The Wrong Q

This week as I was talking with Chuck Carringer, our Family Ministries Pastor, we got on the topic of dating one’s spouse.  Chuck said that he and Emily have a date planned, but he didn’t yet know what they were going to be doing.  Then, almost in unison, we both said, “But it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

As Americans I think we can easily get caught up in the myth that quality family time is only as special as the place you go, entertainment you see or money you spend.  That’s how we gauge the “quality” of our family time.  And this attitude is a very dangerous place to be!  I mean, if what you value most about spending time with your spouse or kids is the event that you attend…what happens if you lose your job? If there’s no money to do the “fun stuff” does that equate to a deficiency in your family time? Does that sound right?

What Chuck and I both stumbled upon in our conversation is that the QUALITY of your family is found in the TIME you spend together.  For example, this week Holly and I took part in “early voting” for the presidential election.  This is often thought of as cumbersome and dull.  But we took Colt and Emmy with us, and used the opportunity to share the time as a family.  Colt helped me by pushing the “Cast Ballot” button and it became a very special moment that I will look back on for years. 

If we define quality based on the activity then I think we can easily miss the point.  I believe that the best thing we can do for our family is bring excitement to everyday things and increase the QUANTITY of our family time.  We’ve got to focus on the right Q! “Quantity” trumps “Quality”, at least when it comes to time spent with our family.  Consistency is always key in developing habits, and the same is true in developing memorable experiences with our families.

What do you do regularly as a family that brings you closer together?
How can you add in some excitement to the daily or weekly tasks of your home?