Strategies for getting your newborn to sleep

One of the biggest concerns of new parents is getting their baby on a regular sleep schedule—and getting some sleep themselves. Check out these tips for starting good sleep habits early.

1 Develop a routine.  

As babies learn about the world, a sense of routine can help them feel safe. Creating a bedtime routine helps them learn and understand when it’s time for sleep. Try to do the same thing every time you put your baby down and make sure your routine is gentle and relaxing. 

2 Expect complaints.

When your child is first learning to fall asleep alone, don’t be surprised if they cry and protest. It’ll help you and your baby if you have a planned response to those nighttime cries. You may decide to check in on your child every few minutes after putting them down, or you may want to avoid checking in at all. Talk to your partner and decide together what your plan for bedtime will be.

3 Watch for signs.

Your baby will do their best to let you know they’re getting sleepy. They may yawn, act grumpy, or have a particular cry to communicate their tiredness. Pay attention to these hints and start your bedtime routine in response.  

4 Don’t wait until baby’s asleep.  

Once your baby is about four months old, you can start laying them down for bedtime when they get drowsy. This will give them the chance to learn to fall asleep on their own and sets the stage for better sleep patterns in the future.

5 Stick with it.

Consistency is everything when it comes to teaching children. If you change up your routine or response from night to night, your baby will be confused and struggle to develop a regular sleep pattern. Being consistent will help your child learn how to fall asleep more easily.

6 Know your child’s personality.  

Every child is different, which means they develop sleep skills at different times and in different ways. The more intensely your baby reacts to loud noises and other disturbances, the harder it will be for them to self-soothe and fall asleep. Babies with more laidback personalities may find it easier to fall asleep on their own.

7 Think about your circumstances.

If your baby is regularly having trouble sleeping, consider whether there’s any recent changes that could cause them to be upset. Maybe a new babysitter or your return to work could be causing the problem. Even milestones like learning to crawl or walk can cause sleep disruptions. Just be patient and stay consistent with your bedtime routine.

Tips for photographing your kids

It’s so important to capture as many moments as you can as your kids grow and change. As a professional photographer and mum, I wanted to give you some key tips on how to take better photos of your kids.

1) Get down low

The angle that we take photos makes a huge difference in the way we view them. Being at an angle where you are looking directly into kids' eyes totally changes the way we connect with an image. I am sure you have heard the expression that the eyes are the window to the soul, and this is never more true than when photography kids

2) don’t ask them to say cheese

We all grew up with the school photographer who asked us to say cheese, to try and capture a smile. But it was a different time when photographers worked with film, and could only take 1 photo, and by saying cheese they had the best chance to capture something resembling a smile

Times have changed and with digital photography we can take a number of images to make sure that we get a real smile. When I am photographing kids I ask them questions or tell them silly joes that I know will make them laugh or smile. I’m always ready to snap away to make sure that I capture that perfect moment. It means that you end up with photos that have real & authentic expression , that really capture a true special moment of that age.

3) understanding light

I can’t tell you how often people think that being in full sun will enable the best photos, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The best places to get done are actually in the shade, or near a window inside your home

a) photographing outdoors

Try to get your ids playing in a shady area. The middle of the day is the hardest to time as finding shade can be hard, sp try to find the time in the early morning or late afternoon to concentrate on photographing your kids

But the reality is that the best moments happen at any time, so if you are watching your kids play and you want to get the best shot then put yourself in a position that the sun is behind your kids. This will stop them squinting if they look at you, and the sun will not be as harsh..

b) photography indoors

You want to stand so the window is behind you. If you are facing the window your camera will struggle with how to expose correctly and there will not be enough light on your kids. SO look at where your kids are playing and move yourself around so that the window is behind you.Light is the most important factor in every photo. Look at where it's coming from and how strong it is. If you're inside, try to get close to a window and turn your child's face toward the natural light. I usually leave indoor lights and flash off, especially now that iPhone 11 Pro has night mode. Artificial lighting changes the white balance (warmth) in a photo and messes with skin tones. But if you happen to capture a shot you love and the lighting is tricky, try a black and white edit.Another tip for indoor shooting: Look for interesting light patterns made by things like blinds or drapes and pockets of light streaming in through windows that help create eye-catching portraits.

