The term “living room family” has been currently trending on social media. It is used to describe families that spend their free time together in the living room as opposed to everyone retreating to their own space.
The “living room family” concept is lauded for offering an opportunity for parents and kids to spend quality time together and develop a closer bond. It also contributes to all sorts of benefits for kids, such as improving their social skills and making them feel like they have a safe space.
However, in order to become a “living room family,” you need to make some effort to turn your living room into a family-friendly environment. The tips below will help you.
Turn Your Living Room into a Welcoming Place
The first thing you need to do is to turn your living room into a welcoming place. This includes making it comfortable for all types of activities. Get a large sofa that can fit all members of the family for a movie night. Set up a working station for your kids so they can read, draw, or work on school projects there.
Set an Example
If you want to create a “living room family,” you need to set an example. The easiest way to do so is to spend frequent time in the living room yourself. This will encourage other members of the family to do the same.
Organize Living Room Activities
Family members who aren’t accustomed to spending a lot of time together in the living room will need some encouragement. You can provide this encouragement by organizing some living room activities. It can be anything from watching a movie together to having a board game night or book reading session. The important thing is to keep trying until everyone adopts a habit of spending more time in the living room.
Don’t Worry About the Mess
When everyone spends time in the living room, things can become messy. You’ll probably have to face stains on the carpet, loose crayons, clothes lying around, and whatnot. But this is a price you should be willing to gladly pay for bringing your family closer. Also, you can always organize a cleaning session for the entire family and make it one of the “living room family” activities.