13 Photos That Show Kids Have Better Things to Do Than Have Their Photos Taken

They say you know you’re a parent when your phone runs out of storage space because it’s filled with baby photos. But it’s probably just because it takes a hundred clicks before you can get that ‘perfect’ snap where your baby is smiling, or at the very least, not making a full-on crying face. There are ways to get them to at least sit still for 10 seconds, but we think it’s pretty fun and adorable to see ‘imperfect’ family portraits — kids are such characters!

We asked SmartParenting.com.ph readers to show us their attempts at taking ‘perfect’ holiday photos and oh, boy, were the expectations far from reality! But thanks to them, we’ve also learned a few lessons that could hopefully help parents who are planning to take family portraits during the holidays.

Here are 13 photos that show the struggle is real when it comes to taking family photos

Mom Magic Lopero emailed us to share her daughter Margot’s beautiful holiday photos, but we just knew there had to be one shot where she was still warming up to the camera. True enough, she sent us another photo that inspired our ‘expectation vs. reality’ theme. Margot is probably thinking, “Shouldn’t we have taken a good shot by now?”

1. When attempting a holiday photo, prepare extra outfits.

Everything was set up for the Good family photo, but their daughter Bernice did not want to wear a dress, which is why she ended up crying in the first shot. “We got a few good pictures naman, these were just a few of the disasters hahaha,” mom Jamie Quitain-Good tells Smart Parenting.

2. Take photos before the kids get hungry.

Moms get a little too excited taking photos that they forget kids get impatient easily. “While waiting for our other relatives to get ready, we opted to have our family picture first,” shared Princess Principe-Eufemio. “Unfortunately, the kids were not in the mood — gusto na nilang mag-Noche Buena and mag-open ng gifts!”

3. Accept that kids will easily get distracted.

Mom Venxa Dimpas and her son were with her sisters and their kids when they attempted to take a photo in front of a mall’s Christmas display. “One of my sisters took a lot of photos pero ‘yan na talaga ang pinakamagandang kuha,” she shares. “Mas gusto nila sumayaw kasama ng mga dancing Santa sa likod kaysa mag-papicture!”

Emee Velches and her family were having their picture taken in front of a mall’s Christmas display when their son spotted a piano near the tree. “He wanted to go down but we can’t let him go yet because we had to finish taking the picture,” she explains.

4. Timing is everything.

Babies are more sensitive. Make sure they are well-fed, happy, and comfortable to have better chances of taking lovely images.

5. Be patient — your kids will eventually warm up.

Mom Bea Benedicto was able to get her kids to wear the matching outfits their grandparents bought for them and figured they would be game to take a few pictures. “Everyone was cooperating except for Sari who just woke up,” she shared.

Bea, who is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, also decided to have a photo shoot inside a studio with her kids. Naturally, Yoda, her youngest, was scared of Santa at first.

Of course, parents won’t be able to help themselves when it comes to taking photos of their kids. You’d always want to capture their cutest moments! But remember, patience is key. Before you end up with a decent shot, you’re bound to end up with a few mishaps:

Taking portraits for this year's celebrations? Share your holiday photos with us in the comments!