by: jannalabarriePosted on:

How I got the perfect pictures for my baby’s first photos with Santa

For many families who celebrate Christmas, taking the kids to get photos with Santa is a yearly holiday tradition.

It’s a seasonal staple, up there with decorating the tree and watching Christmas movies. And don’t those photos make the perfect little holiday postcards?

Santa pictures are a must-do activity in many households during the holidays, but it’s not always easy with babies.

Actually, it can be pretty challenging, so much so that I wrote a whole post about it.

Babies are understandably very unpredictable, especially in new circumstances. They are not as excited (yet) about the prospect of taking photos with Santa as we are.

We see our adorable littles taking part in a beloved Christmas tradition, but they see a complete and rather ridiculous-looking stranger with way too much facial hair. 

There is a lot of uncertainty in how they will react to that, much of which we have little control over. 

Perfect pictures should never be the goal (as we’ll only get disappointed when our babies are screaming and rolling on Santa’s lap), but we can definitely do some prep work to increase our chances of getting a postcard-worthy photo.

We might still end up with the classic crying-on-Santa’s-lap photo, but we can at least set ourselves up for a better chance of success with a little prep work and patience.

How I got the perfect pictures for my baby’s first photos with Santa

Our first photos with Santa actually ended up coming out great, but we had our hiccups.

My son, who was 1 at the time, initially refused to even get near the man. The first round of photos shows him mid-meltdown, scrambling to get away, and clinging to me while looking back at Santa with disgust.

I couldn’t stop the meltdown, but my preparation beforehand helped us to move past it and ultimately end up with some great pictures once the dust settled.

1. Scheduled an appointment

Before going to take Santa photos, it’s a good idea to check to see if the location we want to take our photos requires an appointment.

I was surprised to learn that many places do, even the free ones in the mall and garden centers.

The very last thing I needed was to walk in there all dressed up and get turned away or wait in the ‘no-appointment’ line for an hour. No point planning if we’re just going to get turned away, right?

I made an appointment way in advance (they fill up fast in my city) as soon as they became available after Thanksgiving weekend.

2. Planned around the baby’s schedule

I knew that Santa photos wouldn’t work with a tired, hungry baby.

Nothing works out well with a tired, hungry baby.

I made sure to plan our photos around my son’s naps and feedings so he wouldn’t be too irritable when trying to take photos.

3. Looked online for inspiration

I looked at lots of pictures online to get a vision of how I wanted things to turn out, including photos with different outfits, props, and Santa poses.

I even looked at photos of the actual location I was going to so I could see the setup and backdrops. Too much? Maybe.

But if we’re going to go through the trouble of getting dressed and driving all the way to take Santa pics, I want them to be nice!

4. Purchased outfits in advance

Christmas is a very busy time, which means all the matching family holiday clothes sell out fast.

I made the mistake of waiting too long to buy our outfits and ultimately had to settle for whatever was still available.

It still worked out, but scrambling for clothes at the last minute added a layer of hassle I could have done without.

5. Provided early exposure to Santa

I think it helped to read books, watch videos and movies, and show my baby pictures of Santa in the weeks before taking photos.

Seeing Santa in person was still a little shocking for my son, but at least he was somewhat familiar and was able to move past the shock (eventually).

If I had the time, I could even have gone in person to let him see Santa in the flesh before the actual appointment.

6. Took it slowly

Regardless of how many books we read, our baby will probably still need a little time to warm up to Santa in person.

I say that from experience. Rushing in to take our photos was the mistake I made that led to full meltdown mode.

I wanted to take our pictures quickly, so I put my son directly on Santa’s lap as soon as we got up there. I was a fool. I rushed in. And clearly that was not a good idea.

After he calmed down, I readjusted my strategy.

We walked around the store, looked at other families taking pictures from a distance, and waited for him to get comfortable.

When it was our turn again, I sat next to Santa first with my son on my lap, and gradually moved him closer and closer until he was sitting on Santa’s lap.

I kept a hand on him the whole time. He wasn’t exactly smiling, but he didn’t burst into tears either. Success!

7. Adjusted my attitude

When it comes to any new experience for our babies, the best piece of advice I can give is to plan for the best but expect the worst.

Just because we’ve prepared doesn’t mean we’ll be successful 100% of the time, but it does make us better at handling the curveballs our baby will throw at us.

They are probably a little scared about this new thing, so we should be patient and kind with them.

Instead of putting too much pressure on my son and husband for the perfect picture, I focused on the experience and making it fun – that made it a much more memorable and enjoyable time for all.  

8. Anticipated the meltdown

I went into the whole thing hoping my baby wouldn’t have a meltdown but fully anticipating it would happen.

That made it much easier to navigate the meltdown that actually did happen and be more successful the second time around.

If we don’t get the perfect photos, it’s okay – crying Santa photos are a Christmas tradition in their own right.

Part of being a mom is just accepting that sometimes, we have to go with the flow – even if its class 5 whitewater rapids flow.

Our photos might never make it past our phone and out into the world, but it’s a memory we’ve made with out families and little ones that we’ll both cherish.

Besides, there’s always next year. 

Whether it’s for the yearly holiday card, social media sharing, or the family photo wall, Santa pictures are a classic Christmas tradition for many families.

Doing a little prep can help increase our chances of getting at least one good picture with our babies the first time around.

We might get a great photo (or we might not), but we don’t need to put too much pressure on ourselves to make it perfect.

The holidays can already be a stressful time as it is, so we should focus instead on creating a fun experience and lasting memory.

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