Last updated on August 18th, 2023 at 10:30 am
As parents it’s much easier to snap a picture of our adorable kids with our phone in that super cute moment, post it to what ever social media we favor and go. I have copious pictures of my children (and a rather nice collection of selfies) but…after a conversation with Nat (Twiniversity founder) I realized…I didn’t have very many pictures at ALL of my children and myself. This is usually due to my being the one taking the picture. As the conversation continued I was searching my mind and tried to recall the last time I had a picture taken WITH my children. I was shocked to realize it had been since Christmas, three months ago! How was this possible? I take pictures in abundance on a daily basis, so afraid that I will miss a great moment and not remember it!
After a few emails I soon discovered I was not alone in this occurrence. The entirety of the MoM Squad also didn’t have a lot of pictures WITH their kids. Maybe this is because we are all so busy and who has time to stop the crazy twin life wheel long enough to pose for a picture! Heck, I barely have time to schedule family pictures ONCE a year much less take a random shot with my kids!
The question arises, “Why IS it so hard to snag a picture with our kids?” We’ve had various answers to that question but the most common seemed to be that quite a few of us were just too uncomfortable being in the FRONT of the camera. No no…we are more than happy to snap a million pictures of our kids but don’t ask us to be IN the picture. Most of us are far too self conscious to do that. Far too often we look in the mirror and we don’t like what we see. And sadly we feel that this is how everyone views us. But here’s the thing mamas and daddies….our children don’t see the things we see. They don’t see any lines on our faces, or those extra pounds we just can’t seem to shake, or that receding hairline. They don’t even know what any of that means. They only know that mom and dad are great. They are awesome. They do amazing things all day long.
What child has the time to notice or care that mom has a slight pooch or dad has more gray than he used too when they are too absorbed by how great we are? Our children aren’t going to look back on these pictures as they are grown and think, “Man…I didn’t realize dad had that much gray hair.” No. They are going to look at that amazing picture and see mom and/or dad smiling/laughing. Warmth is going infuse them as they realize how happy they made us. THAT is the legacy we need to instill with photographs.
Moms, what are we teaching our daughters if we refuse to get in the picture with them because we “need to lose the baby fat first”? Do we want them to grow up thinking this what THEY should do? Dads, do you want your sons to think that “gray hair” is taboo and that society doesn’t want to see that memorialized in a photo?
Listen moms and dads, you have to rid yourself of this notion that as long as you are taking pictures of your kids then you are doing your duty as a parent to immortalize those special moments. YOU need to be in those pictures. You’re going to look back in your older years and wish and regret that you had just bitten the bullet and stepped into those pictures. And when you are gone from this earth your precious children, your legacy, will see those pictures and regret that they didn’t have more pictures with mom and dad.
5 Tips for Taking a Good Picture!
- Natural light is always best
- If your children are smaller, set them on your lap.
- Download a good photo editing app to tweak things a little bit. (I’m a big fan of Instagram and Avairy, available on iPhone and Android!)
- Double hold your twins (if they are smaller) and take a “selfie” of the 3 of you.
- SMILE!
Deanna Burkett (Twiniversity Pinterest and Forums Manager) is multi-tasking mama of two year old boy/girl twins and teens and a wife of 19 years to a very patient husband. On any given day you can find her pinning her heart away at Twiniversity’s Pinterest page, saying howdy to a new member of Twiniversity’s Message Board, working on school work while she earns her double degree of History and English at Ashford University, catering to her teenagers every beck and call or chasing one or two naked babies around the house! Look for her on Facebook, & Twitter!
Are You a New Twin Parent?
Check out Natalie Diaz’s book:
“What To Do When You’re Having Two
The Twin Survival Guide From Pregnancy Through the First Year”
In What to Do When You’re Having Two: The Twins Survival Guide from Pregnancy Through the First Year, national twins guru and founder of Twiniversity (and twin mom herself!) Natalie Diaz provides a no-holds-barred resource about life with twins, from pregnancy and birth all the way through your duo’s first year of life.
Accessible and informative, What to Do When You’re Having Two
is the must-have manual for all parents of twins.
