kids parenting

Finding a balance between documenting moments and living them

 

I’m what some may call a “mamarazzi” aka my camera is always out and snapping away. Sure, it’s kind of become a joke now and people make comments about it all the time. But there’s actually a reason behind it.

When Z went back to Afghanistan, N was 6 days old. I felt horrible that he had to miss the first days of his son’s life. So I did “A Picture a Day while Daddy’s Away” and uploaded a new picture everyday for him to see. Ever since then, it’s kind of become second nature to document the little things and everyday life. With him being gone a lot, I’m just used to sending him pictures so he doesn’t miss out on anything.

He may be home now but I still like to document our days. However, I still make sure to enjoy the time with my kiddos and not have my phone or camera out the whole time. (Which I won’t lie, is hard when I work on my phone…)

I recently had a reader ask me how I balance documenting all of the things I do but then still enjoy the moments with my kiddos.

The truth is, I usually get all of the pictures out of the way in the beginning. I will take a ton of pictures and then put my camera away. I may take it out a little later and snap some more but for the most part, I really try and just take a buttload of pictures upfront so I can enjoy the experience.

Whether it’s crafting at home or an outing somewhere, I want my kids to look back and have pictures. Not only of big life events but the regular days at home too. Playing babies, building trains, etc. These are the moments I want them to remember. Yes, the outings to the Zoo or monuments are a lot of fun but some of my favorite times are just the random afternoons at home.

 

 

And last but not least, my husband helps a lot with the documenting. Just like I normally do when I’m on my own, we will take the first few minutes (wherever it is) taking pictures and then we put the camera away and enjoy our time together. He doesn’t mind playing paparazzi once in awhile because usually I’m the one snapping away 🙂

One day, pictures and memories will be the only things left. Find time for both and you’ll give your kids the greatest gift you can ever give them.

Finding a balance between documenting moments and living them

«

»

4 COMMENTS

  • Jessica

    This is such a great post. It can be so hard to find time to balance taking those photos that you want to hold on to and living in the moment. I am trying to be better about it.
    xo Jessica
    http://www.whatsfordinneresq.com

  • Tine

    Getting the photos out of the way is such an easy but clever tip! I’m not a mom myself but I am quite glued to my camera in general, whether I go to a concert or the zoo or anywhere else.. But I’m trying to stop doing that, especially for concerts cause it’s not like I ever look at them again later..

  • Kim

    Oh my goodness…I remember going to Build a Bear with my son when he was 5 like it was yesterday…now he’s 14. You really MUST be present in your child’s moments because the time FLIES by.

  • Love this. I spent all of my time documenting my oldest son’s baby years. I was always behind the camera, and never in the photos. So when my other children were born, I didn’t take photos…and so…no photos were taken. Or not nearly enough, anyway. I DID cherish those moments, but now that they are older I wish I had more photos to looks through.

    There is definitely a balance–so glad you’ve discovered that on the front end 🙂

what do you think?

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.