Intention Over Habit: An Update On Our TV-Less Living Room

 

There’s a quote I’ve come across over a dozen times on Pinterest, and if you are a pinner, chances are that you’ve scrolled by it too:

“That was the day she made herself the promise to live more from intention & less from habit.” – Amy Rubin Flett

I just love these words. If I take a moment to connect the dots of this simple yet powerful message to my life and the season I am in, I am always met with more questioning. Questioning is good, it means something matters.

What areas of your life have you let become habits instead of intentional practices?

As someone who is far from having her sh*t together, there are always several areas of my life that I’ve regrettably let slip into some form of habit, becoming an automatic part of my day that does not lend itself to enriching nor encouraging the things our family values. As I grow and learn and change, these things do too. So it’s a lifelong process, turning habits into intentional acts. Now this is not to say that all habits are bad, but some can become without question, more uncomfortable than others. Overtime, they can in fact lead us away from living the lives we want for ourselves, keeping us from making positive changes we feel called to try on. Good habits give us ease, comfort, and rhythm, while bad ones mimic these ideals and end up giving us quite the opposite. Having a television in our living room had turned into a source of several bad habits for our family, so we decided to do something about it.

A few weeks ago, back before Christmas wreathes, red bows, and twinkle lights, we decided to take the large TV out of our living room and store it downstairs. After many late night talks and just plain old dissatisfaction of how it made us feel, were curious to see what it would be like to not organize the main area of our home around our TV. Here are a few questions you may have as to why we did this along with our answers to those:

Why did we give our telly the boot? 

Over the past few years, Andrew and I started recognizing several unsavory patterns we as a family were falling into. Not really bad things, per se, but things that kept poking us and that would eventually prompt change. We realized that some of our habits, our areas of default, were not bringing us closer together, nor were they making our home a place that fostered deep connection and creativity in the way we valued them. Through discussion and after talking with several friends, Andrew and I decided that removing our TV from the main living area of our home could perhaps encourage more positive habits as we raise our family. I suppose we could have done this long ago, but for some reason it seemed daunting to remove it entirely.

Like most homes in the US, our TV was the focal point of our living room and what we centered on when in that space. It has become an automatic for us whether it was in the morning for cartoons, when we had family over, or at the end of a long day when both Andrew and I were tired and wanted to let our minds drift on the couch. Our TV became this thing that started to have more control over our environment than any thing should, and in turn, it had it’s grip on our relationships as well. As a stay at home mom, it’s unsettling noise and domineering presence started to become a nuisance and an endless battle with the kids when they wanted to watch something. Every time a commercial came on the kids wanted whatever it was they saw, and if we opted for Netflix they seemed to always be unhappy with what I chose. A fight would ensue and you know the rest. I felt like I was in constant negotiation when the TV was turned on during the day and that it was not benefiting the kids or myself whatsoever.

Often times and without really even acknowledging it, our TV was a source of unwanted frustration and negativity that we merely turned on out of poor habit. There are some good shows out there, but truthfully speaking, I do not think any of them are better than making art, reading, or engaging in imaginary play. Our TV happened to also block a beautiful, big window that lets in the most gorgeous afternoon sunshine. Removing it literally and figuratively let in more light, something we needed more than I had thought.

How did the kids react to taking the TV out of the living room? 

It’s probably because they are young and are adaptable, but they kids didn’t really notice. I set up a fun play area in its place, and told them that they could each watch a show a day. They were and still are happy with that. Instead of requesting (begging) something to watch, they voulentarity use our living room to play with their toys. It’s really beautiful to see them sink into playtime as they make these little worlds to get lost in. If they happen to get a little stuck, I’ll get them interested in something by tossing around ideas or getting them started on an activity. A little motivation and excitement goes a long way with little ones and all they need is a gentle nudge from us. Andrew and I have noticed that over time the have kids (and us parents as well) have requested less and less TV, and all of us have easily transitioned into using other positive ways to spend our time.

Do we think TV is bad? 

