Why is it that at a certain age, children who used to be perfect photographic subjects, change into children with cheesy smiles? One day you can take a lovely picture of them, and the next day, and for at least a year thereafter, you cannot get a decent picture of them from the neck up.
Take my short little friend next door. I have great shots of that great little face of hers. But like a switch was just thrown, now I cannot get a good picture if my life depended on it. What’s more, every time she comes over, she wants me to take her picture. I now have a whole digital file of cheesy smiles. Even when I show her what her picture looks like, she tells me it looks really, really good. That’s another thing about kids: There is not a modest bone in their little bodies.
This past week, after I took her picture, I told her she was squinting her eyes so much, it looked like they were closed. “Open your eyes next time,” I said before I took the next shot. This is what I got:
My dear little friend is not the only child, of course, who does this. If you were to peruse your own photo albums, I’m sure you would find scads of pictures of your own children or grandchildren when they were going through the cheesy smile phase. You just have to weather it until they get over themselves, which for many children could take a fairly long time. I went through a few albums of my own and did notice some similar faces, such as this one of my youngest:
I couldn’t find any of those kind of pictures of my middle child, but he was a rather serious little fellow. My daughter also didn’t have too many cheesy smile pictures when she was growing up. However, I think that was because she saved them for her later years, such as her sixteenth birthday. 
I’m supposed to visit her in a few weeks. I hope she doesn’t rescind her invitation.
Coming East 
I always hated having my photo taken, no cheesy smiles ever. 😉
I love the cheesy smiles. They are good to look back on and laugh.
Ah yes. The cheesy grin. Instead of telling my granddaughters to “say cheese” I’ve started telling them “cheesy grins!” They usually laugh and I sometimes manage to catch a real smile in there.
I just love kis, goofy grins and all, Robin. Don’t we all!
Omg! Isn’t that the truth! My son loved having his picture taken…so sweet looking…now since kindergarten he has a goofy smile! Unless the girls are around! 🙂
Haha, Colette. So you know he gets the difference between a goofy smile and a good smile.
My daughter tells the kids they can make as goofy a face as they like (and she will photograph them) right after she is satisfied that she has a photo of them without a goofy face!
Good strategy, Margie. Unfortunately, my little munchkin neighbor thinks her goofy pictures are actually great pictures. And you know what? I think so, too.
I have stacks of goofy pictures of my daughter’s goofy smiles… great post!
But don’t you love those pictures, DAF!
This is another reason I’m glad for digital over film! I don’t know how many pictures I took of my nephew–without him in them!
Funny comment, Patti. Those goofy pictures are still cute to look back on, though. And my little friend makes me laugh with her funny faces.
If I had a dollar for every time I said “when will I ever get a normal picture” I would be vacationing right now. I did bust out laughing at how well your little guest followed direction with opening those eyes…priceless.,LOL
Yes, she cracked me up, too, LWTTD. I love having her visit. Brightens my day every time.
Their personality is growing at its own rate. As long as it is meant to be a smile we just have to count ourselves lucky ! Look at the bright side they are still posing mostly willingly. They probably think we are weird wanting another picture, one with a smiley face instead of the happy one they are wearing ?
I love their sweet little faces, John, cheesy smiles and all. In fact, I think I love those goofy grins even more because they show their personality.
My daughter always breaks out into a big grin or does some silly face, but my son? He refused to even let me get a photo of the side of his head with his hand in his face.
As I said, Darla, children are strange. Kids also go through that stage when they don’t want you taking their picture. It coincides with the age when they think their mothers are pains in the butt.
Nice photos of adorable children. I hope and expect “handsome” smiles from my kids and rarely get what I am hoping for because of that forced smile. I see many parents being too hard on kids for not smiling nicely. I just don’t think they have it in them for those posed photos during this stage.
I agree, Jenny. I actually love looking back on those pictures of my kids with the goofy smiles.
And….(maybe this is just with boys)….once they outgrow the cheesy smile stage, they’re into the: “I REFUSE to smile for a picture, and you can’t make me” stage. sigh…. unfortunately my son was in that stage right up through high school senior photos. Now, thankfully, his smiles are so easy… 🙂
Hahaha, Dianna, I’d forgotten about that stage. And I do think that’s more likely with boys than girls, though I do have to say its hard to find a picture of my youngest son when he’s not smiling.
My 3 little ones don’t sit still long enough to get a decent shot. Or I need to upgrade from my basic point and shoot to something that goes faster.
How true, Grandma. Children are a challenge to photograph at any age.