Living Room vs. Bedroom Family: How to become a family who spends more time together

Is your family a living room family?

The term “living room family” is gaining popularity online. It describes families who prefer to spend time together in a shared space, such as the living room, rather than retreating to their individual bedrooms.

Studio 5 Parenting Contributor Heather Johnson believes that being a living room family fosters a healthier home environment. She emphasized, “It’s never too late to come out of your bedrooms and hang out more in a common living space.”

Living Room Families

Living room families enjoy several benefits. Heather explained, “Benefits to a living room family are off the charts. Everything from shared memories and experiences to learning to communicate.” However, she also noted that this setup can lead to less privacy and more opportunities for conflict due to increased interaction.

Bedroom Families

On the other hand, bedroom families benefit from privacy and the ability to concentrate better in their own spaces. But, they miss out on connection and communication. Heather pointed out, “We miss out on building memories.”

Overcoming Challenges to Become a Living Room Family

Transitioning from a bedroom family to a living room family can be challenging. Factors such as busy schedules, technology, and individual personality traits (introverts vs. extroverts) can hinder this shift. Heather suggested analyzing these challenges and making small changes, like reducing time spent outside the home and limiting technology use in shared spaces.

Practical Steps to Foster a Living Room Family Environment

1. Embrace Core Interactions: These are spontaneous activities that require minimal resources and planning. Heather said, “Core experiences together create stability and security.”
2. Develop Relationships: Encourage family members to build relationships outside the living room to make shared space interactions more comfortable.
3. Create Positive Associations: Use the living room for positive activities like planning trips, sharing desserts, and having important conversations. This helps create a safe and welcoming environment.
4. Embrace the Mess: Focus on the relationships being built rather than the mess created. Heather reminded us, “Care more about the relationships than the mess.”

The ultimate goal is to create a connected family through joint experiences. Heather concluded, “For families to be connected, we need to spend more time in joint experiences, not individual.”

To contact Heather for counseling, email blog.familyvolley@gmail.com, or visit www.familyvolley.blogspot.com.