Quantity is Quality Time

Many years ago, parental experts were advocating that "quality time" was all that was necessary for your children instead of quantity time. This belief possibly began to appease the consciences of some women who chose careers over their children and didn't want to deal with the feelings of abandoning their child to the day care center.

However, my personal experience with organized "quality time" was quite different. I found that you could not experience quality unless there was also the dimension of quantity time involved with your children. After all, they were not little robots who turned on and off affections and responses when the convenience of the moment fit into my schedule. They came to me at inopportune times and opened their hearts when I least expected.

Homeschoolers have a unique environment to provide both the quantity and quality time their children need. Deuteronomy 6:7 states, "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sit in thine house, and when thou walk by the way, and when thou lie down, and when thou rise up." This verse is speaking in regard to instructing our children in God's Word and shows the importance of taking advantage of all times during the day to interact.

Are you spending real quality time with your children? Just because you are homeschooling doesn't mean you are connecting with your child's heart. Allow those quantity times to turn into quality times by being available and looking for opportunities to share meaningful experiences.(AOP)

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