Day in the Life with the Falls Family
Christi and Jay are parents to two sweet, happy boys. Christi booked a Day in the Life session because, even though she’s a fantastic photographer, there aren’t a lot of everyday life photos with her in them. She wanted to have photos that showed that she really is there, day in and day out, loving her family.
One of my favorite things about this cute family is the way they infuse fun into everyday things. (Notice the trains running through the house.)
A great example is the way they make helping in the kitchen fun. They all love to cook!
It can be a challenge to get kids to help around the house. I asked Christi how she created an environment of her boys loving being in the kitchen.
Here are Christi’s tips:
“I always asked my boys to be “helpers” from a very early age. They love feeling like they’ve contributed and “helped” mommy.
I’m not a person that has to have a pristine house every moment, so letting them get dirty and make a little mess doesn’t bother me. The extra five minutes of clean up for me is well worth their feeling of being useful, them learning as we go, and that we are spending time together and doing something useful at the same time.”
Three tips:
1-start them young
Even little ones can pour things from a measuring cup to a bowl, and use a hand whisk or spoon to stir. As they are getting older, I’m letting them help me read the recipes and get the ingredients, and even do some of the measuring (with supervision). Giving them easy tasks with the promise of harder tasks down the road really motivates them to get involved and feel useful.
2-get a helper stool
The helper stool is great and a must have for small children in the kitchen. It gets children up to the counter level in a safe way. My son, Jackson, broke his nose when a chair slid out from under him when he reached for something. He was two. The helper stool makes me feel a lot better about their safety!
3-start them cooking with things they love to eat
Harrison is a total bread lover, so he gets super excited to make bread. They both love to make pancakes and waffles (mixing up the batter). Jackson (5) can make scrambled eggs himself (I turn on the stove), and Harrison (3) can make jello by himself (I heat the water). We make a lot of cupcakes- they are involved in the whole process, from mixing batter to frosting.
bonus tip: get them their own tools
Lots of places sell inexpensive, food safe, fun color kitchen tools for kids which are more manageable size for little hands. I did get the boys chef hats they wore every time they cooked for a while- any little thing you can give them that is “special” for a task makes it into fun time instead of feeling like work!”
Thank you, Christi!
There is evidence of these tips in other areas of their life all around their home…from baking to the huge train sets in almost every room of their home to a big crafting table right when you walk in the front door. I love their playfulness, not worrying about making or stepping over messes, and the way they are all kids at heart.
What Christi said about her Day in the Life session:
“OHMYGOSH!!!! I’m so in love, I watched it three times in a row in a parking lot crying like a big baby! I really love how you were able to capture the chaos and the normal, boring moments of the day and make them beautiful. <3”-Christi Falls, mom
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See their full Day in the Life slideshow here:
Falls Family: Day in the Life from davina fear on Vimeo.
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By day, I photograph families. By night, I build forts the size of elephants with my family. I live in a yellow house. I believe real life is the best getaway ever.
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