10 Moments to Capture Before Your Kids Grow Up

As parents, you’re constantly being told to “cherish every moment”. But let’s be honest, life moves fast. Between snack time, soccer practice, and bedtime stories, it’s easy to forget to slow down and document the magic.

Photographs can’t stop time, but they can preserve the small, beautiful pieces of childhood that often slip by unnoticed. Here are 10 moments to capture before your kids grow up—whether it’s with your phone, a professional photographer, or a mix of both.

1. The Way They Look at You

That wide-eyed, pure love toddlers give… the shy smiles from your grade-schooler… even the eye rolls from your teen. These expressions—however fleeting—tell the story of your relationship.

2. Tiny Hands in Yours

Their hands won’t always be small enough to curl around your finger. A simple photo of your hands together can become one of the most powerful images you’ll treasure later.

3. Their Favorite Toy, Book, or Blanket

Whether it’s a beat-up stuffed animal or a book they’ve asked you to read 200 times, photographing them with their “lovey” captures their world at this stage.

4. The Messy, Real-Life Moments

Pancake batter on their face, bubble baths with foam beards, crayon-covered hands—these messy moments are full of personality and joy. Don’t skip them because they’re not “picture perfect.”

5. Morning or Bedtime Routines

Think cuddles in pajamas, wild bedhead, or that last goodnight hug. These rituals change quietly and quickly as kids grow. Capture the softness and intimacy while they last.

6. Them in Their Environment

Whether it’s their bedroom, a favorite tree in the park, or their backyard play space—photograph them in the places that are theirs. These backdrops hold so many stories.

7. Laughing—Hard

Not just smiling, but full-on belly laughing. The kind of laugh that scrunches their nose, shows every tooth, and maybe even makes them fall over. That joy is priceless.

8. Their Siblings or Friends

These relationships evolve over time. Catch them holding hands, sharing snacks, fighting and making up. It’s all part of their story.

9. You Together

Please, get in the frame. You don’t have to look perfect. Your kids won’t care if your hair is messy or if you’re wearing leggings for the third day in a row. What they’ll care about later is seeing you there with them—loving them.

10. Transitions

First day of school. Losing their first tooth. Learning to ride a bike. These milestone moments matter, of course—but it’s the emotion around them that makes the photo powerful. Capture the pride, the nerves, the hugs that come before and after.

You don’t need to photograph every single day—but you can be intentional about preserving the phases and feelings that define this season of your life. If you want help turning those ordinary days into timeless memories, I’d love to work with you.

Let’s create a gallery of your family that reminds you of what really matters—not just what it looked like, but how it felt.

Yours,

Shayna 📸

Book your session or browse my portfolio to see how we can capture your family’s story together.