Quality time means quality

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When my husband and I first got together, it was a bit of a revelation to him that sitting side-by-side, staring at a screen, didn’t count as quality time to me. Absolutely not! Time, yes, quality, no.

I’ve found quality time is so important to a happy relationship. My husband and I both work very busy jobs, outside of the normal office hours – I work two, if you count writing romance books! So having at least a couple of times a week where we really talk to each other is crucial. Otherwise, I’ve been known to find out things about my husband’s life from his workmates, which then leads to a grumpy wife, who likes to know everything firsthand 😉

The biggest help was actually setting aside dinner time as catch up time. If we’re both home for dinner, the TV is off, and phones are put aside. Such a simple thing is heavenly! There’s a time and a place for everything, and a time and a place for cutting it out.

I read an article recently that compared being on the phone too much to being unfaithful. Clearly, they’re going to an extreme to make their point, but I think they have a kernel of truth in there. If you’re depriving your partner of your time and attention, for silly things like a phone game or Twitter, are you really being fair to them?

Even if you’re single at the moment, there’s a still a solid argument for cutting down on the scren time. Think about the last book you read, or TV show you watched. Were the characters watching TV or hanging out on social media? Or were they doing something more meaningful and interesting?

Do you find it a struggle to get quality time? Ever considered cutting down the screen time, or even cutting out the screens altogether?

14 thoughts on “Quality time means quality”

  2. I make every effort to meet with people face to face. There is something terribly shallow about any less! It devalues the time spent together (physically) because you’ve already had a chance to talk impersonally over the phone.

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  3. My husband and I have always used our pillow talk as our quality time spent together. He’s at work during the day and when he comes home he likes to play his video games for a little bit, which if fine be me because I’ve always got my nose in a book when he gets home. It’s become a natural habit to shut everything down (or put the book down) around 9pm and we’ll just chit chat about anything and everything in the world until we fall asleep. Great post! It’s really interesting to think about. I know more than a few couples who complain about needing more quality time together.

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  5. I don’t currently have a significant other but even visiting friends who have their phones out all the time is a pet peeve of mine. Especially when going out for meals – just put it away, it’s only an hour or so! You will survive. It shows that you care, are listening, and you value someone’s time. I’m happy to hear you set aside some time at dinner. 😀

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  6. This really is an important aspect of any relationship regardless of how long people have been together. Couples need to make time for themselves however and whenever they can.

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  7. I’m not married, but I do see the importance of quality time with loved ones once in a while. Too often are we focused on ourselves 24/7 to consider connecting with others. Good thoughts!

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