First let me say that we aren not an anti-TV family. We currently have one upstairs in our loft that we use sparingly, but the point of removing it from our main living area is that it’s out of the way and no longer a distraction for more fruitful ways to spend our days. Instead we have our warm fireplace, rows of books, plenty of open-ended toys, and several cozy places to curl up and craft. When we want to watch a movie or let the kids watch a show, we are more mindful about that time because it is out of the way. Andrew and I do love Netflix and watching documentaries, so it’s not as if we are banning it altogether, but keeping it away from where we spend the most time helps up monitor how many hours we are actually spending in front of it. Our of sight out of mind.

How did the culture of the room change? 

The first thing Andrew and I noticed immediately was that our living room was much calmer without the television. There is also a palpably energy in here now. It’s hard to explain. Not having TV as an option in this space is really freeing, and our new arrangement has given our family more interesting ways to unwind and recharge that do not involve sitting in front of a screen. What is really beautiful to us is how the calm nature of our living room has spilled over into other areas of our home as well. This has made the first level of our home one that is geared more towards creative and imaginary pursuits. This room is no longer where we sit idle in silence listening, but rather where we gravitate to be together and to use our minds in a more active way. The atmosphere without the television is much more peaceful and uplifting.

What are some of the downfalls in not having a TV in the living room? 

The only real downfall I can think of is when wanting to watch a movie in front of the fire this season. We both agree it’s really fun in the middle of winter getting cozy in front of both a good movie and the fire, but that’s the only negative thing that comes to mind.  Andrew is a pretty avid sports watcher (Arsenal, Steelers, and the KC Royals) so if there’s a game he wants to see we do have the option to go upstairs, but because we have DVR, he records it so it doesn’t cut into family time on the weekends.

What are some of positive ways not having a TV in the living room has impacted our family?

  • For one, Andrew and I talk so much more more. Connecting like this is essential for our relationship and for our role as parents. Every morning before he goes off to work we sit in our blue velvet chairs and chat while the kids play. The TV is not on, so we have each other to pay attention to. It sound too simple and maybe even silly, but try sitting in a room without a TV (or phone) with your boyfriend or husband. It’s beautiful and a treasured time we have. Sometimes he will start a fire, sometimes not, but we always start the day together. I look forward to it each morning as it gives us a chance to connect without distraction.
  • There is less arguing and less negative noise. I play music throughout our day, listen to spiritual and motivational podcasts, and use the power of silence in lieu of turning the power button of the remote on for noise. Also, there are a lot of negative behaviors on TV that we as parents aren’t able to monitor unless we ourselves had previewed the show or are watching it with them intently. This alone is troubling and causes me stress when the kids mimic something they’ve seen or heard. Why add this stress when we don’t have to?
  • The living room has been turned into a creative hub for our family, a place where because we are not given the option to scroll and plug in, we can let loose in whatever creative pursuit we want. It is very freeing to have a large, light-filled space that is not dominated by a strong presence like a television.
  • There are less advertisements and mental clutter in our lives. Lowering this kind of noise invites other things to take its place. If you are finding yourself overwhelmed or in a place where time is lacking, try turning off the TV for awhile and fill it with things that make you feel more whole.
  • Less TV means more time and because of this we all read more. I am an avid book reader, Andrew is an avid article reader, and the kids just love it when we plop them down to read anything to them. We are growing our library and reading to the kids is one of my favorite things to do each day. Because the culture of this room has changed entirely, we are encouraged to spend time doing calmer things, reading being one of them.
  • We are more active and therefore spend more time outside in nature. Instead of turning on the TV for a family show after supper, we will got for a walk on the trail if it’s nice or play trains with the kids on the floor. This time together as five is precious and spending it by numbing ourselves in front of a screen each night is not how we want to spend our time.
  • Our home feels happier. It feels lighter. It feels more like us.

What other questions do you have? Have you ever felt the urge to remove your telly and invite more calm into your days? How do you think it would impact your family or how you spend you time? What could a simple change such as taking a TV out of a room do for your life? Some things to think on, and I’d love to hear your voice behind the matter!

