One of the best things we’ve done is oblige our nanny’s request for a camera to take pictures of the kids.  I thought it was a bit weird, at first, that she would ask for the use of a camera, but also cool if she really did follow through with taking photos.  When we hired her, she shared with us pictures of the children she had worked for in the past and explained how important it was to her to capture memories of each family she had become a part of.  Now, nearly eight months after bestowing a camera upon her, she has taken 45 pages of photos of the kids . . . that translates to 1322 images.

The newest member of the Blue Man Group

As a photo-happy parent, I am always concerned with making sure that Logan’s shirt is spot-free and Katelyn’s bow is perfectly poised, that the camera is set to the right aperture, and that the kids are smiling for the shot.  Unfortunately, this means that I miss some of the most candid and true moments of what we do every day – especially at home, when we are not on a beautiful beach vacation or indulging in a fancy brunch.  Well, the 1322 images captured by Mai are the antithesis of what I normally capture – they are completely candid, with the kids usually at their messiest, and reflect everything from the most beautiful moments of sibling love to the beginning of all-out melt-downs.  Some of my favorite images of the kids can be found in this collection of photos.

Siblings: supportive even in potty training

Sibling love

In addition to having this treasure trove of wonderful photos – moments that I, nor my husband, would have never thought to capture – it is assuring to know that the kids are having a blast  – whether at home, Kidzoona, or the snake farm – when we are not able to be with them.  My husband has even set up a function whereby the pictures upload to an online gallery automatically, so that he can scroll through the images and see what we’re doing during the day.

Not every nanny out there will want to take pictures, but in the event that you do have a nanny that is enterprising and enthusiastic about photographing the kids, think about doing what we’ve done.  I couldn’t be happier to have these precious moments captured and to know that the kids are safe and happy doing what they do best – playing, eating, and exploring.  What’s more, they have even become budding young photographers themselves, experimenting with the camera often.  Here are some more great moments/shots captured by Mai.