What to write in a baby journal: 60 prompts that are worth rereading

The one rule: record the story, not the statistic

Nobody rereads “woke at 2, 4 and 6”. Everyone rereads “fell asleep on Dad’s chest during the thunderstorm and slept through the whole thing”. When in doubt, answer: what happened, where, who saw it, how did we react?

Newborn (0–3 months)

1. The story of the day you came home.
2. What you looked like the first time we really saw you.
3. Who visited in the first week and what they said.
4. The sounds you make when you are content.
5. What finally settled you tonight.
6. Your first real smile: who got it and what they were doing.
7. The thing about you that surprised us most.
8. What we were scared of, and what turned out fine.
9. The song we sing you.
10. Your first bath and how you took it.
11. What the house smells and sounds like right now.
12. A letter to you at one month old.

Discovering the world (4–8 months)

13. The first thing you laughed at. (Record it.)
14. What you do with your hands when you are excited.
15. Your first food and the face you pulled.
16. The toy you cannot be parted from.
17. How you react to the dog / the cat / the vacuum cleaner.
18. Rolling over: where were you, who saw it?
19. The babble that sounds most like a word.
20. What you do when you see yourself in a mirror.
21. Sitting up for the first time.
22. Your morning routine, in detail.
23. The person who can always make you smile.
24. The book you want read every single time.
25. First tooth: how we found out.
26. What we did today that was completely ordinary.

On the move (9–18 months)

27. Crawling, cruising, standing: the full story of each.
28. First steps. Where, who, how many, what happened next.
29. Your first word and what you meant by it.
30. Words you say that only we understand (and translations).
31. What you point at from the pram.
32. Your reaction to your first birthday cake.
33. What you do when music plays.
34. The game you invented.
35. How you say goodnight.
36. Foods you love; foods you throw.
37. Your first haircut.
38. What you do when you see a baby.
39. Your favourite hiding place.
40. How you show us you love us.

Talking (18 months and beyond)

41. Your first sentence.
42. Mispronunciations we never want to correct.
43. The first joke you told.
44. What you call each family member.
45. The question you ask over and over.
46. Your imaginary friend.
47. What you want to be when you grow up (this month).
48. The song you sing wrong.
49. Your first day at daycare or preschool.
50. Something kind you did without being asked.

Evergreen prompts to answer every few months

51. What makes you laugh right now?
52. What are you obsessed with this week?
53. What do you do that is exactly like your mother / father?
54. What is hard about this stage?
55. What do I want to remember about you today?
56. What do you smell like?
57. What is your bedtime routine?
58. Who are your people?
59. A letter to you on your birthday.
60. The thing I hope you never lose.

Answer these in Everkeep as notes, or say them as voice notes; they sort themselves into the right chapter by age, and searching a word like “obsessed” later shows the whole series side by side.

How to use these prompts in Everkeep

You do not need to answer them in order or all at once. One a week is a rich journal.

1. Press + and choose a note (or a voice note)Type it, or talk. Talking is faster and keeps your tone.
2. Use the prompt as the titleType the prompt (“What makes you laugh right now?”) as the page’s title, then answer underneath.
3. Add a photo if you have onePut a photo or a video on the same page so the answer has a face.
4. Let Today askToday offers one question for your child’s age. Tap “Write it” to answer, or “Another one” for a different question.
5. Set the day for catch-upsAnswering the newborn prompts at six months? Choose another day, or about how old your child was, so the page lands in the right chapter.
6. Reread with Looking BackWith Everkeep Pro, pages return on their anniversaries, so your old answers come back a year later.

Baby journal writing FAQ

How often should I write in a baby journal?

Whatever you will actually sustain. One good entry a week produces about fifty a year, which is a substantial book. Photos and voice notes count too, so a busy week can still have pages in it.

Should I write to my baby or about my baby?

Both work; many parents alternate. Writing to them (“you laughed at the dog today”) tends to age best because your child will one day read it.

Can I save prompts as templates in Everkeep?

Everkeep does not have templates. Keep this page bookmarked and use the prompt as the page’s title. Today also offers one question of its own for your child’s age.