Relax
Try to stay relaxed. If you feel tense your body will look tense and you will create hard lines that make a picture look stiff. If you are relaxed you are more likely to have a natural expression and smile in your photograph.

Angle Yourself
If you are standing up, turn slightly and rest your weight on one foot. If you are sitting, angle to one side or the other. This will give an added dimension to your pictures.

Smile Small
Many people do not like huge smiles on themselves. Often a big grin will make you look like you are squinting which will throw off the picture. Learn how to look natural by only slightly smiling or smiling about 3/4 of the way. You can have a beautiful smile only showing a small amount of teeth. Being relaxed will also help you accomplish this smile.

Don’t Look Directly At the Camera
Always look above the lens and not directly at the lens. This will help avoid the appearance of red-eye and will also help you look a little less posed and more natural. Looking up will also help raise your chin just a little bit so that you will not have an appearance of having a second chin.

Whiten Your Teeth
If you have time use a teeth whitener for a few days before your pictures are to be taken. While these are normally not permanent, they will make your teeth look nice and white long enough for you to take a great picture.

Dress for Success
Many pictures that you see you are able to say just from the clothes, “That picture was taken in the 50′s or 60′s.” In order to dress timelessly avoid clothes that are patterned or contain ruffles, frills or big sleeves. Wear simple, solid colored clothes that look timeless.

Check Your Mood
Be sure you are in a good mood when you go to get your pictures taken. If you are upset, overly tired, or just not feeling happy it will be hard to relax and hard to take a good picture. If you have pictures scheduled for a day when you are in a bad mood, consider rescheduling them.

Diminish the Distractions
The pros will tell you one of the best tips for getting a great professional style shot of your baby is to keep the distractions at a distance – or better yet, completely at bay. Noises such as the TV or radio in addition to pets and other people roaming around will distract your little subject and make it much more difficult to get that perfect shot you’re after. So keep the environment calm, serene and uncluttered and only have the elements you really want included in that space while you’re shooting the photo.

Limit the Lighting
Bright lights will not only result in an unprofessional looking photo, but they can also annoy, distract, and hurt your baby’s eyes. Do your best to limit the use of a flash by taking pictures outside whenever possible and away from direct sunlight. If shooting at home in the evening hours, position any lamps in a flattering manner while ensuring enough, but not too much, light on your little one. Dimmer switches can be your best friend in these circumstances as well.

Distance Yourself
Even though you want to capture every detail of your baby’s precious expression, getting too close can completely ruin your shot – it may very well result in a blurred and/or fuzzy photo that pretty much defeats the purpose of your efforts. Step back and use a zoom lens and if your camera is equipped with a manual focus feature – use it. Don’t be afraid to put some distance between yourself and baby and snap multiple pictures, especially if the result is going to be that fantastic shot.

Mood Means Everything
This element of getting a professional style shot is really more up to your baby than you. You want to be completely aware of your little one’s mood before you start clicking that shutter button. If your baby is cranky or worse yet crying, even though you feel the surroundings or that little outfit they’re wearing today is just perfect, do both yourselves a favor and wait for a better moment. Your baby will be much more cooperative and you’ll be much happier with the results of the photos.

As in any new endeavor, trial and error is part of the learning experience. By following these simple steps, including making a few mistakes, it won’t take you very long to realize what makes for a great professional style shot. And once you accomplish that feat, you’ll be able to easily capture and preserve those precious memories more effortlessly than you ever thought possible.

The lack of adequate, restful sleep can affect your child’s mood, behavior, health, memory and growth. If there is anything standing in the way of a good night’s sleep it’s important to address the issue and solve the problem. Following is a list of typical sleep disrupters and possible solutions.

Nightmares
Children spend more time dreaming than adults do, so they have more dreams—both good and bad. After a nightmare saying “It was just a dream” doesn’t explain what they experienced – after all, most kids believe that the tooth fairy and Big Bird are real, too. After a nightmare, offer comfort just as you would for a tangible fear. If your child wakes with a nightmare

• Stay with your child until she feels relaxed and ready to sleep.
• Be calm and convey that what’s happening is normal and that all is well.
• Reassure your child that he’s safe and that it’s OK to go back to sleep.

Night Terrors
During a night terror your child will wake suddenly and may scream or cry. Her eyes will be open, but she won’t be seeing. She may hyperventilate, thrash around or talk incoherently. She may be sweating and flushed. She may seem scared, but your child is not really frightened, not awake, and not dreaming. She’s asleep, and in a zone between sleep cycles. A child having a night terror is unaware of what’s happening, and won’t remember the episode in the morning.

During a night terror you may try to hold your child, but often this will result in his pushing you away or fighting you off. The best response is a gentle pat, along with comforting words or Shhh Shhh sounds. If your child gets out of bed, lead him back. If he’s sitting up, guide him to lie back down. Keep an eye on him until he settles back to sleep.

Nighttime Fears
It’s normal for a child to imagine monsters that generate a fear of the dark. Even if you explain, and even if you assure him that he’s safe, he may still be scared. You can reduce his fears when you:

• Teach your child the difference between real and fantasy through discussion and book-reading.
• Find ways to help your child confront and overcome his fears. If dark shadows create suspicious shapes, provide a flashlight to keep at his bedside.
• Leave soothing lullabies playing, or white noise sounds running to fill the quiet.
• Give your child one, two, or a zoo of stuffed animals to sleep with.
• Put a small pet, like a turtle or fish, in your child’s room for company.
• Take a stargazing walk, build a campfire, or have a candlelight dinner to make the dark more friendly.

Preventing Sleep Disrupters
Some things have been found to reduce the number or severity of sleep-disturbing episodes. They are all based on good sleep practices and worth a try:

• Follow a calm, peaceful routine the hour before bedtime.
• Maintain the same bed time seven days a week.
• Avoid books and movies that frighten your child.
• Have your child take a daily nap.
• Provide your child with a light snack an hour before bedtime, avoiding spicy food, sugar or caffeine.
• Have your child use the potty just before she gets in to bed.

Is there a time to call a professional?
Always call a professional if you have concerns about your child’s sleep.

Copyright Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2003)

About the author:
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.