WW: Why Bribery is OK During a Family or Child’s Session
Picture day can be a very, very stressful time if you have children. Finding the right outfit and a date that everyone is available on already causes you a headache. Once you have that down, though, everything is smooth sailing right? You have prepared everything to be perfect, and then your worst nightmare happens – your child(ren) won’t cooperate. Even after you’ve coached him or her for the past two weeks and the entire car ride leading up to the session, your kiddo still just isn’t having it. You’ve tried all the usual tricks, and nothing is working. Sounds terrible, right?
Well, I’m here today to save you from this nightmare, and help you prevent this from even happening. Behold the power of bribery. I know some people frown upon this, however, they probably haven’t tried to get a two, five and 8-year-old to sit in one position together, look at the camera, and smile. It’s no easy task! As a photographer, I’m going to give you the green light and tell you that it’s OK to bribe your kids for the sake of good photos.
We have a very limited amount of time to get all of the photos that you want and I don’t want you to be stressed out or feel crunched for time because little Timmy is having a meltdown, is hiding behind his hands the entire session, or sticking his tongue out at me. So, in order to save the session and make sure you get the images that you are hoping for, I welcome bribery with arms wide open.
Every child is different when it comes to bribery. They all have different personalities and like different things. Some children are motivated by candy, others cash (especially for older children/teenagers), or maybe they want to go to a special place like the park. You just have to find out what works best for your child.
Here are some suggestions that I’ve noticed have worked.
Candy or fruit snacks
Dinner at their favorite restaurant after the session
Later bedtime
That awesome toy they’ve been drooling over
Extra TV time
A sleepover with a friend
Cash
Extended play time
They don’t have to eat their vegetables that night at dinner
They don’t have to do chores the next day
Give them back a privilege that’s been taken away the last time they were in trouble
While these aren’t the only options, I thought I would give you a starting point to brainstorm your own ideas to help get your child to cooperate. Remember, family portraits don’t happen very often, and you want your images to be memorable, and for you not to be frustrated or angry and the whole session ruined. So go ahead and bribe away! PS I won’t tell anyone lol!
