Photo Tips

Bribing Kids for the Perfect Christmas Photo!

Me Ra Koh

You don’t have to raise your hand, but does anyone try bribing kids for the perfect Christmas photo?  Did you feel horrible or victorious after?  LOL!  I thought I would repost this since so many of you liked it last year! Clearly, I’m not alone!

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Once a year, I take about 45 minutes with my kids, and I become this biggest “Bribing Bartering Momma” you’ve ever seen. My mission: The Family Christmas Card Photo.

My first decision, nix the “family” dynamic of the photo. Way too hard to get the kids, Brian and I all looking “naturally good” in one shot. Maybe when they’re twelve we’ll try it again. But I don’t dare attempt this when I still have one under three.

Next move, I line up three different snacks for my bribes.

Bribe Number One: Cheerios. I start with the cheerios to loosen them up. Cheerios are familiar, relaxing, the sure thing. 🙂 I take a couple shots of them playing together while snacking on their cheerios as they get reacquainted with the camera.

But, the shot I want for Christmas this year is not of them playing with their backs to me. Instead I want a photo of them together….sitting together. They are NOT impressed with this change in direction!

Next move, getting them to sit in a chair together. They don’t like being touched by the other one so this is a small challenge.

In less than 30 seconds, we go from “Don’t touch me!” to I want to kiss you and bite you…

Bribing kids for the perfect Christmas photo just got trickier!  This Calls for Bribe Number Two…their gummy vitamins! 🙂 You know the ones I’m talking about.  Our kids love them, so it works for me!

I take a few shots of them in the chair together, but I can’t seem to get them both looking good at the same time.

All I want is for them to be looking in the camera together. ‘Is this too much for a mother to ask?’ This is where my desperation grows, and I get a bit military like.

Bribing kids for the perfect Christmas photo is falling apart–or so they think!  BWAH! HA! HA!

This calls for Bribe Number Three…eggnog. I look Blaze right in the eyes, and I say, “Blazey, do you want some yummy eggnog?” He lights up for a second, and I shoot. Now he’s mad because I asked him a question and left him hanging while I shot more photos. “Blazey, momma will give you some yummy eggnog if you sit with sissy for five more photos. Can you do that? It’s the “yummy” eggnog.” His sister is salivating next to him, and she’s sold. “C’mon Blaze! Have a good attitude so we can get back inside and drink eggnog,” argues Pascaline. And for whatever reason he buys it!

In the end, I decide against this shot for our Christmas card. Brian asks me why. “They look too perfect. Too cutsie looking.” He shakes his head and makes a wise move…he leaves the room.

After our Christmas cards go out I’ll post what this crazy photo mom ended up going with for our final pick! You’ll get a kick out of it since you witnessed the whole process here!

BTW, Blazey got his eggnog!

___________________________________________________________________________________

Photo Exercise for Bribing Kids for the Perfect Christmas Photo!

Before you follow any of these steps below, consider what “perfect” looks like to you.  Is it perfectly messy, undone, buttoned-up or…

1. Dress the kids up warm and get outside. I love the wool coats, hats, gloves, scarves, you name it for the Christmas Family Photo. The kids are probably cabin feverish with this crazy weather so load them up with a cheerio snack, and let them get some cold air in their lungs (seems to calm them down). Plus, you can’t go wrong with the natural lighting!

2. After a couple shots, move the kids to a chair. Whenever I’m taking shots of a couple children at one time, I like to have them sit. Keeping their bottoms stationary keeps all their wiggles at bay. 🙂

3. Be prepared for them to hate this whole thing. That’s when you break out Bribe Number Two! Pick a simple bribe that isn’t messy (stay away from cookies or granola bars that get sticky). Keep it a simple, novel snack item, something they can’t have every day or any time of day. Vitamin gummy bears twice in one day was a HIT with these two. 🙂 (It’s always the little things!)

4. Focus on trying to get them both looking in the direction of the camera. Have a friend or spouse snap their fingers or jingle their keys right above the hood of your lense. Here are some more tips on having someone help you!

5. Shoot away! When they start to meltdown, bring out the last attempt, Bribe Number Three! My kids don’t usually buy a fourth bribe, so I make that last one count. And I tell them “five more shots” but of course I have my camera setting on multiple shots, so with every time I hold the shutter down I get at least five shots. (i guess that makes it more like 25 more shots :)…so bad!)

6. Be okay with not having all of you in the shot if your little ones are under four. I’ve done so many family portrait sessions, and it’s so hard for children to look right in the camera when every one else is. I think it’s better to capture them, keep them from getting super stressed, and let go of people seeing you in the shot for a few more years (just my opinion).

