I'm Lindsay Ferrier, a Nashville writer with a passion for family travel, exploring Tennessee, and raising kids without losing my mind in the process. This is where I share my discoveries, along with occasional deep thoughts, pop culture tangents and a sprinkling of snark. Want to get in touch? Use the CONTACT form at the top of the page.
June 17, 2008
>An odd thing happens when your children become teenagers. Where once they were they were the (generally) eager subjects of thousands of pictures and hours of home video, suddenly they turn 13 and you’re hard pressed to snap a single decent shot of them to send to the grandparents.
It’s as if they just disappear from the family photo albums. Or, as in my case, they’re replaced by… Circus Clowns.
All I wanted on my birthday was a picture with my three girls. But when I eagerly uploaded the photos onto my computer the next day, I only had shots of Punky, me, and what appears to be two members of a radio Morning Zoo Crew.
Hubs likes to think he’s number one in the girls’ book, but he does no better in the photo department. He’s always trying to convince them to pose for a father-daughter portrait. Yeah. Good luck with that.
Since we can’t get a simple smile for love or money (well, to be honest, we probably could get a smile for money, but that’s going just a little too far), we go for “candid” shots. In response, the girls become… mimes. I think I liked the circus clowns better.
And so, my idealistic young mother friends, enjoy the cherubic grins of your little ones while you’ve got ’em. The day will come when your scrapbook resembles the Sunday funny papers. But you’ll have to come up with the punchlines all by yourself.
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>You could always threaten to lock them in the attic if they don’t smile. But that might turn their circus clown faces into cerial killer faces?? Yeah, good luck with that.
>I think I am screwed in this department as my girls are ALREADY making with the crazy faces at 3 and 6. I tried to get some impromptu shots last night of them wearing doo rags and one of them is making a goofball face in every damn shot.p.s. you look svelte mama!
>I feel like I’m just the opposite, it’s my five year olds (particularly my son) that makes the crazed faces. My stepdaughters are the ones that have to help me bribe my son into getting a nice picture.
>I totally know from whence you speak.
>By the looks of that last pic, you’re about to enter the wonderful world of bershon.
>Just think, you’ll get to show all those crazed pictures to potential boyfriends. That might get them to smile.
>That last photo sure looks familiar. Why do teenagers want to look like their lips are on botox?!
>FIRST OF ALL: Gorgeous women in your family, especially the mother.I’m screwed in this department. My kids are hams. Even at their tender pre-school and toddler ages. They’ll regret it during their wedding video at the rehearsal dinner!
>Great! Something else to look forward to.
>Just had to comment – you look great! Looks like you’re totally winning the war against the college girls who want to take over the ellipicals! 🙂 beckyhttp://www.stinkylemsky.typepad.com/
>They may be clowns, but at least they’re beautiful clowns w/ a beautiful little sister & a beautiful stepmom to look up to!iwantperch@aol.com
>wait…there are no pictures with one holding her fingers up behind your heads you know, the old feather trick…ps my oldest hasn’t out grown this trick yet, and he’s 41! ( course so do I and I’m so not 41)
>We have the smiling 4 year old, the crazy faced 6 year old and the sullen 16 year old. I know where you’re coming from sister!
>Oh how sad that they seem to look like some horrible Goth scene. Maybe if you say “oh, yeah, we totally were into that when I was your age” they’ll stop. Because lord knows that no one wants to be like mom at that age.
>You all look adorable! See you Friday!
>No offense mommastantrum, but a black shirt and a frown do not a Goth make. I should know. I’m raising one and its no picnic!
>Yes, I know those faces well… no amount of Photoshopping can fix those things. My absolute favorite was when my oldest and her buddy drew fake mustaches and took pictures… after working all day at their coffee shop with said facial hair. Hmmm…
>I’m already in trouble. My 2.5 year old won’t let me snap more than one picture because he starts yelling, “I SEE! I SEE”! Fun.
>BERSHON!!!!!! house full o BERSHON And full o the greatest hair i have ever seen…. ALL of you. One of those incredibly wonderful stepmother funnies… they look like you!
>wow…i SO am looking forward to the teenage years…
>At least you get some kind of reaction. My seventeen year old turns into a freakin’ statue when you try to take her picture. A statue with no personality.
>My 18 year old puts his hand in front of his face. I think I have 1 picture of him AWAKE since he was 13.
>Ha! The last one looks like an album cover some some indie folk duo or something…the looking off into the scenery…the I don’t want my picture taken I want to be appreciated as an artist thing. HA!With that said, they are cute girls all the same!
>I like the last pic of your older girls…but maybe I’m a little bershon at 30? Maybe that’s the reason I take the pictures, but I’m NEVER in them!My thing at their age was sticking my tongue out in 75% of the pictures taken of me – I’m sure my folks LOVED that!
>I have 3 teens … it is impossible to get a “real” picture. I guess the goofiness is something to look back on and remember too though!
>my daughter is 3 and already does this: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2586800072_c8847c9ed0.jpg?v=0I'm not sure what I will do when she is a teen.
>When did my 18-year-old niece come to stay with you?
>haha, my middle child (son) is so like this. I am hard pressed to find a decent regular photo of him. He’s always goofing for the camera and you just can’t change it.
>Chalk it up to anuddah phase in the teen (r)evolution against Jurassic Parental Authoritah: like purple hair, mohawks, butt-crack jeans, gentilia piercings and tattoos that span the globe, ‘acting out’ for the camera is their way of saying “like, dude, I’m not a child any more, h’kay? Smiling for a picture is like so four year old”.It’ll pass 😉 You and Punky looked cute in the photo, anyway.
>I must have given birth to a mutant…my 15 year old daughter takes four zillion pictures of herself a day. Every time I download from MY camera, I get tons of new shots. And if I try to take a picture of the dog, the boys, or anything else, there she is! We must never forget that she’s the center of our universe. 🙂
>Ah, I get it. No one is safe in your family. If they’re going to be difficult….you are outing them. Love it! Hope it helps!!!
>Oh honey, if I “outed” family members every time they were difficult, you have NO IDEA how scandalous this blog would be. Luckily for all of us, most private matters are kept private. This? Was just funny.
>Beautiful, really, the whole bunch of you!!!!are the girls “stylish hippie chicks”? I love that!
>what’s the deal with the pouts? I didn’t have to wait till they were teenagers. They started the “clown faces” at 6 and of course the younger followed suit. Monkey see monkey do.:(
>For us it all began when they became so enthralled w/constant pics of themselves for their myspaces or facebooks. My son and his friends even call it a “myspace pose”. Now I can rarely get a normal picture.
>I have two teen dd’s and I call this “MYSPACE FACE”
>I went through my mum’s old photos last week.Imagine my utter glee upon finding a picture of the Teen Me posed next to a “Handicapped Parking” sign…Classy.
>I am an idealistic young mother. I love to take hundreds of pictures of my young toddler each day. Photography has become my passion, because of my subject. This reality you describe of the future is just so sad…I guess I better enjoy it while it lasts.
>Having teenagers, I’m definitely enjoying EVERY MOMENT with my little ones. Because it won’t last. And you need to appreciate these little beings who think you’re the sun and the moon while they still do. The day will come, I know for a fact, when they tell me they hate me, or they’re embarrassed to be seen with me, or they look at me like I’m pond scum. I’m told it gets better, though, at around 19. Check back with me on that in a few years.