When outside, light on an overcast day is good all day. On sunny days, the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset is the most beautiful and flattering light to take photos, but life doesn't always happen in perfect lighting! If the sun is high and strong, I look for shade or bend low to the ground to put the light behind my kids. Smart HDR makes it easier to take a shot and expose it correctly even in harsh overhead light, but know that the shadows will be harsh so you'll have to work with it as best as you can.

Capture emotion

It's so important to tell the story with feeling. To do this, rely on candid moments, like a recent one between my dad and my daughter enjoying a quiet morning of reading stories. Because I had my phone handy, I was able to capture that special moment while sitting across from them.

But don't be afraid to create some candid moments of your own. Ask your kids to give hugs, hold hands and jump, play with water, pick flowers, build a sand castle, or have them twirl or dance. Give them a toy or snack like ice cream or hot cocoa. Sit back, watch, and snap the in-between moments of silliness, giggles, and beauty.

You can bend or crouch down to be at face level to get the most of their expressions. Let them stick their tongues out, be goofy, and have fun. Tell them jokes and laugh with them and their faces will light up even more.

Throw the rules away

OK, not really, but don't get hung up on them either. With time and practice, you won't think about lighting and framing so much because it will start to happen naturally, and you'll be able to focus on storytelling and capturing that raw emotion. Remember, you're telling the story of their lives, you're not limited to a certain number of photos, and your kids don't always have to strike a pre-planned pose.

The photos I end up loving most are the ones where my children aren't looking at me and smiling, but instead are interacting as I capture their actions. Nothing compares to the ones where they are laughing so hard I can remember what their giggles sounded like days later. A lot of times, these shots aren't technically perfect, but they're perfect to me.

Join in on the fun

And last but not least, if you're the designated family photographer, use that selfie mode! You were there too; you're part of that story. Go by how a shot makes you feel and capture the moments that matter to you because, in the end, your photos of your kids are for you.

Top tips to help your baby sleep

Sleep…..fuel for our body, and our mode of function for the day. Sleep can impact how we start our day and how we parent our kids, and this is the same for our babies.

As parents, we all want our baby to have a peaceful nights sleep and hopefully sleep through the night, but sometimes this can feel somewhat impossible.

In the first weeks with your new baby, when you are sleep deprived and struggling with learning how to look after your newborn baby, this can seem such a challenge.

I wanted to share with you, as a mum of three, some top tips of things that I did to help get my babies to sleep. that I hope will be helpful for you:

1. Have a set time to start your routine and a time that you would like for your baby to go to bed.

2. Have a set time for a warm bath for your baby. It’s a great way to start and for your baby to relax.

3. Massage your newborn with a baby safe oil or cream, and massage using gentle, soft strokes. Softly touching their face, ears and toes can be very soothing for a baby.

4. Bedtime Story. Reading a book with your baby can be a very special time for you both. To this day it is still part of our routine.

5. Play soft music in the background. You will be able to find so many options on you tube..

6. Singing a lullaby to your baby. I'm not a singer and far from it but when your baby hears your soft voice before they fall asleep can have quite a calming effect. I had some favourite songs that I loved as a child, & I regularly sang them to my babies.

7. Diffuser - lavender oil or a soothing blend that is calming but not overpowering.

8. Cuddles. You and your baby can never have too many of these. It’s such a special bonding time for you both.

9. Swaddling. Being comfortably swaddled makes a baby feel secure and safe while sleeping. As the months went on I found the baby sleep bag was a great option too, as they start moving around and move away from the swaddling phase.

I found that having an established a routine from the beginning when my baby was a newborn and then being consistent, as much as possible was key. Remember every baby is different and every parent is different.

I'm a big believer on doing what works for you and for your baby. What may work for one family or baby may differ from the other.

Mums… We need to talk!

As I family photographer for 18 yrs I have heard every reason why women don’t like themselves, or what to be in photos…

I’m too fat

My eyes are too small

I don't like my wrinkles

That’s not my best side.

I don’t like my hair

I hate myself in photos

They don't realize that when their kids have grown up and what to look back on their family photos to fondly remember their childhood, that those things won't matter at all..

