'It gets better, there will be a day when they all smile' - Mum shares photoshoot fears
We all crave that elusive family photograph – the one you will hang pride of place in the sitting room.
Or along the staircase just so no one will be able to miss it, it's the only thing that will make your family look remotely normal after all.
It's the thing to do, and when there's a new addition to the brood, you have professional photos taken to show off the new clan.
However, sometimes, after your first experience, there's a good chance you'll never want to go through the charade again.
Leslie can shed some light on the scenario, because for five years, the mum-of-three refused to have their shots taken.
Writing for Her View From Home, she states: "We haven’t taken family pictures in years. Why? Because it’s exhausting. It’s so exhausting."
"The last time we attempted to take professional family photos was five years ago, when our oldest was just four and our youngest was just two and the baby wasn’t even on our radar."
A lot changes in five years, kids change, a lot.
But it still didn't take away the nightmare which was the first slot of family photographs.
"The youngest cried most of the time and refused to wear the matching shirt we had picked out, so we had to throw on a hand-me-down that was shoved in the baby bag."
"Smiling for the camera? Yeah. It didn’t happen. And I know, I know. We all say things like, 'Oh, just capture the real moments, those are better anyway', but […] sometimes mama just wants ONE picture that resembles something Hallmark can do, right? Just one."
Nonetheless, with the addition of a new baby and the kids a few years older, Leslie's family decided to try and capture the coveted snaps once again, and she believed it was time to share her thoughts with friends.
"I was nervous. And frankly, dreading it. But you guys, this time was so easy. The oldest smiled at the camera as usual because she loves it. The middle kid tried to fight me on what shoes to wear, but gave in when we bribed her with cookies."
"And the baby was highly entertained… In 30 minutes our photographer snapped a lot of pics. […] No one cried. It was amazing."
"And this is my message for the families in that 'my kids scream, family photos are exhausting stage'. I promise, it gets better. It gets so much better."
Take the photos mums – there'll come a day you'll regret not having them.
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