It can be scary to open up, especially if it has been a while, but it can also be an exciting adventure. To rediscover the person you married, start out by asking about childhood dreams. What did you want to be when you grew up? Are you there yet or did you veer off-track? Remember those long nights talking when you first started dating? They were filled with conversations of dreams and hopes.

Life is sometimes full of worries about the details

Discuss what life would be like with no time or money constraints. How would you spend your time? What would your priorities become?

To really get a conversation going, try revealing your most embarrassing moment to each other. It should be that one mortifying time in your life when you felt completely exposed and vulnerable.

After you've trusted your spouse with your most embarrassing moment, tell each other about the one thing in life of which you are most proud.

Do you know your mate's favorite fantasy meal? Have a discussion about childhood comfort foods. This conversation could lead to some amazing date nights to fulfill those food fantasies. Even if, it's in your own kitchen making homemade mac and cheese.

Defining moments

Can you look back and remember a turning point that shaped the course of your life? Maybe it was a decision you faced or someone you met. Compare those moments and see if it led you to the same path.

A good way to discover each other, again, is to discuss deeply held spiritual beliefs. Do you know what your spouse believes? Have their insights changed over the years?

We are shaped by the people around us. Share with each other the person you admire most, or your own personal role model. Find out why that person is important. It's all about learning each other's stories and histories.

One way to get to know each other is to discover your spouse's likes and dislikes. Talk about your favorite books, movies and television shows, then talk about the ones you don't like. Have your tastes become more similar or more dissimilar? Is there a hobby you shared with your partner that he has come to appreciate and love, themselves?

Finally, set a time that is free from distractions

Turn off the phone pick a comfortable spot and share with each other your feelings of love and appreciation. Be specific and give examples of some of the things your partner has done to make your life better. Take your time and speak from your heart.

Getting to know each other, again, is not just an adventure, but a priceless gift.

The post Getting to know each other – again appeared first on FamilyToday.

Look for Community Options

Monica Lamprecht is the office manager for Salt Lake County's Kearns Recreation. She is excited and passionate about fitness. She says that a good place to start is with the county recreation services, "They offer a wide variety of sports and art classes. Children can participate without any competition involved."� She also said that the dance and art classes offer a free first time class to see if it is something the child would like.

Available Courses

The variety of classes offered is diverse. Basketball, cross country track, flag football, volleyball, tee-ball and soccer are some of the sports classes available. The county recreation program also offers dance, art, martial arts and cheer classes. Some of the centers offer swimming and other aquatic activities. If you live in an area outside of the county program similar classes are also offered at YMCAs and Boys and Girls Clubs.

Benefits of Active Families

Lamprecht also said that family activities and fitness help children stay involved. She says, "When parents become active with their kids they learn it is fun."� They are more likely to stick with a sport or activity. Lamprecht says that kids can be teased for a variety of reasons. The support a child gets from participating in a family activity with their siblings and parents is invaluable. When leading by example parents can teach their children that outside negative opinions are not so important.

When asked about the benefits of an active lifestyle Lamprecht says, "The number one benefit is health. Fighting obesity is positive result. The active kids are also happier and more content."� She can tell which kids play sports and are active because they are calmer and less agitated throughout the day.

Another important benefit, according to Lamprecht, is that participants learn life skills. They learn that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. They learn ways to cope with both of those situations. Learning how to deal with temporary failure and being able to move on and try again is all part of the process.

Extracurricular activities don't have to break the bank. Watch the paper or websites for free activities and low cost ways to get involved. In January the recreation centers in Kearns, Taylorsville, and Magna will have lower rates for all their classes.

Through parental support and community access we can raise healthier, happier kids.

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When our baby moved out and got married my husband and I agreed we would miss him with all our hearts. We were friends with our son and liked spending time with him. So while we were overjoyed he had found the love of his life, we knew we would miss having him around.

When he got married it was a little lonely at home, but we soon found out that we didn't always have to be the mature parents anymore. And that was fun. For the first time since 1980 we were on our own and we found ourselves back in that newly married, irresponsible time of life. One night we had popcorn and ice cream for dinner. We stayed up late and watched movies. We didn't always pick up after ourselves.

Something else started to happen. We also re-discovered our newly married closeness. We talked more and started dating in a way we did when we started our life together. We caught up with each other. With kids at home the topics of conversation centered around the kids. Now, even though we still worried about our children, we had more time to talk about our dreams and goals. We told some of our stories to each other. We fell in love in a whole new, deeper way.

We not only got to know each other again we became friends with our children in a new way. When we go out with them or have a family party it is especially sweet to catch up and hear about all their adventures. We are constantly amazed at how well they handle the problems in their lives and their wisdom and maturity. They are all truly remarkable people.

