Take an example of a baby shoot, there is no limit to what can be done in terms of props/styling etc. At the end of the day when a parent or the child itself sees the images after years, it's the memories that I want them to connect to.

I make use of the toys belonging to the kid, maybe give a new one if he/she is too cranky and it is their exploration, joy, expressions etc that I capture. My creative freedom is light, the aperture of my camera to control the depth of field to control what/where the viewer sees.

Similarly, when I shoot portraits I do engage my clients in some small talk about their life/work (topics of interest, what helps me is my genuine interest in learning new things) and asking questions to put them in a state of their natural self. 

The resulting photographs are something that brings out memories / makes an instant connection with the people in their lives.