Mums Avoiding Having Photos with their Children

Do you avoid having photos taken with your children because your body/look isn’t everything you want it to be?

It’s hard but I hope we can all remember your kids don’t judge, they love you for who you are. What they may judge (as they get older) is not having photos with you when they are young.

• I like to avoid having my photo taken because I look like a whale and don’t photograph well. But I suck it up so my son will have photos with me. I get it from my mother. She would -never- have her photo taken with us as children. So we have no photos of us as children either (apart from the odd baby one). I know how much it sucks not having photos of family, so I’m not following her lead. I too make my partner take a couple at a time (more like 10 ) so I can choose the least hideous looking ones. Thank god for digital cameras! And the cropping tool. Goodbye huge backside. This is one of my favourite photos. I don’t look nice, but would never want to forget this day and how much fun we had. Tiffany
  

• I really try to get photos of me with the kids and family photos but their father always bitches and moans and carries on like a child chucking a tantrum cause photos are stupid and why do I always have to take photos of everything, when I do get him to take one I ask of its nice (cause I think everything about me is gross) and he says yes then I go through the camera and either a child isn’t looking or has a hand over their face or I look like an absolute beast : ( really upsets me that all our photos are crap and he can’t make an effort for me Bec
  

• I remember my mum saying (after her dad died) she woke up in a panic because she couldnt remember what his hands looked like…. weird to me at the time, but as I grew I now know what she means. I looooovvvvvveeee photos of my kids and often I will take 10 photos with them until I get a good one of all of us together. These photos and videos, in time will be the only things they have of me when I die, so I try my best to ‘suck it in or hide the double chin’. Lol Shannon

• Wish I had read this the first week after he was born I felt so yuck and ugly while in hospital that I have none when he was just born big big regret!!! Rebecca

• Nope, i dont like my post baby body at all, trying really hard to lose it, but im more than Happy to be in photos, to have those memories with my kids.  Kids and mum daily selfies here! Jasmine
  

• I’m always behind the camera! Cheree

• Story of my life! It breaks my heart now cause my 7 yr old has caught into the fact that I’m not in any pics & it upsets him ;( also my 2 yr old mimics me running away as soon as she see’s a camera. So the question I now have is what on earth am I teaching my kids :(( Sounah

• Never thought of it that way, getting harder to take photos of me & my dd as I’m a single parent & hate selfies but i think I’ll get over it & start taking them!! Renee

• I dont have many with my kids because im always the one taking the photos! Would be nice to have more. Sammy

• Photos don’t always have to be of you posing for the camera Stephanie

• Thanks, I need this reminder some times. Took me a few months to start including myself in photos again. Siminette

• I am always behind the camera too body has changed but that’s nothing to be ashamed off never been fat in my life but who cares … We gave birth to our children … Would you prefer to be skinny and childless or deal with some weight and have your precious children Kathryn
  

• I don’t avoid them I just have no one else to take them usually Nicole

• Wow I never knew so many mums felt this way! So sad I care less about what people think about me since I had my son. I used to not even answer the door if I wasn’t wearing makeup. But on the day he was born something must have switched on or off in my head because now I don’t wear makeup unless I’m going somewhere fancy. I’ve realised no-one cares or should care how you look and if they do they’re not worth knowing anyway. I get to spend less time in front of the mirror and more time with my son now since my mindset changed. I have more photos and videos of him than I know what to do with and I have to remember to jump in the photos with him from time to time. But that’s just because I’m too wrapped up in what HE’S doing and how cute HE looks, not because I don’t think I deserve to be in the photo Lauren

• I try and get photos of me and ds together as I know it is so important. Only have about 5 photos of me and my mum together and those are from when I was really little – she has been gone for 14 years now so it is too late. Sometimes I wish there were more Mums are always behind the camera taking the photos. I take lots of selfies and get my husband to take photos of me and my ds together. Having said that I realise we don’t have photos of me, my ds and hubby together. Bianca

