For Your Babies

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine felt that here, Mick Hucknall "offers an unusually restrained and completely effective performance on this delicately arranged R&B gem."^[2] Clark and DeVaney from Cashbox noted that the song "is set at a mellow, easy-listening pace. Following in the footsteps of their previous material, they have perfectly matched the above-average production with the soft-tone vocals."^[4] Rufer and Fell from the Gavin Report called it "the ultimate Mother's Day record delivered with loving sentimentality by Mr. Hucknall."^[5] Adam Sweeting from The Guardian described it as the singer's "exquisite tear-jerking showpiece".^[6] Pan-European magazine Music & Media described it as a "very gentle, vulnerable pop ballad, thoughtfully arranged and featuring some fine Spanish acoustic guitar licks."^[1]

A reviewer from Music Week stated, "An uncluttered and pretty ballad with no hiding place, it certainly draws a fine performance from Hucknall, full of nuances and pure, clear phrasing. A smash."^[7] Newcastle Journal described it as an "honest ballad".^[8] People Magazine remarked that Hucknall's singing "is still the hook in Simply Red's music, sliding gently in a pillow-soft upper register."^[9] Karla Peterson from The Press-Courier viewed it as "a tender tribute to parenthood in times of trouble".^[10] Johnny Dee from Smash Hits called it a "soulful, smoochy track", giving it a score of four out of five.^[11]

Writing for CultureSonar in 2018, Ellen Fagan felt that Hucknall "was never more appealing than in this ballad of a proud dad serenading his little child with loving hopes for his future during the sleepless days of early parenthood. Hucknall had his first baby decades after this was written, so his ability to conjure up such a scenario is deliciously prescient."^[12] musicOMH declared it as a "perfect romantic ballad".^[13] In a 2015 retrospective review, Pop Rescue complimented it as "a wonderfully gentle track, laden with piano, bass, and acoustic guitar", where the singer "takes a leisurely stroll through the lyrics."^[14]

A black-and-white music video was produced to promote the single, directed by British commercial, film and music video director Andrew Morahan.^{[15][better source needed]}

Credits are lifted from the Stars album booklet.^[22]

Studios

• Recorded at Condulmer Recording Studio (Venice, Italy)
• Mixed at Conway Studios (Los Angeles)
• Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Los Angeles)