Becoming a big brother or sister isn’t always a dream come true for the former ‘baby’ of the family. It can be a really difficult transition for toddlers to deal with. Most of the time they are fairly willing to participate in their family newborn session, but sometimes they are not, and that is okay! The best thing you can do for your toddler is to not make a big deal out of it and keep your frustration on the DL, so they don’t catch on to just how important these photos are to you.

When I see a session may have a challenging ‘big’ sibling, I try to take time to get photos of just them. Some with them alone and some with Mom and Dad, without baby. As their comfort level increases I add baby into the equation. If your toddler is really attached to Mom or Dad, I will have the other parent hold the new baby. Usually this means Dad has the new baby and Mom gets cuddles with her big girl or boy.

If big sister doesn’t want to hold baby we can play peek a boo with your newborn in the basinet. I’ve even had to hide treats under the blankets just to get big brother close enough to look at baby.

Whatever happens at your session, try to keep the pressure off and just enjoy your time together. Make it more about family pictures than just about baby, and that can make all the difference. Know that whatever challenges arise, we will capture images filled with memories that you won’t want to forget!