7. Last, but most important, hang in there. Look for those quick moments of joy. Even though the kids were NOT into this photo session with mom, there was this brief moment where they got really goofy. I ended up picking one of those for our Christmas photo. The silly joy on their faces makes me think of this season in their life. Yes, they fight. Yes, they throw tantrums. But they’re also REALLY silly at times, and these moments make me smile. As they grow their humor will change, and I love that our Christmas card photo totally represents the silliness of the age they are. The silly moments come and go fast so be ready and if you miss it, no worries, you’ll be that much better at catching it the next time.

Share your results from bribing kids for the perfect Christmas photo!  I want to see!  Post them up on my Facebook page!

xoxo

m

See more Christmas Photo Tips!

Enjoy some Christmas Inspiration that feeds the soul with these posts.

 

Save

Save

Save

Share:

  1. Karen Mikols says:

    HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

    Comforting to know photo mommies have struggles taking photos of their OWN kids.

    Now, if you have a step-by-step for bribing a cat to sit still for photos, I’d LOVE to hear it! Mine refuses to have her photo taken with me…

  2. Lisa Stein says:

    MeRa,
    You make me laugh so much. I just shot a friend’s daugthers, both under 4, in their pretty new dresses by the tree for their card. COULD NOT get them both to smile at once. Mom bribed with ice cream for after, I said give me something NOW. We used hershey’s kisses, you’re right, non messy would have been better! :-). And I think 3 would be the magic number, keep changing…Have to be careful too, sugar makes them MORE jumpy. Need to keep both in focus. You’re right about sitting too, we tried to do standing to see the pretty dresses, forget it. Best worked lying down with chin in hands facing camera, old fashioned goofy pose, but it keep them still for 2 seconds!
    I’m a professional, but under 5 is still so hit and miss. I have to bribe my own son (4 1/2)now as he wants to shoot on his own. I figure it’s time for modeling fees and assistant wages. For now it’s stickers (go towards toy accumulation). Sigh, always a challenge and a work in progress. Thanks for posting!

    Lisa

  3. Chris Young says:

    What was your final picture for the Christmas card?

  4. Amanda Mays says:

    Hahaha too funny! Every mom knows excatly where your coming from, I love it! Great exercise! Can’t wait to see the photo you picked!

  5. Jen Sulak says:

    hahaha i don’t suppose there are tips for a baby that just woke up from a nap and you have less than 5 minutes to get him? hahahaahahahahahaha

    this post was fun!

  6. Amanda says:

    I just realized i’m a spaz! Hahaha I forgot the part about you having already posted this last year. I kept looking at the pictures thinking man I think i’ve seen these before and blaze looks so small! DUH!!! I have seen this Before and I liked the picture you chose too! Silly me =)

  7. Me Ra says:

    Amanda! You’re killing me! You are such a crack up! But I should post the photo we ended up choosing for last year’s card. 🙂

    And Jen, quick tip for taking photos of baby when they wake up from a nap, have them nurse, nurse, nurse. A baby with a fully belly of milk will do any thing for you! 🙂

  8. Lisa Stein says:

    I posted the girls pics on my blog, and I made a reference to you and put a link to this post. (hope you don’t mind, figure blog ettiquite is ask to post photo/quote or feel free to link). Let me know if it’s a problem.
    Meanwhile, check it out…
    http://steinphoto.blogspot.com/
    thanks again,

    lisa

  9. […] Me Ra put an intriguing blog post on Bribing Kids for the Perfect Christmas Photo!Here’s a quick excerptThis Calls for Bribe Number Two…their gummy vitamins! You know the ones I’m talking about. Supposedly these things are vitamins even though they’re covered with sugar. Our kids love them, so it works for me! … […]

  10. Acyclovir. says:

    Acyclovir iv meds program….

    Acyclovir picture….

  11. A healthy baby without withdrawls to hydrocodone….

    Hydrocodone….

  12. Ultracet. says:

    Ultracet….

    Ultracet….

  13. Ephedra. says:

    Ephedra appeite suppress….

    Denver ephedra lawyer. Ephedra solaray. Ephedra….

  14. Very interesting blog post thank you for sharing I have added your website to my favorites and will be back 🙂 By the way this is a little off subject but I really like your web page layout.

  15. Love Poems : says:

    christmas time is coming again and i would be sending christmas cards to many of my friends-‘`

  16. i would have to make more christmas cards becuase next month is december already “.-

  17. Gander says:

    hello…

    visit it, http://davides.rain-blog.com/index.htm , thanks again….

  18. deneme says:

    Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California, and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California’s expansive Central Valley. With a 2009 estimated population of 489,676, it is the sixth-largest city in California.[1] Sacramento is the core cultural and economic center of the Sacramento metropolitan area which includes seven counties; with an estimated population of 2,927,123.[2] Its metropolitan area is the fourth largest in California after the Greater Los Angeles Area, San Francisco Bay Area, and the San Diego metropolitan area as well as the 25th largest in the United States. A city attaining global status, Sacramento was cited by Time magazine as America’s most ethnically and racially integrated city in 2002

  19. Your article has definitely inspired me to change the way I write. I want to let you know I appreciate your great work.