Sharing is caring!

Picture day can be a very, very stressful time if you have children. Finding the proper outfit and a date that everyone is available on is already causing causes you a headache. But once you have that down, though, everything is smooth sailing. 

You have prepared everything to be perfect, and then your worst nightmare happens – your child won’t cooperate. Even after you’ve coached them for the past two weeks and the entire car ride leading up to the session, your kiddo still just isn’t having it. 

You’ve tried all of the usual tricks, and nothing is working. Sounds terrible, right? 

Well, I’m here today to save you from this nightmare and help you prevent this from even happening. Behold the power of bribery. I know some people frown upon this; however, they probably haven’t tried to get a two, six, and ten-year-old to sit in one position together and look at the camera and smile. It’s no easy task! 

As a photographer, I’m going to give you the green light and tell you that it’s okay to bribe your kids for the sake of good photos. 

With a limited amount of time to get all of the photos that you need and want, and I don’t want you to be stressed out that or feel we are crunched for time because little Scarlett is having a meltdown or is hiding behind her hands the entire session, or sticking her tongue out at me. So, I welcome bribery with arms wide open.

Every child is different when it comes to bribery.

They all have different personalities and like different things. Some children are motivated by candy, others cash. You just have to find out what works best for your children.

Family sitting on the ground with their puppy for a picture-Debra Heschl Photography

Here are some suggestions that we’ve noticed have worked.

  • Candy or fruit snacks (no messy ones)
  • Dinner at their favorite restaurant after the session
  • Later bedtime
  • That awesome toy they’ve been drooling over
  • Extra TV time
  • A sleepover with a friend
  • Cash (works great for older kids)
  • Extended playtime
  • They don’t have to eat their vegetables that night at dinner
  • They don’t have to do chores the next day
  • Give them back a privilege that’s been taken away the last time they were in trouble

While these aren’t the only options, we thought we’d give you a starting point to brainstorm your own ideas that will help get your child specifically to cooperate.

Pin for Later!