Steve! Super post! Lots of practical material. When you work with children you learn things that can not be found in books or even in classes. It is great that you have shared your experienced and thoughts. It is true that we are living in a totally different society than we did 10 years ago and the differences in values and lifestyles have affected the children. There are parents that really don't understand parenting because they are preoccupied with other endeavors. There are kids who are now going through the terrible 2s or 3s but without certain values the will eventually experienced the terrible 16s and so on.
I don;t like to generalize, but I oftentimes find that kids of other cultures, where more traditional parenting is still practiced, are aloft easier to get along with. How can we amuse or distract a child with simple entertainment when the kid's room looks like a an arcade filled with electronic games and computers. Many kids learn their behavior from violent and noisy television cartoons and act some of this out when the are relating to adults.
I suppose I am lucky- I must have sent perhaps half a dozen kids home in 50 years. I do, like yourself, have the advantage of holding the pre-sitting consultations so some of the problems can be detected at the get-go. It is true that kids who have been to the studio before the sitting will react much better.
When things go sour, the parents are oftentimes to blame, As you said, the under prepare or over prepare the kids, the get all wound up and nervous and this emotional attitude rubs of on the children.
Thanks for your post and you contribution to the tutorial.
Ed