 

  • Taylor Norris - Man this one is tough. We don’t have a (working) TV in our living room, but I can still default to the screen on my phone. If I’m on my phone, it’s hard to keep my daughter (18 months) from watching with me. I do love the fact that we don’t have a habit of watching TV. Thankfully, we have a membership at the Y, and a library within two blocks of our house, which make daily outings so easy. Glad you’re enjoying the benefits of less TV!ReplyCancel

    • admin - Taylor, screens man! They take so much time away from us, I am so guilty of too much phone time. We have a little wooden bowl that Andrew and I put our phones in when we feel like we have been on them too much. We put them there a lot on the weekends and evenings. It’s like our phone’s “time out” and this small act is a reminder to me that life is not happening on my phone. I need to be present to live it. Much love to you, mama. x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Kendal - When we bought our house in 2010, we made the decision not to bring our little TV with us — we decided a cable bill was some fat we could trim from our budget. I seriously never missed it and when we did want to watch something it meant having to really work for it — finding somewhere to download or stream (in Canada this is difficult) — or we made an event out of it (i.e., going over to friends’ for the Super Bowl).

    But, we cleared out our unfinished basement a couple years ago and off my husband went to Best Buy to buy himself a TV. No cable still and it was downstairs, so it didn’t have a huge impact on our activities. We now have a little one and are home an awful lot more than we used to be; I find my husband zones out in front of the TV almost every night. It’s never on when I’m home with my daughter during the day and I always retreat to another area to read, write, etc. once our daughter is asleep, but it’s such a bummer to have mindless Netflix or TV take the place of more meaningful activities.

    It’s not the intentional screen time that bugs me — I’m actually happy to see him relaxed on a Sunday afternoon with his football game — but just the idle channel surfing when we could be doing something together. The TV probably won’t be leaving the house, but you’ve inspired me to have a conversation with him about intentional viewing versus just turning it on every night once our daughter is asleep. A great change for the New Year. Thank you!

    Your TV-less living room looks beautiful.ReplyCancel

    • admin - Kendal, it was me who was the first one to suggest this to Andrew and he said he didn’t think it would do anything…so we tried an experiment and found out that just by removing it for two weeks we had filled that time by being together and more with the kids and it totally changed our evening rhythm. Just the other night we went to bed at 8 to read and ended up chatting about Stella’s school and all these other things we really needed to talk about that I know we wouldn’t have if there had been a TV to turn on and sink in front of. I went to bed thanking God for this blessing. Though seemingly small, the TV had replaced a lot of meaningful time we could have had together!

      I don’t think there is anything wrong with relaxing, evenings should be for that! And goodness, habits are really hard to change…especially when we are tired at the end of the day. But perhaps looking at it from an angle of a family experiment could help, or you guys could try TV-less date nights together at home and play games or cook! Lots of love to you mama! Thank you for sharing here and Happy New Year! x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Kathleen - Love your post and thoughtfulness. While I don’t think we’ll be moving our TV out of our main living area, for various reasons, I’m thinking about “concealing” it a bit more. A friend of mine hung easy diy curtains in front of her TV and I think it makes a difference not having it staring in your face all the time. I’d rather look at some pretty fabric than that big black box. I do remember quite a few years before we had kids where we didn’t have a TV and I wonder what I did with all that time (no TV and no kids)! Lots, I’m sure. 🙂ReplyCancel

    • admin - Kathleen, out of sight out of mind, yes yes! I think the curtain idea could be a wonderful solution, very creative! x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Ashley - Such a refreshing post, Amanda! It seems like you are really enjoying life with less TV 🙂

    We keep TV watching to a minimum in our home because we don’t want our daughter to be exposed to too much of it. However, we have already fallen into a habit of letting her watch it “here and there” (so hard not to when you need a break!) and at two years old she requests to watch it throughout the day…oops! So we’ve started really limiting her viewing time, or if she is given permission, then we choose shows or movies that we believe to be slow moving, calm, or filled with good lessons/education.

