How family photos on the wall boost your kids' self esteem

I talk a lot about why family photos matter, but this one always surprises people.

There's actual research behind the idea that displaying family photos at home can boost your kids' confidence. A 1975 study by Tulane University looked at a group of fourth graders in Tennessee who had low self esteem scores. Over five weeks, the kids were given Polaroid cameras and asked to photograph themselves in different poses and emotions. They created scrapbooks from the photos each week. By the end of the study, those kids showed a 37% increase in self esteem, just from regularly seeing images of themselves.

That's not a small number.

It's about belonging

Psychologist David Krauss has studied the connection between family photos and how children see themselves. He says that when a child sees a family portrait displayed in the home, it creates a visible sense of the family unit. The child can physically see that they belong to something. That they're a valued part of it.

Vancouver-based psychologist Judy Weiser takes it further. She says family photos help children learn who they are and where they fit. They learn about their own family's story and their place in it. It helps them feel safe.

I see this in my own studio all the time. When families come back for their ordering session and their kids see themselves up on the big screen, their faces light up. They point at themselves. They laugh at their siblings. They see their family and they see themselves in it.

The problem with keeping photos on your phone

Here's where most families are getting it wrong. We take more photos than ever, but they live on our phones. Your kids don't scroll through your camera roll. They don't see those photos unless you show them.

Krauss makes the point that a photo on the wall, one that a child walks past every single day without having to turn on a device or click through a folder, has a completely different impact. It's just there. It's permanent. It says "you matter enough to be on this wall."

When your child sees their face displayed in your home, in a spot where everyone who visits can see it, it tells them something. It tells them they're important. That they belong. That you're proud of them.

It's one of the simplest things you can do

As parents we pour so much energy into giving our kids every advantage. We sign them up for tutoring and sport and music. We worry about their friendships and their screen time and whether they're eating enough vegetables.

But something as simple as putting a photo of your family on the wall, where your kids can see it every day, can genuinely make a difference to how they feel about themselves.

I've been photographing families for over 23 years, and this is the thing I wish more parents understood. The photos aren't just for you. They're for your kids too.