The first time you meet me, treat me like I’m your sister or an old friend. Yell at your kids in front of me like you normally would. No need to walk on egg shells. They’ll be more normal and much less manipulative if you treat me like an old friend. Read my blog and you’ll feel like you know me, my work, and my family. So that’s half the battle right there! Leave comments in blog posts and we’re another quarter of the way there! Awesome!
If your name is Mike and I keep calling you David, feel free to correct me. If your name is Jennifer, can I call you by your middle name?
Tell me your life story! If you jumped through hoops to have your child, and you consider this child to be a miracle baby, tell me your life story and I just might capture special things about your relationship that you never dreamed I’d be able to capture. Likewise, if you don’t talk to me, it will be harder for me to see certain things that make your family unique. If all goes well, and I hope it will, this is going to be a lifelong relationship.
Do not stand behind me telling your children to “say ’cheese.’“ We never say “cheese.“ Cheese stinks. We say “stinky cheese STINKS so we say… hmm… ’hornswaggle’” or maybe…”don’t you dare smile, no smiling here, there is NO smiling at photoshoots!’“
Have a cheatsheet of funny stories of past family times together to get your child laughing and interacting with you. It’s going to be so much fun!