    My husband and I are huge movie watchers so we generally set aside our movie-watching time until after our daughter’s bedtime. We can’t give up our movies! 🙂 And while I hope to once again remove our TV as the focus of the living room, for now that is where we have to keep it (we don’t want it in our bedroom, and we live in an apartment so there is no option of placing it in an upstairs or downstairs room) 🙁

    By the way, cutest little corner play nook! You have such a pleasing aesthetic and great taste/home decor style that I’m always able to draw inspiration from you. Thank you for that! 🙂ReplyCancel

    • admin - Ashley, we are movie lovers too…especially right now before the Oscars! Thank you for your kind and encouraging words, girl. It means a lot. x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Rachel Clem - Amanda,

    I just love this post (and really all of your posts) but this one in particular really resonated with me! Thank you for sharing this. It is very inspiring and something I am going to suggest in our household. I’d love to know what some of your favorite children’s books are. I enjoyed seeing pictures of all the toys your children use to inspire creativity too.

    RachelReplyCancel

  • Eda - I think not having a TV is great! We don’t have one in our home at all. So the whole commercial-issue is really not an issue for us. But my problem is, that our son Levi loves to watch cartoons on the Mac Book. When I am in charge(which is most of the days), I try to turn it on only when we come home from playing outside or when I want to cook something or prepare myself for work (I work in the evenings). But there are days when Levi wakes up in the morning and the first thing he wants to do is watching a show. He is such a stubborn child and that means a lot of screaming and fighting – I hate it. When I allow him to watch something, it always ends in tantrums after I switch the computer off. I struggle with the fact that he can be so focused when he watches cartoons, but barely when he should play by himself (he is 2 years and 3 months). And to be honest – I love being a mum, but I cannot be his entertainer the whole day. I just think there must be times when kids play alone. But in reality, we end up having a lot of fights and meltdowns throughout the day because of this. And being pregnant with our 2nd one isn’t making the situation any easier. I often see other kids and it seems as if they just love their alone-time, that makes me happy for their parents – but makes me sad for myself. Do you know what I mean? Do you have any ideas for helping a kid focusing longer and with more fun? Thanks, Eda.ReplyCancel

    • melissa - Eda, I just wanted to throw this out there: my son is 6 and the other day I watched him put on his snow clothes, go outside and entertain himself for about an hour in the sub-freezing temps–alone. When he was 1, 2, 3, and even 4 I wondered how I was ever going to get him to just PLAY alone without me. He is my oldest, and he has two younger sisters now. They all have different personalities, and he just took a while to learn to play alone. Which I admit was pretty hard sometimes in those early years, but all those times telling him it was time for him to just play have finally sunk in. 🙂 Good luck!ReplyCancel

      • Eda - Melissa, I thank you for your words and encouragement! And it makes me happy, that you and your son have come to this point. xo, EdaReplyCancel

      • admin - Melissa, I nodded my head while reading this. Our three are all so very different and take their own time to learn how to do things but persistence pays off! Thank you for sharing with Eda. x AmandaReplyCancel

