Your baby’s first year can feel long while you’re living it, especially through broken sleep, endless feeds and days when getting dressed feels like an achievement. Then you look back at a photograph and wonder how that tiny baby has already changed so much.
When I first wrote this post, I asked other mums what they wished they had done during their babies’ first year. Their answers weren’t mostly about expensive toys or elaborate celebrations. They spoke about cuddles, photographs, little memories and time together.
Now, years later and with more motherhood behind me, I still understand those wishes. But I also know how easily a list of things you might “regret” can become another source of pressure when you’re already giving so much.
So please read these 14 things to do with your baby in their first year as gentle ideas to choose from. You don’t need to do everything, record every milestone or enjoy every moment to be a loving parent.
Some suggestions preserve memories. Others make room for connection, support or everyday routines. Choose what matters to your family and what feels possible in the season you’re in.
And if your child is already older, many of these ideas are still worth starting today.
1. Make Time for Unhurried Cuddles
One mum’s answer was simple: she wished she had spent more time just cuddling her baby.
It’s easy to understand that feeling. There is always something waiting—the washing, the dishes, a message to answer. Sometimes we spend a quiet moment thinking about what we should be doing next.
When you can, let yourself stay for a little while. Notice your baby’s fingers resting on you, the expressions crossing their face or the way they look up when they hear your voice.
These moments don’t need to last for hours. A cuddle after a feed, a song while you hold them or a few peaceful minutes before the next task can become part of your everyday connection.
You can also put your baby down when you need to eat, rest, care for another child or simply have some space. Your love is not measured by how many hours you spend holding them.
And if you’re struggling emotionally, cuddling is not a treatment for postpartum depression. You deserve support and care yourself. Read more about postpartum depression and ways to find support.
2. Protect Time Together Where You Can
Some mums wished they had worked fewer hours or waited longer before returning to work. What they missed was time with their baby during a stage that passed quickly.
If you have some flexibility, think about what would make that time more manageable for your family. It might be a gradual return, adjusted hours or sharing responsibilities so your time at home feels less rushed.
But many parents cannot choose when they return to work or how many hours they work. Working to support your family is also an act of care. Returning to work does not mean you have missed your chance to build a close relationship with your baby.
Look for small moments you can protect within the routine you have: a morning cuddle, a song during dressing, a walk together or a familiar bedtime story.
You don’t need to turn every evening into a special activity. Sometimes the most meaningful thing is putting your phone aside and enjoying a few ordinary minutes together.
The question to ask is: “Where can I make a little more room for us?” The answer will look different in every family.
3. Build a Gentle, Flexible Sleep Routine
Some mums wished they had established a sleep routine earlier. Looking back, what can be useful is a familiar way to wind down—not a strict schedule or a promise that your baby will sleep through the night.
In the newborn months, follow your baby’s feeding and tiredness cues. The Raising Children Network recommends flexibility and responding to your baby’s needs rather than trying to impose a rigid routine.
As your baby grows, try a short, familiar sequence before sleep: a nappy change, sleep clothes, a quiet song and a cuddle. Keep it simple enough to repeat without making bedtime feel like another project.
Night waking does not mean you have done something wrong. Babies may need feeding, comfort and help settling. You can respond warmly while gradually finding routines that work for your family.
Keep safe sleep at the centre of your plans. Place your baby on their back in their own safe sleep space, on a firm, flat mattress, with their head and face uncovered and no pillows, soft toys or bulky bedding. Follow the full Red Nose safe sleeping recommendations.
If sleep is becoming difficult to manage, ask your child and family health nurse or GP for support. You deserve help as well as rest.
4. Take Your Baby to the Park
One mum wished she had taken her first baby to playgrounds more often, simply to watch the older children play.
A baby doesn’t need to be walking—or ready for the playground equipment—to enjoy a small outing with you. You can sit in the shade, watch children running around, listen to birds or notice leaves moving in the breeze.
Talk about what catches their attention: “Can you hear the children laughing?” or “Look at that dog walking past.” You don’t need to turn it into a lesson. Sharing what you notice is enough.
Choose a calm spot away from moving swings, climbing equipment and running children. Stay close, follow your baby’s cues and head home when they need feeding, rest or a quieter environment.
Some days, getting everyone out of the house feels like a major task. A short walk or a few minutes in the garden can be an easier alternative.
The memory doesn’t have to be a big adventure. It might be an ordinary afternoon when you sat together and watched the world.
5. Get in the Family Photos Too
Several mums wished they had more photographs of the whole family together. It’s easy to collect hundreds of pictures of your baby while barely appearing in any yourself—especially when you’re usually the person holding the camera.
Ask someone to take a photograph of you during ordinary moments: holding your baby, reading together, sharing a laugh or heading out for a walk.
