Parenting Life-Hacks: Avoiding The "Parent Paparazzi" Trap

dr. Kristijan Musek Lešnik
Oct 18, 2025
2 min read

Parents with phones at school events are the modern paparazzi — desperate for the perfect shot of their child’s five-second line in the holiday play. But in trying to capture the memory, we sometimes forget to live it.

What starts as one proud snapshot of the school play often escalates into a full-blown documentary series with multiple camera angles, whispered stage directions, and a soundtrack of parents hissing “Shhh, I’m filming!” louder than the actual performance.

“Kids need us present in the moment, not just behind the lens.”

AVOIDING THE TRAP

The good news: you can keep memories without becoming Spielberg of the School Cafeteria.

Record One Moment, Then Stop. Film the solo or the big line. Then put the phone away. Your child will notice you watching — not just filming.
Let the “Official Cameraman” Handle It. Most schools have one parent who records and shares everything. Let them be the documentary crew. You just clap.
Use Your Eyes as the Camera. Soak in the squeaky shoes, wobbly smiles, and crooked halos. Brains store better memories than iCloud.
Embrace Imperfection. If you film, keep the sneezes, the stagehand bloopers, even the crooked halo. That’s the charm — not the cinematic polish.
Alternate With Your Partner. One parent films, the other watches. That way at least one pair of eyes is always on stage.
Share Selectively. Ask yourself: does the internet really need my child’s “Hot Cross Buns”? Grandma, maybe. Instagram, maybe not.
Model Presence. If we want kids to know how to enjoy concerts and games without a screen glued to their face, we need to show them how it’s done.
Make the Tradition About the Event, Not the Recording. Celebrate with ice cream afterward — not a family film review.