Oahu Family Photographer | Let them be kids – Part 2

Oahu Family Photographer | Let them be kids

As I already mentioned, I sadly wished away a lot of my children’s early years. Here is another perfect example. When my girls were little, I didn’t let them be kids….at least not the way I should have. I expected a lot out of them. Probably more than I should. I remember one time, we needed to have their portraits made for a little homeschooling group we were a part of. I threatened them within an inch of their lives to be on their best behaviour to make sure they had their best smile. Don’t get me wrong, I thought they were absolutely adorable, so sweet and pretty, but I also knew how goofy they were when they had their photos taken.

While we were there getting the portraits made, they messed around just as I had expected and I had to speak to them way more than I had liked to. When we were done, I remember being mad at them. I was so disappointed and knew the portraits weren’t going to be anything I would want to keep. I also remember being upset with them and wondering why I bothered when they didn’t do what I wanted them to do.

Needing to be perfect

Looking back I can without doubt say I was at that stage in my life where I needed everything to be perfect. My little family needed to be perfect and my children had to be perfect. I worked hard to make the girls well behaved and on their best behaviour any time we were in public. It was absolutely exhausting. I would constantly forget they were kids. They just wanted to have fun. To be silly and laugh and make a lot of mess and noise. I couldn’t appreciate this until they were a little older. And sadly, I missed a lot of time with them, requiring them to be more mature and grown up than they were.

Now I look back and I wish I hadn’t been so uptight and needing perfection. They lost a lot of valuable childhood from me expecting them to be something they weren’t. Or even just being relaxed enough to enjoy them when they were small and goofy and so stinking cute. So now I am always the first to remind parents they are just kids. Let them be kids. They grow up too quickly and are required to be adult for the rest of their lives. Relax enough to enjoy the little things. Because before you know it, they won’t do any of that any more…and you will miss it. I promise.

Here are some more of those perfect little moments that make up childhood.