not adding any more stress to your day. Sometimes, it's good to have an extra / emergency outfit ready in case something goes wrong, they get muddy or wet.

4. Bring SNACKS! If necessary - TREATS to bribe your children with! Just don't tell the kids about the treats before the session; wait until the kids start getting tired or frustrated!

5. Plan to do something fun after your photo session as a reward. A promise to go to the playground, or go to the movies, or stop for an ice cream can be enough of a reward to help your child look forward to the session.

6. Laugh, play, tickle, and snuggle. This is how we'll capture the REAL moments.

7. Not everyone has to be looking at the camera.

8. During the photo session, stand close together, as close as possible!

9. Expect me to move you around to different spots to capture images. The more variety we get, the bigger your gallery and the more great shots we have the opportunity to create together.

10. Most importantly - RELAX, SLOW DOWN AND DON'T FORCE ANYTHING. Don't feel pressured to make everything perfect and don't stress if any of the kids get fussy! LAUGH, PLAY, TICKLE, SNUGGLE!