The Grumpy 3-Year-Old In This Holiday Photo Is All Of Us
It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but that doesn’t mean family photos stop being a pain in the ass. One Australian politician’s son expressed those sentiments perfectly in this hilarious family photo that is getting shared all over the internet.
Australian parliament member Andrew Leigh and his family tried to pose for a photo for their annual holiday card, but their three-year-old son, Zachary, simply wasn’t having it. In an email to Today Parents, Leigh explained that his child was enjoying the shoot at first, but quickly grew bored and frustrated with the process. He writes:
“We did a photo shoot with the whole family for about 20 minutes. Our three-year-old (Zachary) enjoyed it initially, but then found it rather frustrating that we were all standing still and looking at the cameraman. From his perspective, you can understand it: Why stand still when you can play?”
Once the kiddo realized he wasn’t going to get his way, he did what we all wish we could do and “decided to sit down and have a bit of a sulk about it.” Leigh added that a few moments later the toddler got bored with sulking and started walking towards a nearby pond. “That got us moving!” the dad quipped.
Zachary may not have cooperated for the photo shoot, but the end result turned out even better than if he were smiling and standing still. I mean, look at that face:
Image via Twitter
Clearly, Zachary is all of us.
By far the best thing about this story is that the family decided to go ahead and use the shot for their official holiday card. They didn’t schedule another session, attempt to doctor it, or try to go for Pinterest-style perfection. They totally saw the humor and sent out a card that will inspire a hearty laugh from everyone who receives it.
Holiday traditions can be taxing, and they become even more difficult once you have kids. Family photos, decorating, shopping trips, and even just carrying out the usual festivities can be downright exhausting when you’ve got little ones kicking and screaming all the way. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting everything to be perfect, but the Leigh family holiday card is a good reminder to embrace the chaos.
When you look back on holidays past, it won’t matter that your decor was perfect or your family was beautifully posed in photos. What you’ll really be looking for are those sweet reminders of the way things used to be, all toddler grimaces and growls included.
