Zan Tyler

I have been reading a book by Zan Tyler. Scott and I heard her speak at a homeschool conference a couple of years ago. We were very impressed by her. She is a wife, homeschooling mother of three, lobbyist, political strategist, and media spokesperson. I want to share a quote from her book, 7 tools for Cultivating Your Child's Potential.

*We argue a lot today over time. Our new societal mantra regarding child-rearing is "Quality time not quantity time." Have you ever heard the old adage "Children spell love t-i-m-e"? It's true, and there is really no shortcut. Quality time arises out of, not in lieu of, quantity time. I have been a mother for twenty-six years. Because I have homeschooled all three of my children from kindergarten through high school, I have spent a great deal of time with them, individually and corporately. Much of our time together was spent in the uneventful unfolding of life- the routine of household chores, schoolwork, church, and recreation. In the misdst of our most mundane days, discussions arose concerning the great issues of life. It is hard to schedule quality time. You certainly can't mandate it with a child. Rather, quality time is something that emerges in the midst of the dailiness of life as you live it together.*

I would argue that quality time is in those scheduled and specially created moments with our children as well. Of course, I am in agreement with simply living our lives together, through the mundane days, is obtaining quality time with our children as well.