By Corey Christiansen
Cleaning up spills. Three a.m. feedings. Changing diapers. Responsibilities like these can sometimes put a damper on a couple”s social life while going to school.
However, with a good attitude and a little creativity, couples who have children can still find several fun activities to do.
“You have to keep living your life even after you have a baby,” said Emily Halverson, 27, a senior from Penryn, Calif., majoring in English. “You can still have fun,” she said.
Halverson and her husband, Jared, enjoy outdoor activities with their five-month-old daughter, Eden.
“We love to be outside and hike,” Emily Halverson said. The Stuart Falls hike near Sundance Ski Resort is perfect for a baby because it is only three miles long, and it has beautiful scenery, she said.
The Halversons have also taken their daughter to two Provo Angels games and two BYU football games. “She”s a good baby, she”s really mobile,” Emily Halverson said.
Other couples have also found that outdoor activities work great for their kids.
“We like to go on walks because it gets us away from the house and homework,” said Rob Baird, 23, a senior from Sandy, Salt Lake County, majoring in information systems.
Although Baird and his wife, Angela, said they love spending time with their three-month-old daughter, Ruby, they also feel it is important to still spend time together as a couple.
“The most important thing I can give her (Ruby) is a strong marriage,” Angela Baird said.
Building a strong marriage for the Bairds means going to the temple often. They said they love going to the temple because it gives them a chance to talk.
“It”s definitely harder to find the time to just talk because Ruby always needs something,” Angela Baird said.
It”s also difficult for some parents to find places to take their children that both they and their children will enjoy.
“If you go to a movie you end up chasing them down the aisles,” said Kirsti Kirkland, a BYU graduate from Orem.
Kirkland and her husband Ken, a senior at UVSC, majoring in business management, have tried several activities with their two children.
“We have taken the kids to Hogle Zoo, the Bean Museum and Jungle Jim”s,” Kirsti Kirkland said.
Jungle Jim”s is great because it is an amusement park designed just for children, she said.
Family activities may take some extra planning but they allow families to be together and have fun.
“In general, we”ve just had to become more creative in our entertainment,” Ken Kirkland said.