• Yes but I never have anyone to take photos of us together because I’m always alone with them… Eszter

• Sort of – I haven’t had ‘bump progression’ photos taken along the way because I was just too fat to begin with, no one could tell I was pregnant anyway, why have a record of it. Leah

• I was the worst for talking myself down, my own worst enemy really calling myself every ugly name under the sun when I looked in the mirror or at photos of myself I avoided all photos where possible. But than I read an article that changed everything. Please alway remember you are what you are. love yourself http://m.dailylife.com.au/life-and-love/parenting-and-families/when-your-mother-says-shes-fat-20130604-2nnxq.html Karen

• I have curves in all the wrong places but got them through having my son so I remind myself with every photo I have taken with him that my body is perfect on the inside because I was able to bring him into this world (also have an angel baby)…. Knowing my body can do that makes me smile! Kerry

• I try and get as many good photos as I can with my son even if it takes ten times lol. It’s true, I barely have many with my mum when I was younger, more my Dad and I want my kids to have reminders of both me and their Dad for when we’re gone. Little things like that are the best Sarifah

• Opposite I may not have the body I used to but I care less about it then when I was young and fit…I used to avoid photos pre kids now I show them that it doesn’t matter what you look like just be confident with yourself… Danielle

• Good point – I have been avoiding having my pic taken Calavera

• It’s more cause I am taking the pictures!! But why am I always taking the pictures… Causes others look better in the pictures!! Thou I aim to take one of me with each kid/together once a month. Jemima

• Sure do. I’ve always hated photos of me anyway. Karen

• I take photos with my son but I make sure they are in black and white as I don’t wear makeup anymore and my skin tone sucks lol. It sucks that all but two photos I have with my son, I took. Nicole

• My little one is two and we just got professional photos the other week! Yes we have some photos together but wish I had done newborn photos Kirby

• I’m definitely guilty of this Though I am trying to stop being so self conscious. It would be sad for my daughter to only have pics with her daddy. I braved the camera yesterday though Belinda

• You are beautiful inside and out Sue

• I don’t get why you’d avoid it. If you’re not happy with something, this case being your body/looks, you can always change it (if there’s a will there’s a way). why should kids miss out on looking back on photos of you together because you have insecurities? Kai

• I have a lot of “selfies” with me and my daughters. getting hubby in the pictures is harder. though on family occasions when there are others around I ask them to take pictures of us all together. my favourites are the Christmas photo’s. we set the camera up on the tripod and get the WHOLE family (grandparents, mum, siblings, nieces, nephews and cousins) in on it and set a timer. I drive everyone nuts by insisting on taking at least 3 pics. its a tradition now though. and I know our kids will look back on it when they are grown up and love the crazy pics of their family. Sarah

• I’m always the one taking the photos my kids will have awesome scrapbook albums in years to come Leah

• My problem is more I’m always behind the camera! Unless it’s a selfie with my girls I’m not in them! Alexandra

• I’m so glad I readthis! My focus has been getting photosof the kids (& hubby) because I’m not happy with my body. I’ll change my approach now. Kathleen

• I also don’t like being in photos atm but there is a lot to be said for a good angle. All selfies are taken with camera/phone up high and us looking up at it. I also try and have a similar angle when others take photos of me and my little man (me sitting, them standing). The photographer who did my maternity photos also gave me some tips on how to look good in pics, elongate your neck and jut chin forward to avoid double chin, stand with one knee slightly forward to give the illusion of a better shape. Peta

• No! Decided yrs ago-buggar it! I usually just wear my sunnies if outside. Took tons in scn. Offered another couple to take their pic in scn with 1day old n they said no. Now 6mths on i wonder if she realises she has no pics with her new bub. I look at mine and it brings back all my scn memories Tara

• I’ve alwayd hated being in photo’s anyway. Occassionally, I take a selfie of myself and the kiddies…or with one at a time. And that’s because of this reason…I don’t have enough of me and them together Racheal

• I always take photos of him and I together. My son thinks im amazing and the photos are for him. Nobody else Melissa