    • admin - Eda, great questions here, thank you for sharing your experience! Okay, so it sounds like your little Levi is just really connected to his current routine and maybe you guys could start shortening that time on the Mac Book and filling it with other fun opportunities for him? He also sounds just like my Alfie. You could get some new crafts and start with that, or make a new play space for him to enjoy and just not let him watch a show right off the bat? Just like everything else regarding parenting, when trying something new it takes heaps of patience but take heart! I think you are doing a fabulous job and no way is it a parents job per se to entertain their kid’s all day long. That would be exhausting. Also because Levi is your first I think it is totally normal to feel as you do. Stella played alone really well (it surprised the heck out of me) but Alfie just does not sit still AT ALL and makes it really hard to leave him in one place. Therefore I have to really keep a lot of kid-safe activities around he can do. Interestingly enough, he does not gravitate towards toys but other things. He loves helping me, so maybe you guys could do helping home tasks together? Alfie loves stacking, sorting, and anything that makes him feel like big kid. Be gentle with yourself mama, and don’t feel any pressure from anyone to try something you don’t feel is a fit for your family. You know best what you guys need to lean into that. Much love to you! x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Jessie - All through reading this I was catching myself saying in my mind, “Totally!” “Exactly!” “Me too!” “Always!” And it bothered me so much that we have all of this distance between us because I so would love a good chat about all of this with you! Those miles…grrr! Haha. But truthfully, there is SO much of what you wrote here that is JUST what we’ve been thinking/feeling/deciding/changing lately. About the kids being so influenced by commercials and wanting more and more and more…about the noise of the TV just being NOISE and making me feel so anxious and stressed…about our decision to NOT have TV on first thing in the morning and opt for mellow tunes instead (the best!)…about when our TV broke a few weeks ago and not having it work for one week was perhaps the best week of my life (ha) and how each of those evenings involved Fred and I cozied up in our chairs in the living room, sipping our wine by candlelight and having the best of conversations (he noticed it too how special that was…and how it was entirely possible because the TV was out of the picture). Ultimately, because of his interest in sports (KC Chiefs, KC Royals, LA Angels ;)), I don’t see us going 100% TV-less, but my hope is to do what you’ve done one day…when we have a home that’s a bit larger than our wee little beach rental 😉 Until then, I am absolutely intentional about how the TV affects our home life. It does not come natural for me to turn it on, so that helps. And the less we have it on…the less we all want it on. No one misses it…which is a beautiful answer in itself. So happy about this and the decisions you and Andrew are making for your family. Love you lady. xxReplyCancel

    • admin - Jessie, again on the distance thing..grrr is right! xx So I am going to throw this out there…get a projector! We have one for outdoor movies and such and you could use that to hook up to watch games etc. or when you guys really wanted to watching something live. Like Sunday’s game…go Chiefs! I think the first step is in truly recognizing how you feel about it and then sitting with that for awhile. Then the actual doing something is the hard part. Maybe you could do without for longer and journal about it as a family? One day we will sit on a patio under bistro lights and sip wine and toast to our uncanny likeness. Love you mama! x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Alyssa - My husband and I were married this past August and decided before marrying to forego a TV for an entire year in an attempt to better foster connection. So far it has been enjoyable and fruitful, of course we have nothing to compare it to yet– but I am inspired by your post and am encouraged by the benefits you and your family are enjoying.

    You’re discipling so many women through your platform whether they know it or not. Thank you for honoring your design and being intentional in sharing your experiences; you’re a breath of fresh air!ReplyCancel

    • admin - Alyssa, GIRL YOU ROCK. Seriously, what a gift to your marriage and what beautiful souls you have for recognizing this opportunity together! Just beautiful. And thank you for your encouraging and kind words. They felt like a big hug. x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Heather Legge - So when I lived in a house the tv was in the basement and it was perfect. Now I live in an apartment and there really is nowhere to put it but the living room. The only other option would be my bedroom. I see it negatively impacting my kids being in the living room…they watched far less tv at the house. Any suggestions? I suppose if I put it in the bedroom, we could snuggle up in my bed for movies, but I don’t want to end up laying in bed all the time myself, binging on Netflix. 😉ReplyCancel

    • Gaby - I have the exact same problem Heather! We live in an apartment where the only 2 possible places for the TV are: the living room or the bedroom. And my husband is an AVID sport watcher so there’s no way we’re getting rid of the TV. I’ve always been anti TV in the bedroom, but with kids having it in the living room isn’t ideal either. What to do?!ReplyCancel

      • admin - Gaby, for us the TV was turning into something of a frustrating source so it was clear that we needed to remove it to experience the changes we desires. It may not be the same for you guys. If I were you, I’d get rid of them and buy a projector. That way you don’t have it sitting there and you can be much more intentional about when you watch it as opposed to just having to click a button to turn it on. You’d be VERY surprised how much less my sports loving husband watches too and admittedly he loves it. Maybe this could be a solution? x AmandaReplyCancel

    • admin - Heather, my suggestion to you would be to get a reasonably priced projector! This could really help you be more intentional and it would be out of sight out of mind. Just not having it there sitting in plain view for the kids to see helps WAY more than anything else. They never even ask to go upstairs and watch it. I hear you on the no TV in the bedroom. We got rid of ours a year ago for the same reasons, it can be really hard to turn off those addicting shows in bed haha! I feel ya! x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Lauren - Love this Amanda, and I think it’s always best to limit TV with little ones, so good for you guys! My 2 year old daughter still watches 1-2 shows a day but there are many days where I try not to turn on the TV at all.

