Tips for mums: W3 Please don't say 'Cheeeeeeeeeese'

We love photos of our happy children, we love them smiling, giggling, laughing. Big smile, cute smile, naughty smile, we love them all, don't we?! hmmm, let me see.

My son started a nursery school recently. As we were waiting for the gates to open couple of mums took their phone out one of them called at her daughter 'Say cheeeeeese!' and the other one 'smile at meee!' Girls did as they were told and happy mums snapped the photo. I am not surprised at all. I remember at our school the photographer shouted at us 'say cheeeeeeeeeeeeeese' and all I wanted to do was roll my eyes at him :).

But what do you actually get when you ask somebody to say cheese? Mouths formed into what appears to be a smile-like shape but in children's case most of the time eyes closed mouth wide opened with teeth clenched together. To me this is not a smile.

I first time (and last) ever asked my son to say 'Cheese'. I hate it...!

...and the real belly laugh. Love it...!

So after all this long intro this weeks tip is: MAKE them smile, laugh, giggle. Say something silly, sing a nursery rhyme with wrong words, sneeze, make funny noises, tickle then step back and pretend you are going to tickle them again quickly snap the photo. DO whatever it takes to make them smile just DON'T say SMIIIILE or CHEEESE. I promise, it is worth the effort.

EXERCISE:

Make your child laugh and share the picture with us. Upload your favourite to my ZuHuda Photography Facebook page and I will re-post my favourite one.