Tips for photographing kids?

I have my first shoot on Saturday with a 2yr old. Are there any tips that anyone can suggest to me? I already got told that I should pop the strobes a few times so it doesn't surprise the kid when I put him in front of them.

Any other tips?

Thanks in advance! And maybe if there are enough good tips, we should make it a sticky for others who have a similar question!

I always meet the kids for the first time without the camera. I spend a few moments playing with them or just talking. I also always make it sound like we're going to have fun.

95% of my sessions are outside, usually on the beach. I always make sure the kids know we are going to play and have fun.

Bring M&M minis and cheetos for bribes.

Seriously, pose quickly or have someone else do it for you because by the time you get back to the camera, the kid'll move on you.

I've always told them that if they take 5 good pictures they can see and you can also let them push the button once if they're good. They love that!

I always spend a lot of time playing with them and getting to know them before I get the camera out. Once I play with them for a while, I will take a picture or two of them while I'm sitting on the floor beside them just for them to get used to me photographing them. For older kids, I sometimes show them the picture. With a 2 year old, that probably won't work. If you could get another set of hands to help you, that would be great because 2 year olds move very fast.

I would also have a stuffed Elmo doll or whatever else the child likes. Alot of the time I'll have the stuffed Elmo kiss the child. I back away quick and then they laugh. I think it's also nice to get pictures of the child playing. I don't know what your setting is going to be for this shoot, but having them play with their toys and trying to just catch their natural expressions can make for good photographs.

Thanks for the tips so far. Some i can't use with a 2yr old but its very helpful when I do photograph a child thats a bit older (which will be soon).

Teachflute, thanks for the heads up. I told his mom to bring his favorite toys to help out. I have someone else thats going to be there with me along with the child's parents. So I'll have 3 sets of hands.

Keep the tips coming! The more I get the more I learn. I think thats the best part of photography is the learning process. Once you learn a little of everything it just makes photographs even better.

Thanks again!

I find that having my wife, or someone else talk to our little girl works best, because the camera covers up my face, a lot of times she just doesn't look at me. But yeah just having someone behind me talking to the kids works for all the little ones that I take pictures of, which right now is mostly family, but still works like a charm for me!
I like the bribe idea as well, I will have to use that at Thanksgiving.

I could never get my kids to sit still when I took their pictures. So I took them somewhere else to get some pics and she used one of those long feather dusters to tickle their nose. (A new not used of course.) It worked like a charm. Only thing is, by the time she got the camera to her face they would move so she had me do it and snapped away. So have mom help.

I went and bought one from walmart and it's my secret weapon for taking my kids pics. Now I don't have to pay anyone else!