Recently I was showing a mum the photos from a recent session. Her family photo session with her 2 teenagers daughters had been super fun as they had brought their dogs along for this session. Including family pets in a session always makes it super relaxed as the family laughs at their pets reactions.

Before we started photographing her session, the first thing she said to me, was that they have never had family photos & how much she wished she had family photos from when her girls were little . She was so excited she was going to finally have that family photo to proudly display on her wall.

I was so excited to show her a slideshow of the beautiful photos of her family. When the slideshow was complete, she was super happy & excited to chose her favourites. They had so many lovely photos to chose from, but most importantly she had her request of a gorgeous family photo with her husband, her two gorgeous teenage girls & even her 2 dogs all smiling at the camera.

But when we started to pick her favourites for her wall., she kept on saying she didn’t like each family photo.....

So, there I was looking at the gorgeous family photos, that every mother dreams of having of their family. Everyone was happy, looking great, with great outfits that really suited them and relaxed with beautiful, natural smiles. I couldn’t help but ask her “what was wrong” ???

Do you know what her answer was?

That her fringe was messy……

As soon the words left her mouth my heart sank. I couldn't quite believe what she was saying.

The reason why I am so passionate about my business, is because I lost my dad very suddenly in 2011 to a heart attack. He was a healthy, happy 68 yr old, just starting to enjoy his retirement with my mum, and suddenly he was gone.

When I went back to look at our photos after he had passed there we no family photos, other than the stiff, boring family photos were taken on my wedding day. Those staged photos that are taken at a church door with everyone watching. Although it is important to document the wedding day; there is nothing about these photos that really capture who my family really was.

Those photos didn’t capture the special relationship between my Dad and I.

Growing up I had always been close to my Dad and shared a special bond with him. He loved fishing, and from a young age I loved going out on his boat and he would teach me all his fishing tricks. I could never sleep on a car journey, so when we were driving on family holidays we would chat all the way, while everyone else slept around us. He ran an orchid nursery and I loved being able to work with him on the weekends & school holidays.

When I got married and moved away from home, we developed an even stronger bond; He was the first person I would call when I had a problem, needed some advice or a shoulder to cry on. He was an amazing Grandpa to my 3 kids. My parents retired to a property in Bowral, and he loved teaching the kids about his cattle, riding horses, feeding the chooks and gardening. The perfect weekend getaway for city kids.

When I started my business I realized he had also been my mentor.

I had thought my Dad would be around forever, that he as a doting granddad would watch my kids grow up…

and in a heartbeat that was all taken away from me....

We never did family photos when I was younger.. my mum made all the typical excuses.. she would lose 10 kilos and then she would do it. There wasn't enough time as my dad worked on the weekends. She worried that with 3 kids so close in age we wouldn't behave.

I can never go back and capture that… I will forever wish that could have been different...

And yet here I was sitting with this mum who had something that I would give anything to have and all she could see was her messy fringe...

It made me feel so upset & sad...

How have we become too concerned about our “perfection” that we are missing out on seeing the real connection in a family photo.

I know those two teenage girls will never look back and worry that their mums fringe wasn't perfect. They will just see an amazing moment of their childhood captured, the connection and love between their parents and the love their parents have for them. They will see how much their dogs were part of their family.

When their dogs have passed, or even harder still when they lose one of their parents, those photos will become an incredible treasure to them...

I would never have looked back at a family photo & thought my mum would have looked better if she had lost 10 kilos.

So ladies, You really need to think about this… and I know it's hard to think about... but what do you want your children to have to remember you one day when you are gone?

Would you love a treasured moment that you know will always make your children smile every time they look at it, or are you too concerned about your little “faults” that you are losing sight of what is really important?

I know I should lose some weight, I have a bunch of little wrinkles that show my age, and my hair never seems to do the right thing when we do our family photos, but I know I will never regret having our family photos taken many times over the years.

I know that one day when I am gone, my kids will have beautiful photos to show their kids & tell them about their childhood.

Don't let the excuses get in the way... take the time to capture your family portrait.

The only photo of my Dad and I

My My family photo from last year, I could find all the faults in myself, but all I can s see my family’s story of this year. My boys getting bigger and starting to step away a little from us, Millie still by my side at 15 but wanting a little more independence. And how my hubby and I have actually become closer as the kids have grown older.