Professional family photos to boost your kid’s self-esteem.

Being a parent is hard! There are so many decisions to make every day, it can be tough to be confident that you are doing a great job! Nurturing self-esteem in our kids can feel a bit overwhelming and tricky to know where to start. The good news? Your professional family photos being on display in your home is one way you can confidently teach your kids about belonging and security, both of which help to boost their self-esteem.

Teach your children: Belonging & Security

In the first few months of life, young babies start to build on the foundation of self-esteem. Dr Walsh, a psychologist and founder of Mind Positive Parenting, discusses the importance of sense of belonging in babies and kids and how important printed photographs can help to strengthen this identity. Building from care-givers that are “present, attentive, attuned and responsive” provides a nurturing and safe environment for the baby and child which contributes to a strong sense of connection. As kids grow, their family is the very first tribe that they will belong to. Celebrating the family tribe and including the children is not only a way to preserve memories, but to acknowledge and reinforce belonging.  According to Dr Walsh, this strong sense of belonging and security is the cornerstone of a healthy self-esteem.

This sentiment is echoed from Professor Beattie (Head of School and Dean of Psychological Sciences at the University of Manchester), that children use photographs as a part of learning about themselves; who they belong to, how they fit into the family. “When children grow up surrounded by photographs, it gives them a richer understanding of where they come from, which helps with confidence.” Professor Beattie also suggests that having printed photos displayed in the home is a positive, public statement that we are proud of them.

Protect your memories

When families have photos printed and on display in their homes, this strong visual reminder reinforces the family tribe that the child belongs to. Harness the power of photography to your advantage. It allows the family to celebrate their tribe day after day, week after week. It is important to also recognise the importance of printing photographs. Technology changes at such a rapid pace rendering older formats unusable. Hard drives and phones crash far too regularly and data can become corrupt. In a way, printing photographs protects the memories from technology. It also adds a tangible aspect to the photograph; the child is able to physically hold the photo and trace their face. Dr Walsh states, “One of the reasons that photography is so powerful is that we’re a very visual species. We have, of course, five senses but we have more brain cells dedicated to vision than all of the other senses combined.”

How your Photographer can help

Dr Walsh reinforces the importance of the photographer’s role in your family portraits. He says, “I do know is the importance of putting children at ease, making them feel welcome.” As your photographer, I am able to help you create the sense of belonging from before the photoshoot even begins. I take the time to learn more about your family before the photoshoot. I do this so every session is personalised to bring the most enjoyment to your photos. During the photoshoot I use everyone’s names, especially your children’s names, which helps them relax and feel safe. While I am concentrating on the technical side of the photos, I also engage with the child and family. Following your photoshoot, we meet to view your photographs for the very first time and choose how you would like to display them.

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