A woman’s post about why more dads should take photos of their partners has struck a chord with many mums.
Kaylin Schimpf, from Texas, encouraged men to get behind the camera and capture family moments, including “messy hair, no makeup or a dirty old t-shirt”.
Schimpf said too often, women are ones behind the camera.
“It doesn’t matter what she looks like, or if she tells you no, take the photo,” she wrote on Facebook, addressing dads on 3 September.
“You may not think about it often, or at all honestly, but how many photos does she capture of you, of your family and of your life you’ve built?
“When she is gone, those photos won’t show your children the women who was behind the camera.”
Schimpf shared a black and white photo of a mother and daughter to accompany her message to dads.
“No woman wants to look back at a lifetime of selfies,” she added.
“Do what she does for you every day, and snap a few moments in time. Be proud. Take photos of her. Before kids and after.”
Schimpf told The Huffington Post UK her father passed away a year ago and she realised shortly after she had no photos with him.
She said she doesn’t yet have children of her own, but she and her partner have discussed why taking photos of each other is so important.
“I realised if I didn’t say something about it, some day our future kids would have no photos of me young or old,” she said.
“It actually was written after we had a fight because he never took my photo!”
The post was shared 30,000 times in just over a week. It attracted thousands of comments from mums tagging their partners, encouraging them to read the status.
“Yes I hope that my partner will take the ‘in the moment photos’ of me with them so [my kids] have more then just selfies with me,” one mother wrote.
Another wrote: “I have very few if any photos with my kids when they were growing up because I was always hiding from the camera.
“Now those times are gone and I would give anything to get them back.”
10 Ways To Take The Stress Out Of Family Holidays
Get Off The Beaten Track(01 of10)
Open Image ModalFind A Helping Hand(02 of10)
Open Image ModalBe Prepared – And Do Your Research(03 of10)
Open Image ModalGet Physical(04 of10)
Open Image Modal“Nothing brings a family closer than a thrilling physical challenge and in our internet age we’re seeing an increasing number of parents eager to get to get their children to ditch the computer games and explore the great outdoors. From jungle trekking in Borneo to hiking the cracks and boulders of Yosemite National Park, there are plenty of exhilarating trips to choose from these days.” (credit:Alamy)
Learn Something New(05 of10)
Open Image ModalGo Wild(06 of10)
Open Image Modal“A safari is a classic option for that big family adventure but if you truly want to capture their imagination then give them a safari holiday with a twist. Swap your traditional 4x4 for a quad bike and skid across the plains of South Africa or grab a canoe and see the Big Five in action from the water in the magnificent Selinda Spillway in Botswana—there’s nothing better than ending the day hotly debating your favourite wildlife encounters of the day.” (credit:Alamy)
Find A Good Crèche(07 of10)
Open Image Modal“There’s no need to wait until children are walking and talking to take that trip of a lifetime—there are plenty of resorts and hotels that offer spectacular kids club facilities to keep the younger travellers entertained and give you a well-deserved rest.” (credit:Alamy)
On The Road(08 of10)
Open Image Modal“One of my favourite choices of holiday for 2013 is the quintessential road trip. For kids that are happy in a car, America’s West Coast offers the ideal combination of adventure and incredible scenery. From behind the bars of San Francisco’s Alcatraz to the majesty of Big Sur, the constant change in scenery is sure to keep the whole family entertained. You can even make the obligatory day trip to Disneyland and be back sipping cocktails in Santa Monica by sundown.” (credit:Alamy)
Something For The Weekend(09 of10)
Open Image ModalTime To Yourself(10 of10)
Open Image Modal“As parents look to enrich and inspire their children’s lives with travel, they too often forget to include time to themselves in their busy schedule. A holiday should be just that and it’s important to give yourself some downtime while the kids are entertaining themselves. Indulge in a spa treatment or try an evening of wining and dining in a gourmet restaurant.” (credit:Alamy)