    My question for you – how do you come up with crafts for your kids (especially the younger ones) that go beyond the standard coloring/finger painting? Is there a book or a website that gives you ideas? I’d absolutely love a post on ways you’ve entertained toddlers at home without resorting to the TV. My daughter is super active and loses interest quickly in things so it’s a constant battle for me to keep her entertained & occupied!!

    Thanks so much!ReplyCancel

    • admin - Lauren, oooh crafting! I am a craft nerd myself and I love Pinterest for inspiration. Our family also follows Waldorf rhythms and there are so many wonderful ideas out there that follows their educational philosophy. For 2 year olds (between Alfie and Theo) we do a lot of watercolor painting, coloring, stamps, gluing random things on paper, chalk, play dough, and they help me in the kitchen by pouring things etc. You’ve inspired me to come up with a post on this…I have gathered a lot of crafting supply over the years I think could be really wonderful sharing in the space to give others ideas too! Thank you love. x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Rachael Weesjes - We are a no-TV family. Got rid of it 4 years ago (a month before my second child was born) and have never looked back. We found ourselves saying alot “Ugh, I wish I had time to…..” and then one day I had an epiphany and it struck me that yes I do have time….I watched 2 hours of TV the night before. Now, my husband and I connect every. single. night. after the kids go to bed. We make a tea, and sit on the couch, looking at each other, discussing our day, what the week looks like, how we can love and encourage the other person, what kind of things we can pray for, etc etc. It’s really deepened our relationship. I also now have time for an hour of exercise during the day, and even time to read!ReplyCancel

    • admin - Rachel, I heard once “we don’t get more time, we make more time.” It’s so true. If something matters you make time for it by cutting out other areas of your life that are not adding value, but gosh it’s so hard to step outside of that current! I commend you for figuring out what it is that you could do without and then actually doing it! Very brave. I love how this has deepened your relationship as well. What a blessing! Andrew and I feel this too and it’s given us an opportunity to be closer than we have in a long time. Thank you so for sharing your heart here. x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Heather - I just love this! We have not gotten rid of the TV but about a year ago realized that we,too, had fallen into the habit of always having the TV on for “background noise” or whatever and the kids were getting seriously addicted to TV especially in the mornings! We decided to not allow TV in the mornings at all and also disconnected the cable to our second TV so they couldn’t sneak off to watch TV elsewhere. We’ve probably decreased our TV time by 75% and it has made a big difference in our mornings and our evenings too are more peaceful with more time for art, blocks, music and other engaging play.ReplyCancel

    • admin - Heather, love your words here. Glad you took the leap! x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Kir - I love your living room and I love the quote, the idea about intention is often on my mind. I have three children, ages 10, 13, and 1 1/2 and I would love to not have the tv! We have the tv in a room that adjoins the kitchen (without cable) and it isn’t often on, but for relaxation the older two do immediately think of can I watch something! Also, my husband does too. While we have no cable the computer becomes that vessel as well. I wish we had a space that wasn’t a bedroom and that wasn’t a main living space and was a little work so that you had to really be intentional about it. I do agree with the energy of a space with a TV! Maybe disconnecting it and having to plug it in to watch or play anything; however, I think the iPad or phone would become more attractive then and that’s even less unifying! My issue isn’t being anti-tV or movies, my middle son is very interested in film, but in the calm and the focus and the forgotten nature of sitting.ReplyCancel