You don’t need matching clothes, a spotless room or a professional session. A quick phone photo can preserve the details you’ll enjoy seeing later.
If you feel uncomfortable with how you look after birth, choose a photograph that feels manageable. You might start with a close-up of your baby resting against you or a picture taken while you’re looking at each other.
You deserve to be part of your family’s recorded memories, just as you are. Your children may one day treasure seeing how you held them, smiled at them and shared their earliest days.
And when you have a photograph you love, put the phone away again. You can capture a moment and still leave room to enjoy it.
6. Print Some of Your Favourite Photos
One mum shared that her older child had started asking where all their baby photographs were. The pictures existed, but they were stored digitally rather than somewhere the family could easily enjoy them together.
You don’t need to organise every photograph from the first year. Start by choosing a small handful: a sleepy smile, a family cuddle, a funny expression or an ordinary afternoon you want to remember.
Print them for a simple album, a frame or a small photo box. Add a date and a few words about the moment if you like. Those little details can bring a photograph to life years later.
Choose the pictures that mean something to you, even if they’re imperfect. A blurry photograph of a wonderful laugh may hold more feeling than a carefully posed portrait.
If the idea of making an album feels overwhelming, begin with ten photos. You can add more another time.
The aim is to bring a few memories into everyday family life—something you can look through together as your child grows.
related:
7. Back Up Your Baby’s Photos and Videos
Some mums shared heartbreaking stories of losing their baby’s early photographs when a phone broke, went missing or stopped working. Others believed their pictures were backed up, only to discover later that the uploads had not completed.
Check your backup rather than assuming it is working. Open your chosen storage service and confirm that recent photos and videos are there, including full videos rather than just their preview images.
Keep an additional copy of your most important memories somewhere separate, such as an external drive stored safely. A second copy can help protect against problems affecting your phone or main account.
Remember that photo syncing and independent backups are not always the same thing. With some services, deleting a picture on one device also deletes it from the synced collection. Check how your service handles deletion before clearing space.
Set a reminder to review your copies occasionally, especially before changing phones or deleting large numbers of files. Keep your account recovery details up to date, too.
You don’t need a perfect filing system. Start by protecting the photographs and videos you would be most upset to lose.
8. Make a Little Handprint or Footprint Keepsake
One mum wished she had made a print of her baby’s hands and feet. It’s a simple way to preserve just how tiny they once were.
Choose a keepsake method designed for babies, such as an inkless print kit where the ink does not touch their skin. Follow the product’s age guidance and instructions, and keep all materials away from your baby’s mouth.
Pick a calm moment when your baby is comfortable. A footprint may be easier than a handprint if those little fingers keep curling into a fist.
Write their name and the date beside the print. You could place it in a photo album, frame it or keep it with a favourite photograph.
An imperfect print can still be a lovely memory. There’s no need to keep trying if your baby becomes upset.
If making a print feels like too much effort, take a close-up photograph of their hand resting in yours or their feet beside your palm. It can capture that same wonderful sense of scale.
You haven’t missed your chance if the newborn weeks have passed. A keepsake made later in the first year still records a moment worth remembering.
9. Keep a Simple Journal of Your Baby’s First Year
Photos capture how your baby looked, but a few written words can preserve the little details you might otherwise forget: the sound they made when they were excited, their favourite song, or the funny way they first tried to crawl.
You don’t need to write every day or buy a beautiful baby book. A notebook, a note on your phone, or a few sentences beside a photo can be enough.
Try recording small moments such as:
- Something that made your baby laugh.
- A new sound, movement or discovery.
- A favourite game you played together.
- A moment you want to remember about being their mum.
You can include milestone dates, but there is no need to turn your journal into a checklist or compare your baby’s progress with another child’s. The ordinary moments deserve a place too.
If you haven’t written anything yet, start with one memory today. A few honest lines are more meaningful than an empty book waiting for the perfect words.
10. Make Reading Together Part of Your Day
You don’t have to wait until your baby understands a story to start sharing books. In the first year, reading together can be as simple as looking at a picture, naming an animal or letting your baby explore a sturdy board book while you talk.
Choose books with clear pictures, familiar objects or short, repetitive words. Read slowly, make a few playful sounds and give your baby time to look and respond.
There is no need to finish every page. If your baby wants to turn backwards, look at the same picture again or crawl away after a minute, you can follow their interest and try again another time.
Keep a few books somewhere easy to reach. A short story after a feed, during a quiet afternoon or before bed can become a familiar moment together.
And if daily reading hasn’t happened yet, you haven’t missed your chance. Start with a few enjoyable minutes and build from there.
11. Learn to Trust Yourself as a Mum
When you have a baby, advice can come from every direction. Family, friends and strangers may all have different opinions about feeding, sleeping, clothing and comforting your little one.