• I refuse to have my photo taken! Carolyn

• I never have my pic done. Last time I had it done I was bout 18 yrs, now 42 Natalie

• So true my husband has so many photos with our son me hardly I shouldnt think this way. Stavros

• I was going through this very recently. Im usually behind the camera also. I read this article recently and it changed my mind. Our kids/family see us in all our ‘natural’ beauty all the time and love us. It their memories too we should be in the photos. http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4351360 Mellymel

• I used to avoid being in photos as much as possible, since having my boys, even though I’m not happy with the way I look, I make an effort to be in shots with them, although they’re mostly selfies because I seem to be the only one taking pictures. I’m currently heavily pregnant with my third bub & imagine that my camera is soon going to have a meltdown lol Sharon

• Yep, 7 years later, 3 kids later, more kgs on, and still waiting for that weight loss so I can have photos with my children. Bit sad hey?! Annie

• My daughter is 2.5 and loves looking at photos – I was showing her photos from her first 6 months – she’s looking at the photos and turns and asks ‘where’s mum?’ with a sad face – Simon going to have to suck it up – my dad passed away just after my daughter was born so I know how important the photos & videos are Madelyn

• How true, I was just thinking this the other day. Thank you for the reminder Kristin

• I’m always the one behind the camera when it comes to taking photos of the kids. Jess

• I will try to do this. I ask DF to take photos for me but I never like them and ask for more. He doesn’t like taking them for me as I ask him to keep taking them because I never like any of them! I’ll try to remember this and get some taken even if I don’t like what they look like Kat

• I was in bugger all pictures in my teen years because of body image, but now days I try and get the hubby to take pictures of me with our girls.. so they have pictures of me with them as they’re growing up. .. although I rarely upload them to Facebook! Apryl

• Opposite I may not have the body I used to but I care less about it then when I was young and fit…I used to avoid photos pre kids now I show them that it doesn’t matter what you look like just be confident with yourself… Danielle

• i try to get pics of just the kids Mellissa

• I do selfies with my girls, I can handle my head shots but not body shots Emma

• Not having stuff all fotos with my mum. It suks. I make her get into fotos with my son. And I do too even if I dont wana I do. He loves me and says so all the time and tells me im pretty Kim

• I’ll do a close up but reeeeaaaaaaly try to avoid full body shots. I gained over 100 lbs with the baby, and I hope to lose this other half before she remembers it existed. Theresa

• Sometimes but mostly no close ups or selfies. Carlee

• Constantly avoid photos now Josie

• One of few reasons why there are fotos of me now. Love my baby girl. Amanda

• Yes, I do. I hate the way I look and I never look good in photos. My kids however, think I’m beautiful despite being very overweight, misshapen and having aged a heap in the past few months. I don’t see what they see. My ex sure didn’t … In 14 years of marriage he never once said I was beautiful but did call me ugly a couple of times .. Kyra

• It was rare to find me in one before kids and even rarer now. Kelly

• I too don’t like the way I look and how that translates in photos…but after losing my first husband 7yrs ago and not having many photos of each other or together I realised photos are not for us, they’re for the memories of our loved ones and it’s pretty selfish of us to deny those memories just for the sake of vanity. Sandi

• I avoid photos nowadays and feel guilty im ok when I havent got baby weight on but till that time I avoid photos like a plague Tegan

• We have a set of professional photos done. That is it in 3 yrs. Because I like a whale and refuse to be in.photos. Got plenty of pics of the kids, im just always behind the camera Dee

• I don’t avoid photos with the little one, but I do avoid sharing them with people. I realised this and regardless of what I look like, he loves me and I work on bettering myself so I can be around for him to have a lot longer and a lot more memories Nita

• yer i hate my pic taken theres not a lot of photos of me Brenda

• I used to, but not since I nearly died having my youngest Bethie

• I do !!! All the time. Danielle

If you love taking pictures of your kids, we have the tips and tricks to make sure you take the best pics.