    • admin - Kir, I think it’s all about leaning into the balance your family needs and going in that direction. Our kids are all very small and not having one now does not seem as bit of a shock to them. We love movies, Netflix series, and inspiring documentaries so I am not anti-TV either. BUT. Not having it in the main rooms of our home has given us other options and have invited in a beautiful silence that we all really needed. Who would have known that this kind of calm can be achieved by removing a TV? I think it could be a fun experiment for you guys to try, maybe removing it and seeing what it feels like for a week or month? Thank you for sharing here, dearest! x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Hayley - Love this post! We decided to take the TV out of our bedroom at the New Year. Although we didn’t watch it too often, when we did we always seemed to stay up too late and drag the next morning. Surprisingly, since we removed it, our room feels so much cozier and we’ve been going to be earlier and reading together. I love it!ReplyCancel

    • admin - Hayley, we were the exact same when the TV was in our bedroom. Often times we would turn it on and stay up way too late ending up being really groggy (and me in a sour mood) in the mornings. Every now and again I’ll bring the laptop in there for movies or something but it’s rare. The environment without makes our bedroom feel more sacred. I love it. Thank you for sharing! x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Bunny - To give context, I’m 52 years old, been married to the same wonderful man for 32 years and have six children between the ages of 20 – 31.

    I grew up without a TV. When my husband and I married, we discussed whether to buy a TV or not and decided we would hold off until we felt we needed one. We haven’t bought one yet. I think parenting was simpler when I was raising kids because I could more easily control the environment in by home by deciding what outside influences I allowed in my home. Having no TV was the main one. Do I think all TV is bad? Not at all. But every time I go to a hotel and flick on the TV, hoping to find something good to watch, I’m reminded again why we chose not to have one.ReplyCancel

    • admin - Bunny, first off CONGRATS on 32 years. That is a huge inspiration. My parents have been married for 35 this year. 🙂 I nodded to every word you wrote. TV is not all bad, but it absolutely lets us parents create a more intentional style of living in our homes and that is very empowering. Thank you for sharing your experience, mama! x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Christine - Love what you’ve noticed with this change! I grew up without a TV and my husband claims he was “raised by TV,” so we cover the spectrum on TV watching. We haven’t had a TV in our living room since we married. It’s wonderful. I get questions about it from people new to our house, and it cracks me up, mostly. We do have a television tucked away downstairs, but it’s used like yours, one show a day per kid. Makes for less fussing and it’s not an “object of worship” in the way it seems as the focus of the living room.ReplyCancel

    • admin - Christine, absolutely with regards to “object of worship”. Out of sight and the kids don’t even know to request it! It then becomes a treat rather then something they default to wanting, or needing by the tone of their voices. Less fuss is wonderful. Thank you for sharing your experience here! x AmandaReplyCancel

  • #realmothersdiversevoices : Amanda Watters - Whole Family Rhythms - […] to chip in these days so I take advantage of that and it helps their transition to the table. We removed the TV from our living room so if they are not wanting to help me in the kitchen they often times go play there. I am not […]ReplyCancel

  • Creating a Daily Rhythm at Home » Homesong - […] to chip in these days so I take advantage of that and it helps their transition to the table. We removed the TV from our living room so if they are not wanting to help me in the kitchen they often times go play there. I am not […]ReplyCancel

  • Cultivating a Slow Life // the goal is Simplicity – Shiloh House - […] now, and then while researching the matter , I stumbled onto a blog post of my favorite blog, about intention over habit , and it encouraged me to take the leap and remove the telly from the living room, and allow a […]ReplyCancel

  • Yoga Online With Kids + Postpartum Recovery » Homesong - […] you well know, we have very little screen time in our home, if any, but when we do I am really intentional about how we use it together. The kids love when we […]ReplyCancel

  • Hannah - Are you still TV freeReplyCancel

    • admin - Hannah, we have a TV in our loft (up and out of the way) but have not had one in our living room since this switch! It has been wonderful for our family. x AmandaReplyCancel

  • Homesong Book Club 2018 | Spring Books » Homesong - […] hard to establish and maintain boundaries around screen time and technology in general, notably giving our TV the boot from our main living area. This alone has had a tremendous impact on the quality of our family life. We value our time at […]ReplyCancel

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