#SnapAway
- Sharmeen Suleman
- Apr 2, 2018
- 2 min read
With our mobile phones making the humble camera redundant, it seems that the next generation will not know that cameras were a device in their own right. I have always loved taking photos. I grew up taking them with a disposable camera. I waited patiently to receive the prints, not knowing if the photos turned out right. It was all part of my growing up.
Whilst I don't give my children a disposable camera, since it works out more costly to give them that experience, they do all snap away on holiday. In fact, many of the photos that on the website were taken by the boys. They have been snapping away since they could hold a camera.
I firmly believe that giving the kids a camera develops their skills:
They become increasingly creative in how they take shots, even if they start off just taking photos of their fingers and feet. In fact, my youngest caught the moment the sea water swelled over his feet.
They also capture moments that you would miss as an adult. Like the time one of the twins caught our youngest deciding not to tell mummy he needed to go to the toilet.
They improve their ability to recall what happened. When we go through the photos, the kids talk about that moment, who took the photo and even what they tried to capture but couldn't.
They learn about boundaries. The kids understand to take shots with out infringing on the privacy of others. In this day and age, where people just walk about filming their lives & anyone else who happened to get caught in their video capture, it is important for children to understand & respect the privacy of others.
They learn to share. The camera is something that the kids have to share amongst each other. Yes, their is the odd tantrum but then 'sharing is caring' as they say.
They are occupied in a creative way. It is easy to just to plonk our ids in front of a screen to keep them occupied. It takes more energy to do activities with them. The camera helps to keep our kids occupied with out our parental input.
So next time you go on holiday, pick up a camera for you kids to happily snap away. It might be the best investment you make. Something simple, cheap & easy to hold for little hands. You might even find one in your local charity shop or second hand on EBay.
p.s. Do check the photos before you share them with family & friends, in case the kids took pictures of you in your pyjamas looking like a wreck, when you weren't looking.
