Fake Family Walkthrough -

Announce that there will be no photos. Remove the pressure of the “proof.” When you aren’t performing for the camera, you might actually find a moment of weird, awkward, real connection.

The photo is the only trophy the fake family brings home. It gets posted to Instagram. Grandma comments, “What a beautiful family!” And the lie becomes laminated. fake family walkthrough

It’s not a peaceful silence. It’s a loaded silence. The GPS says “Proceed to the route,” but nobody speaks. Dad is gripping the steering wheel at ten and two. Mom is staring out the passenger window. The kids are in the back, glued to iPads, because everyone has already learned that today is not a day for talking. Announce that there will be no photos

Ask yourself: Am I here to make a memory, or am I here to make a prop? It gets posted to Instagram

The next time you are being herded into the car for a “fun day,” say this: “I am not feeling up for a performance today. Can we stay home and talk instead?” The first time you say it, there will be an explosion. That’s fine. Explosions clear the air.

The walkthrough is effective because it is exhausting . By the time you get home, you are too tired to fight. The system works. Every Fake Family Walkthrough has a designated photographer. Usually Mom.