Let me start by saying, babies and toddlers are not little dolls that we can just pose however we want and make stay there. I think there is a misconception because people will see a gorgeous image and then say "my child would never sit still like that". When the shutter speed of the camera is set correctly, and you have the right photographer, your child will be captured. I have photographed so many squirmy babies and toddlers and with many of them you would never know it just by looking at the photos. Engaging them is important. Singing songs and playing games is all a part of capturing those precious images of your little one.
Let's get rid of any unrealistic expectations before your session. Certain poses and ideas work well with particular age groups. I have years of experience with thousands of people ages 0 and up. I can let you know if something will work or not when we talk before your session.
I have mothers often ask before a baby session "What if my baby cries?" To that I say "Well then we will do whatever it takes to give them what they need and then move on with the session." I rarely ever have a baby that doesn't fuss a little at some point. It's their way of communication after all!
When a toddler is involved, they pretty much run the session. They are free to run and pick flowers and rocks etc. If we do what they want they are more likely to be calmer and we will get better images!
Basically, I don't ever expect any baby or toddler to do exactly as I and the parent wish without a fuss. We just have to go with the flow and follow the lead of the child.
If I send you your gallery and you did not get everything you hoped for, we can try again another time.
Sometimes kids are just having a rough day and that's fine.
Relaxed parents will result in relaxed children.