The biggest compensation for an empty nest is the joy of grandkids. Spending time and watching them grow brings back memories of our children in another time. Reading stories, doing crafts, bringing snacks and soft hugs and kisses from the children of our children are all priceless gifts.

When the birds fly away it can be sad to see their tail feathers head for the horizon, but new experiences and deepening bonds keep us fully engaged and ready for a new stage of life.

The post The joys of an empty nest appeared first on FamilyToday.

Teachers know that the more a child is read to the easier their job will be in the classroom. A child introduced to reading early at home has a much smoother transition into a school setting.

John Funk is a longtime teacher who has worked in early childhood education since 1979 (teaching from preschool to second grade). He currently teaches university courses in early childhood education. He believes that you should begin to read to your child as soon as possible.

He said, "Reading to a child directly affects that child's learning ability."� He went on to say, "Children who are read to consistently have a larger vocabulary, they have better communication and language skills and usually understand the process of reading better than children who have not been read to routinely. "

Perform better in school

He feels that a child who is read to consistently performs well in school. And parents who read to their children on a regular basis are more likely to support those children in school. He said, "The number one factor in a child's success in school is their parent's participation."�

Enhance closeness

You will know you have been successful in sharing the gift of reading if even after they've learned to read on their own your child still asks for you to read them a story. The closeness they feel as you share a book together is something you can't duplicate any other way. You are giving them skills that will help them attain their best while sharing a wonderful pastime.

Escape life

The ability to escape into other worlds through literature is a great skill. Life can be tough at times and reading will allow your children to leave their problems behind for a time as they escape into a story.

As you come across your child totally engrossed in their favorite book or reading under the covers with a flashlight after lights out you will know you've passed on to them something of lasting value.

For more information on education and reading see John Funk's blog, Topics in Early Childhood Education.

The post The gift of reading: Head start appeared first on FamilyToday.

At birth, babies can detect light and motion. They start to focus on faces and objects between 3-6 months. Even though newborns can't focus on the pictures in a book or understand the words, they still benefit from the close cuddling and the sound of their parent's voice. When a baby starts to be able to see patterns, shapes and colors, and you read books with clear, bright pictures you are helping them develop their eyesight.

As a baby matures, the books you can read can advance as well. The pictures can be more sophisticated, and the stories can be longer. Reading together with a child not only builds a love of books, but it lets them see that reading is important to you as well.

• There are all types of books to choose from and material created for all ages. Starting out at 0-6 month, choose books with simple large pictures and bright colors.

• At 6-12 months, experts say to choose heavy-duty board books with pictures of other babies, familiar objects like bottles and balls and bright colors. Sturdy books are good for this age group, so they can handle them without tearing pages. Cloth or vinyl books are also good choices.

• Starting out at 12-24 months, children will be much more hands-on and so sturdy books they can carry around are best. Books with photos are appealing, especially of children doing things like sleeping or eating. Goodnight books, books about opposites and books with just a few words on each page are good choices for this age group. Touch and feel books are also a good option.

• 24-36 months is a good time to introduce books with simple stories. Rhyming books, alphabets, counting and shape books are also good. Along with touch and feel books introduce pop-up books and pull tab books.

• At 3-5 years, if you've been reading to your child on a regular basis, they will start to develop tastes of their own. You can add books with more of a story and longer books that may be read every night at bedtime. Simple science books as well as books about dinosaurs, trains, cooking, friends and books about getting ready for school are great additions. Books that deal with problem solving, like fighting with a brother or sister, are popular at this age. And don't forget books with easy short text that can be memorized by your child as you read it to them over and over. They will feel like they are reading the book just like mommy or daddy.

In Dr. Seuss's book, "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!"� he wrote: "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."� The greatest gift you will ever give your children is the gift of reading.

SUGGESTED TITLES

0-3 months

• "Peek-A-Boo"� by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

• "Blue Hat Green Hat"� by Sandra Boynton

• "I Love Colors"� by Margaret Miller

• "My First Taggies Book: I Love You"� by Kaori Watanabe

6-12 months

• "Animal Kisses"� by Barney Saltzberg

• "Rock A Bye Baby"� by Jeanette Winter

• "Binky"� by Leslie Patricelli

12-24 months

• "Pat the Bunny"� by Dorothy Kunhardt

• "Goodnight Moon"� by Margaret Wise Brown

• "Going To Bed Book"� by Sandra Boynton

24-36 months

• "Max Spaniel Dinosaur Hunter"� by David Catrow

• "Count With Maisy"� by Lucy Cousins

• "Eric Carle's ABC"� by Eric Carle

• "Hungry Monsters a Pop-Up Book of Colors"� by Matt Mitter

3-5 years

• Disney Storybook Collections

• "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?"� by Bill Martin Jr.

• Dr. Seuss Books

For more information on education and reading see John Funk's blog, Topics in Early Childhood Education.

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