Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Are We There Yet?

Keeping track of baby: Gathering data on your kid

My eldest child's baby book is chock full of information -- from ultrasound pics and our family history to minute-by-minute details of his birth as well as photographs and copious notes on the first time he did anything.

Then our daughter was born three years later. I'm embarassed to admit this, but her baby book stops abruptly at five months. I returned to work at that time and although I kept photographs, cards, notes written on Post-Its, I just never got a chance to compile them. It's still on my to-do list and she's already 3.

I know I'm not the only one. My husband, the youngest of four children, didn't even have baby pictures.

But on the opposite end of the spectrum are parents like Allen Fawcett. According to this story from Wired, Fawcett and his wife use the Trixie Tracker website to record their children's schedules. When the story was published, the Fawcetts knew they had changed exactly 7,367 diapers for their 3-year-old son and 969 for their three-month daughter. They even kept track of their children's sleep patterns and feeding times using their IPhones.

According to the Wired story, keeping data on children is a growing trend. Some parents say it's a way to make sure their kids are healthy and developing normally. Others, however, find the information overwhelming. They say it takes time away from actually playing and being in the moment with their children.

What do you think? What kind of data or information about your kids would be most helpful to you? What type of details do you include in your children's scrapbooks?



This blog is intended to provide a forum for parents to share knowledge and resources. It's a place for parents young and old to combine their experiences raising families into a collective whole to help others.