Four friends of different ages walking arm in arm along a stone street at dusk, one carrying flowers

Together · 2 min

One line a day

Keep a tiny diary of the first year: one line each day about something your baby did or something you felt.

2 minutesFrom the library, free to readFour steps

The first year goes quickly, and tired days blur together. One line a day is small enough to keep up even when you are exhausted, and over time it builds into something you will treasure: a record of the small moments that are easy to forget.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Choose a small notebook or a note on your phone that is just for this.

  2. Each evening, write one line: the date, and one thing about the day. A first smile, a long nap, a hard night, a visit from a friend.

  3. If you miss days, start again without catching up. Gaps are fine.

  4. Every few months, read back through the lines.

The reason

Why it helps

Looking back can show you how far you have come, especially on days that feel like nothing is changing. Writing something down each day can help you notice good moments alongside the hard ones. It is also a record you may want to share with your child one day.

A gentle variation

Instead of writing, take one photo a day and add a word or two. Let a partner, grandparent or older child add their own lines when they are with the baby.

One hand resting over another on a wooden table

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

Pass the notebook to your partner or a grandparent once a week, and ask them to write a line too.

Try it today

Tonight, write one line about something your baby did today.

Add it to your day

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