Quality time is a

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

expression referring to a proactive interaction between individuals, set aside for paying undivided attention, usually to express love or accomplish a shared goal. Sometimes abbreviated QT, it is an informal reference to time spent with close family, partners, or

friend Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. Although there are many forms of f ...

s that is in some way important, special, productive or profitable to one or everyone involved. Having conversations, solving jigsaw puzzles, collaborating on projects, and conversing during road trips can be examples of quality time. It may also refer to the effective use of time in educational settings, or time spent alone performing a favorite activity (i.e.,

self-care Self-care has been defined as the process of establishing behaviors to ensure holistic well-being of oneself, to promote health, and actively manage illness when it occurs. Individuals engage in some form of self-care daily with food choices, ...

). In his 1992 book, Baptist pastor and Relationship counselor Gary Chapman suggests that quality time is one of five " Love Languages" which are used (more or less, preferentially, by a given individual) to express love and gratitude for another.

History

Its use as a noun expression ("quality time") began in the 1970s. One of the earliest records of this phrase in print was in the

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

newspaper ''

The Capital ''The Capital'' (also known as ''Capital Gazette'' as its online nameplate and informally, while the Sunday edition is called ''The Sunday Capital'') is a daily newspaper published by Capital Gazette Communications in Annapolis, Maryland, to ...

'', January 1973, in the article "How To Be Liberated": In the context of public schooling, the

National Commission on Excellence in Education The National Commission on Excellence in Education was created on August 26th, 1981 by Terrel Bell. It was created to present the 1983 report titled ''A Nation at Risk, A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform.'' It was chaired by Da ...

began to use the phrase circa 1983. "Quality time" was described in a 1983 letter by the principal of Hampton High School to U.S. Secretary of Education Terrell Bell. Principal Scholtz wrote, "Quality time will be enhanced by reducing that time spent by teachers on discipline and on administrative duties" and thereby "freeing teachers to do what they do best...teach". By 1985, the phrase was in common use in books about

parenting Parenting or child rearing promotes and supports the physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and educational development from infancy to adulthood. Parenting refers to the intricacies of raising a child and not exclusively for a biologica ...

and

parenting styles A parenting style is a pattern of behaviors, attitudes, and approaches that a parent uses when interacting with and raising their child. The study of parenting styles is based on the idea that parents differ in their patterns of parenting and that ...

. Examples include ''A Parents' Guide to Quality Time with Preschoolers'' (1984), ''The Quality Time Almanac: A Sourcebook of Ideas and Activities for Parents and Kids'' (1986), and ''Parentips: Quality Time with Kids'' (1986). Gary Champan's 1992 book '' The Five Love Languages'' defined and popularized the phrase's contemporary usage. ''Quality Time'' is also the title of a 1996 fiction (likely romance) novel by British author Norma Curtis. '' The Time Bind'', a 1997 book,Google Print
/ref> was mentioned in Newsweek's multi-page feature about "The Myth of Quality Time". The same issue of ''Newsweek'' had a full-page review of another 1997 book, ''Time for Life'', which emphasizes that most people have a flawed "ability to separate faulty perception of time use from reality." Author Robinson's diary-based research shows that 15 hours per week of "free time" (the greatest category of time used) goes into TV viewing.

Examples

File:Amalie Lindegren Threading the needle.jpg, Swedish painter Amalie Lindegren's 1858 painting, "A grandmother with a grandson threading a needle" File:Social games and group dances; (1920) (14783212213).jpg, Children engage in

social dancing Social dances are dances that have social functions and context. Social dances are intended for participation rather than performance. They are often danced merely to socialise and for entertainment, though they may have ceremonial, competitive ...

and

singing games A singing game is an game, activity based on a particular song, verse or rhyme, usually associated with a set of dance, actions and movements. As a collection, they have been studied by folklorists, ethnologists, and psychologists and are seen as ...

, 1920. File:Jew teaches his grandson to read.jpg, Polish Jewish grandparents in Biala Podlaska teach their grandson to read, 1920. File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1976-141-21, Berlin, Tanzcafé.jpg, Couples share quality time through dance in

Berlin, Germany Berlin ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the highest population within its city limits of any city in the European Union. The city is also one of the states of ...

, 1925. File:Dancers in restaurant Tenho.jpg,

Working-class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...

couples share quality time through dance in Tenho, Finland, 1974. File:Cycling mother and daughter in a forest.JPG, Mother and daughter bicycling together, 2012. File:Father & Son Sharing Music Skills.jpg, Guitarist Simphiwe Sekhute plays music with his son in South Africa, 2013. File:Mother and daughter learn calligraphy.jpg, A mother and daughter learn

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

together, 2013. File:Mother and daughter in the gardens - geograph.org.uk - 4852942.jpg, An adult mother and daughter converse in England's Sheffield Park and Garden, 2016. File:Happiness of Mother & daughter.jpg, Nepalese mother and daughter enjoy an outing, 2018. File:Having a Conversation (51213882768).jpg, Two individuals engage in a quality time conversation in Old Town Alexandria, 2021.

References

External links

The Idioms

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quality Time Family Interpersonal relationships Personal life Sociological terminology 1970s neologisms

History

Examples

See also

References

External links