Help a Fellow Mama
We’ve all seen the articles and blog posts that plead with husbands to take photos of mothers. As mothers we know it’s not entirely our husbands’ faults that we go missing from the family photos. Let’s be honest and step back for a moment to really think about the reason moms are absent from photos? Is it because we’re in a need of lash refill? Did we forgot to draw on our eyebrows today? Are we wearing our pajama pants? Has our hair taken permeant residence in a messy bun? I can guarantee it’s not our husbands’ fault (although we all know 87% of the time it certainty is their fault) this time, it is our fault.
Quit hiding from the camera and start finding yourself in front of it. This is not about you, this is about your kids. I recently went searching for some pictures of my Mom when she was pregnant so I could check out her mumu maternity wear she was telling me about. I also wanted to see pictures of her when I was young and I think I found possibly 4 photos. I’ve taken elementary science before and I’m well aware that the variable in this little experiment could possibly be the fact that “back in the day” cameras weren’t constantly sitting in our hands. However, that fact aside the number of photos of my Mom that I have from when I was young is pretty weak when compared to the photos I have of my Dad. I can find photos of my Dad throwing me in the air at a concerning height, decorating cookies with me (which I find hilarious knowing the man can’t make a grilled cheese), and even snaps of him fiercely scrubbing my face off after a meal (out of love of course). My Mom was behind the camera making all these photos possibly but it wasn’t until recently that I discovered why she wasn’t in any. It wasn’t because my Dad didn’t attempt to take pictures of her- it was because when he got that camera lens anywhere near her she quickly ducked, threw up a hand to block it or shot him a look of death. I myself have found myself doing the exact same thing with my husband. Ducking out of the shots faster than I run to an open bar at a wedding and pleading with my husband, “don’t get me in the photo”.
This is my fault, the reason I’m MIA from a bunch of pictures isn’t because he isn’t taking them, it’s because I haven’t showered in 2 days, applied makeup, changed out of fat pants or a variety of other excuses I might have. You know who doesn’t care? My kids. Now sure you do need your husband, significant other or friend to take the picture (unless your skilled with the selfie and that I am not), but your job is to encourage them to do so. Who cares what you look like? Get yourself in that picture. Your kids will thank you when they’re older. They might even make fun of your outfit, your style, your hair color choice and then you’ll know it will all be worth it. Then after that your Grandkids will enjoy these photos. Get in the picture. Encourage yourself to remind yourself that you are a fine piece of work (no matter what state you might be in for the photo). Gather that confidence and show your kids what it takes to be confident. Yaass queen do it for you and do it for your kids.
**This post features a few candids I’ve taken of some of my favorite Moms.