Family Time…Quality Verses Quantity
Intentional family time is another healthy habit that’s worth its weight in gold. Spending time with family is undoubtedly important. But the debate has existed for years over what’s truly best, quantity or quality. I’m going to suggest both. From quantity comes quality.
Really good quality time can be planned. Vacations, family fun nights, and family dinners can be specific times scheduled for everyone to be together. But just because the time is designated doesn’t mean all will happen as planned. Even the best-laid plans can get derailed. The dream vacation can become a fiasco. Family fun night can be interrupted by an unforeseen business trip. Family dinner can be cancelled due to a little league playoff game. Life happens. This is where the quantity piece fits into the equation. Mathematically speaking the more time families spend together the more quality time increases providing opportunities for relationship building.
On a recent vacation, my family and I came across a pay phone at a rest stop. The phone looked dilapidated and was even beginning to rust. Cell phones have made pay phones almost obsolete. Changes are inevitable. The way we view family time sometimes needs to change too. Things don’t always just fall into place. Intentionality is key. With all the great options we have for activities, choices need to be made carefully. What’s the best use of our time and our children’s time? What activities draw us together rather than pulling us apart?
With quantity comes quality. Think of your relationship with God. The more time spent in prayer and the Bible, the closer one can draw to the Lord. The more time we intentionally spend with our spouse and children, the closer we become as a family. When children live in an environment where family relationships and time spent together are valued, they learn the importance of family. This becomes the norm.
Intentionally set aside time to be together. As the quantity of time builds, the quality will grow. This will be a model for family life for your children. And, trust me…you’ll have fun together!
Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6
© 2013 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
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