Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.
BRENE BROWN
It is first and foremost within our families that we develop a sense of connection and belonging that we then live out in the world at large.
Our families are safe heaven and stepping stones to the firm ground for our sense of ‘SELF.’ If somehow a family fails to create and provide this space of security, acceptance and love; it can indeed have a very damaging effect on the child’s psyche.
And yet we know with all our well-meaning intentions, Parenting can get quite challenging in today’s day and age, where a child is overwhelmed with information at the click of i-pads and smartphones. A perpetual comparison is playing on a child’s mind where he or she is comparing their lives with the idealized social media feed of their friends.
Something as simple yet so powerful as creating memories and photographing them can help a child feel truly connected with the family members which then renders to develop deep self-confidence and high self-esteem of the child.
NURTURING TRUE BELONGING
We are visual species, we think and feel in images. Therefore family photographs help children intuitively understand their place in the family.
Seeing their photographs with parents, siblings, grandparents and godparents in the family portraits allows them to value and appreciate family relationships. In the sea of ‘Selfies,’ these family portrait sessions can become a great way to make them organically understand the importance of having strong familial ties. Also, it illustrates to them their unique place in the family, and all these memories become a part of their story and who they are and will become!
There’s something so heartwarming and strengthening about seeing the beautiful moments of our lives that triggers the feeling of love and warmth. Not only for kids but for us adults too.
DOCUMENTING YOUR LEGACY
Carving out time to document the essence of your family life, as in typically how your day looks and feels right now in this particular season of your lives.
Whether it is going for walk together in the woods with your pet and kids, preparing pancakes for breakfast, playing a favorite board game, or a thousand other things we take for granted but which are the very threads of the fabric of our life and it is these minuscule mundane details that make life so joyous and wonderous! When we look at these photographs we remember how we felt at that moment and it positively reinforces our mind.
Additionally, family portraits become family heirlooms, something that can be passed on to generations, and though your children might not realize it now they will love these photographs more than anything in the world and would proudly pass them on to their kids.
MAKE IT MEANINGFUL
The entire purpose of getting the family portraits done would be defeated if you didn’t display them in the various nooks or hang them on the walls of your house. There’s something wonderous about printed images and seeing it now and then makes that image find a permanent space in your heart and mind. If you leave these images in your smartphone’s gallery or drives, they will gradually begin to fade as if lost in some black hole of busyness and never-ending to-do’s. You want these precious memories to be alive and work their subtle magic in creating a healthy narrative in your child’s mind.
A tonne of research supports the idea that displaying family photography around the house builds your child’s self-worth and esteem. It is a way of saying Kid, We are proud of you. We see you. We love you.
Then again, Family portraits are not something you do once and forget about. The idea is to document the changes, how your crawling baby boy with two adorable bottom teeth has now quite grown up and has messy hair like some tossed-up spaghetti or how your daughter has grown up so tall and is learning to play granny’s wooden piano in your living room. How could you possibly not document that because soon enough they will outgrow this phase too? We promise your kids will thank you for safekeeping these memories.
Feeling inspired to get your family photographs done. Let us help you find a photographer to document all the messy, sweet, and little things that make your family so special and marvelous.