You can appreciate someone’s good intentions without following every suggestion. Give yourself time to notice your baby’s cues, learn what comforts them and build confidence through everyday care.
Before taking advice, ask yourself: Does this suit my baby? Is it supported by reliable information? Am I doing it because it helps, or because I feel pressured?
Trusting yourself also means speaking up when something worries you. If your baby seems unwell or you have concerns about feeding, growth or development, contact your child health nurse or doctor. You don’t need to wait until you are certain something is wrong to ask for help.
You won’t always know the answer straight away. Asking questions and changing your approach as you learn are part of becoming a more confident parent.
12. Introduce a Variety of Foods When Your Baby Is Ready
Starting solids brings plenty of little discoveries: a surprised expression at a new taste, sticky fingers and food landing almost everywhere except your baby’s mouth.
When your baby is ready, usually around six months, gradually offer different flavours and suitable textures. Include iron-rich foods such as soft cooked meat, lentils, tofu or iron-fortified infant cereal. Breast milk or infant formula remains their main source of nutrition during the first year.
As their eating skills develop, move beyond smooth purées to mashed, lumpy and soft finger foods. Let them explore, and follow their signals when they have had enough. Turning away or closing their mouth is a reason to pause, rather than persuade them to take another spoonful.
Common allergy foods, including well-cooked egg and peanut in a safe form, should also be introduced during the first year. Introduce one new allergen at a time and continue offering it regularly if tolerated. Ask your doctor for individual guidance if your baby has an existing food allergy or severe eczema.
Always have your baby sitting upright and stay with them while they eat. Avoid choking hazards such as whole nuts and whole grapes, and do not give honey before 12 months.
You don’t need a different homemade meal every day. Simple foods count, and an unfamiliar taste may take several offers to become accepted. Variety gives your baby opportunities to explore; it cannot guarantee they will never become a picky eater.
For more guidance, see Introducing Solid Food and How to Introduce Allergy Foods from Pregnancy, Birth and Baby.
13. Try a Mum-and-Baby Class
A mum-and-baby class can give you something to look forward to during a week that revolves around feeds, naps and washing. It can also be a chance to meet other mums who understand what life with a baby is like.
If you enjoy exercise, look for a postnatal class led by someone qualified to support recovery after birth. Tell the instructor how recently you gave birth and about any pain or concerns, and ask your healthcare professional for advice about returning to exercise.
There is no need to make changing your body the purpose of going. Moving comfortably, having a conversation and enjoying a change of scenery are worthwhile reasons too.
You could also try a baby music session, library rhyme time or a local playgroup. Free activities can offer the same opportunity to get out together and gradually find familiar faces.
Choose something that suits your energy, budget and baby. If the first group doesn’t feel right, you can try another. The aim is to find a little connection and enjoyment for yourself alongside caring for your baby.
14. Share Your Home Language With Your Baby
If you speak a language other than the one used around you, your baby’s first year is a lovely time to begin sharing it.
Use it in the ordinary moments: greeting your baby in the morning, naming their clothes, singing a familiar song or talking while you prepare their food. You don’t need to turn these moments into lessons.
Your home language can carry family stories, affectionate nicknames, nursery rhymes and expressions that feel most natural in your own voice. Sharing it gives your child a connection to that part of their family life.
You might read a simple book together, listen to songs from your childhood or let grandparents talk and sing to your baby during a video call.
There is no need for every conversation to follow a perfect language plan. Start with words and routines that fit comfortably into your day, and keep building on them as your child grows.
And if your child is already past their first birthday, you can still begin. This connection can grow through many small moments together.
You Don’t Have to Do Everything to Make Their First Year Meaningful
Looking back at your baby’s first year can bring both beautiful memories and wishes that you had done a few things differently. That doesn’t take away from the care you gave them through the feeds, unsettled nights and ordinary days.
These ideas are invitations. Choose one or two that matter to you: get into a photo, write down a funny little habit, share a book or print a picture you love.
If your baby’s first year has already passed, many of these things are still possible. You can begin an album, introduce a family tradition or make more room for time together now.
There will always be moments we forget to photograph or details we wish we had written down. We can treasure what we remember and keep making memories with the children in front of us today.
What is one thing you’re glad you did during your baby’s first year—or something you wish you had done? Share it in the comments below.
Very practical and very informative
I regret not doing a newborn photo shoot. I was dreaming about it but my husband said he can do it. He did take very nice pictures of her but nothing compared to what a professional will. I regret not listening my inner wish to do it even if that meant my husband will be upset. (Because he was as if I was telling him he is a bad photographer.) And if you think it’s too expensive you are wrong. We buy so many unnecessary material things, this is a memory once in a lifetime that you and your baby will always have.