When I was pregnant with my first, my sister gave me a baby book. I started filling it out diligently as soon as my son was born.

The problem was, I hated it! 

It was SO much work trying to fill in every section with boring details. If I fell behind (always), I felt bad. The information I was recording wasn't even what I wanted to remember! 

Personally I'm not a fan of documenting my children like scientific specimens. Feed times, sleep hours, order of teeth lost... date Mummy lost her mind.

So I started journaling all the memories that mattered to me. 6 years on and I've kept up the habit. I love looking back on all the special moments. 

If you're like me and your life is coloured by meaning, story and emotion, a memory journal is a great way to preserve those precious moments to savour for years to come WITHOUT the hassle of a baby book. 

Now let me be clear, I did not record ALL of the memories I've included below. I am not some sort of super mother, nor do I want to be. Trying to capture every moment is stressful and may even take away from the experience of enjoying your child. My advice is to choose the prompts that appeal to you and record the memories you can imagine retelling for years to come. If this becomes a stressful exercise then you are not doing yourself or your baby any favours.

What if your child (let's face it, probably your 2nd or 3rd!) is already past the baby years and you regret not recording enough? No sweat Mama!

Chances are you remember enough that you can still write some of these memories down and make a precious keepsake to be treasured for years to come.  

If you want to capture precious moments from pregnancy, birth and beyond. Here are some prompts to help you record the memories that really matter...

Pregnancy Journal Prompts To Bottle The Excitement

1. Before I knew I was pregnant with you I noticed these clues... 

2. Here's how I found out I was pregnant... 

3. Here's how I broke the news.... 

4. When I told your dad/other parent they... 

5. At the first ultrasound I felt...

6. At the second ultrasound you were...

7. My pregnancy cravings include...

8. I can feel you moving around in my belly. These are the things you do in there....

9. You move around a lot when I...

10. These are the things I do to build a connection with you.... 

11. Here are the top names on my list for you...

12. When I imagine our future life together, the things I look forward to the most are.... 

Birth Journal Prompts To Remember The Big Day

13. Here is the story of your birth...

14. When you were born the first thing you did was...

15. When I held you I felt...

16. When I looked at you I couldn't believe...

17. On the day you were born I felt...

Baby's First Year Prompts To Hold Onto Those Precious Moments 

The First Months Together

17. When we first brought you home from the hospital we...

18. In the first few days you... 

19. These are the things I do to get you to sleep...

20. Your favourite places to sleep are...

21. While watching you sleep I think to myself...

22. When seeing you for the first time people would comment...

23. I would describe you as...

A Heart Melting First Smile

24. This is the story of your first smile...

25. When I saw you smile I felt...

26. The person that was best at making you smile was...

The Delightful First Laugh 

27. This is the story of your first laugh...

28. The person that makes you laugh the most is...

29. The things you find funny are...

Diving Into Food

30. Your first food was...

31. Your response to the food was to...

32. Your favourite foods are...

33. Your least favourite foods are...

34. Your messiest meals are...

35. Here is a story about you and food...

Learning to Move 

36. Here is the story of your first time rolling over... 

37. Here is the story of your first time sitting up...

38. While you are learning to crawl you get around by...

39. Here is the story of your first steps... 

Your Unique Curiosity

40. You are mesmerised by...

41. Household objects that fascinate you are...

42. Your favourite places to discover around the house are...

Building Loving Connections

43. Right now my favourite things to do with you are...

44. Your favourite things to do with me are...

45. Your favourite things to do with your Dad/other parent are...

46. Your favourite things to do with your siblings are...

47. Your favourite things to do with Grandma/Grandpa are...

48. The nicknames we call you are...

Learning to Communicate With Us 

49. Some noises you like to make are...

50. Here are some ways you use body language to communicate with us...

51. Your very first word was...

52. After that you started saying...

Big First Events

53. Here is the story of your first time meeting your big brother/sister... 

54. Here is the story of your first Christmas...

55. Here is the story of your first Easter...

56. Here is the story of first meeting your grandparents... 

57. Here is the story of your first trip to the beach... 

Your Very First Birthday

58. To celebrate your first birthday we...

59. When you had your birthday cake you...

60. When you turned 1 I felt...

Baby AND Toddler Journal Prompts

These are some of my favourite prompts for baby & toddler (or any age really) because they really get to the essence of who your child is and the loving relationships they have. 

Your One Of a Kind Personality

61. Some of the things that make you laugh are...

62. You make us laugh when you...

63. I would describe you as...

64. These are the things you do that are just so you...

65. Your favourite things to do are...

66. I will never forget the time you...

Bonding Memory Prompts To Warm Your Heart

67. Right now my favourite things to do with you are...

68. Your favourite things to do with me are...

69. Your favourite things to do with your Dad/other parent are...

70. Your favourite things to do with your siblings are...

71. Your favourite things to do with Grandma/Grandpa are...

Toddler Journal Prompts To Remember Those Busy Days

72. The words you can say are...

73. Your first sentence was...

74. Some cute mispronunciations you say are...

75. Here are some cute things you have said...

76. Here are some of the questions you ask...

77. The things you like the most are...

78. The things you don't like are...

79. You are passionate about...

80. Some memorable meltdowns include...

Pre-schooler Journal Prompts To Capture Their Adorableness

81. The story of your first day of preschool...

82. Your favourite things are...

83. Your least favourite things are...

84. Your best friends are...

85. Some funny things you have said are...

86. Some sweet things you have said are...

87. You show your independence by...  

School Years Journal Prompts To Document Their Childhood

88. The story of your first day of school..

89. Your favourite things to do are...

90. You show a natural talent in.. 

91. Your best friends are...

92. You are passionate about...

93. Your favourite foods are...

94. Your least favourite foods are...

95. This year for your birthday we... 

Journal Prompts To Foster Self Esteem

I am very passionate about using story to foster healthy self esteem. Capturing and retelling those moments when our children display strength, determination,  and kindness are a powerful way we as parents can support a positive self-image in our children.

96. A time you were extremely determined... 

97. A time you were brave... 

98. A time you were kind... 

Journaling about your child gives them the gift of understanding their childhood self, owning their stories and knowing they were loved and valued.  Your child will one day love hearing these stories and you will be grateful you took the time to write them down.

If you have more ideas for journal prompts please share them in the comments.