The Power of a Portrait

Today, we have a nearly endless ability to take photos. We can take hundreds on a single day. As much as it is great that we can take snapshots of our kids doing everyday things, there is a certain power in a portrait, an uninterrupted image just of our child, and also a power in displaying that portrait around your home. Hear me out!

Portraits helps kids see they are loved & valued 

Of course there are many ways we tell our kids that we love them. We show them in hundreds of little ways everyday, cuddles, kind words, meeting their needs, cooking their meals and more. But studies have been done on how it affects the thinking of a child when they see their own image displayed proudly around the home. Displaying photos of children around your home is one way that supports them in knowing they are loved and valued. It is one way (and a powerful one at that) of affirming your child and assuring them their worth is recognised and celebrated by you, their parent.

Portraits give a sense of belonging

Photos are a visual representation of your family story. These photos help a child to understand their place within a family and give them a sense of belonging. It can help a child feel a strong sense of bond with other members of the family, and see themselves as a vital and important family member.

Portraits helps promote self acceptance

In an age where kids are trying to gain acceptance from strangers on social media, self worth is a tricky issue. Seeing photos around and understanding they are loved for who they are is a key way we can support our children in self acceptance. A portrait strips back the usual busyness that crowds our photos, and speaks volumes about how they are loved: just as they are! It show their quirks and all, and in fact these attributes make them more endearing to us, rather than the messaging that flaws need to be edited out in the online world. Our society pushes that worth comes from likes and comments, but displaying family photos and portraits of our kids is one way to reaffirm the message we are telling them - that they are loved and lovable, and to find their worth within themselves, not in external ways or through the opinions of strangers.

Portraits helps celebrate your child in each season

Newborn photos and graduation photos are widely popular, but what about those in between age? We rarely think to document when our child loses their 6th tooth for example. Those ‘in between’ ages are just as worthy of acknowledging and remembering. One hard fact of life is that once this season is over, you can’t go back and record it again!

Portraits creates a treasured heirloom, which you can't do with social media

A physical portrait is a gift that keeps on giving. You don’t have scroll for days to find it. There it is, hanging in your home and greeting you every day. It can follow your child to their first apartment, their first family home. It can be gazed upon by their children one day who can stare in awe thinking mum or dad were ever that young. It creates a legacy that stands the test of time.

We love art in our home - why not be of those we love the most

If you think about it, our children are really the most prized artworks we will ever create. From tiny babies to grown adults, they are living, breathing works of art! The love and warmth we feel watching them grow, can be captured and displayed in a powerful portrait of them, just as they are. It is a way of edifying them and displaying the most beautiful love story you know.

Portraits are a visual growth chart

When our babies are born, we keep such a close eye on their weight and height. Even my teenage kids are relishing the fact that their mark on our family height chart now well exceeds my own! But a mark on the door frame doesn’t say much. However, a visual growth chart over the years, like a collection of portraits, helps you remember the little expressions, the freckles and the fashion choices . Photos are a visual aid, reminding us of a particular season in life, and helping our child relieve their childhood to remember each state of becoming who they are.

Portraits are a time portal

Most of us love to go back and see photos of us when we were younger and see just how much we have changed. Kids love seeing their baby photos, and adults love seeing their kid photos. Even the act of going through family photos creates more family time telling stories of the days that were. How often do we sit around a communal piece and tell stories? Maybe not as much as the generations that have gone before. How excellent to have an statement piece in the home that promotes family storytelling and a reminder of who we are!

To create some unique and fun portraits of your kids, take part in my ‘Simply Kids’ photo project….

For more on this topic, check out this blog : https://www.printique.com/blog/why-printing-family-photos-and-photo-books-is-important-to-our-children/