5 Ways to Unplug Your Family Room and Spend Quality Time Together on a Budget

The last post about creating memories in the kitchen and the value of spending quality time with family inspired me to continue the theme and look specifically at unplugging the family room on a budget.

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Don’t let your time be compromised by technology, time, or a lack of funds. There are plenty of activities and ideas you can do that won’t break the bank. For instance, instead of spending a small fortune on going out to dinner several times a week, change up your at-home dining setting and get creative with your recipes. Or you can use the time to teach your kids valuable lessons, like how to be creative and be their own boss. 

While you brainstorm activities, there are small and affordable changes you can make within your family room to promote togetherness without technology. Try making some of these changes so your quality time with family includes engaging in personal interaction instead of staring at electronics.

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1. DESIGNATE A PHONE “SAFE”

To avoid having family time spent on phones instead of with each other, it’s best to eliminate the phones from the situation altogether. Designate a place, bowl, or bin for all of the phones to go in. You can even buy a cell phone organizer meant for classrooms and use it at home. It doesn’t have to be fancy, though, and can be something you already own.

This way, there is no temptation to reach into your pocket and check social media when you should be engaging in conversation and quality time with family. Trust me, I know how easy it is to go on your phone to check something, and the next thing you know, several hours have gone by because you’re scrolling through Facebook.

Most of us are guilty of putting too much emphasis on our digital lives instead of working on the things that matter most. Unplugging and detaching from your phone truly has benefits. Taking a break from your phone, even just for a few hours, can work wonders on your relationships and mental health. The bonus is that it forces you to interact with your physical surroundings and make genuine connections with others.

2. REARRANGE YOUR EXISTING FURNITURE

How your furniture is arranged can set the tone of your living room and for your family night. For example, most people have their seating positioned with a focus on their television. Instead, try arranging your seating so the focus is on your family or guests. 

If your living room has two smaller sofas, position them across from one another so that people can easily engage with each other. The same goes for chairs. Position them to allow for focus and flow of conversation.

You want to ensure that your living room furniture is welcoming and comfortable. If you have a saggy or lumpy sofa, no one is going to want to sit there for hours. Replacing your sofa doesn’t have to be a financial burden, you can easily find one that is high quality and affordable.

Ensuring that you have an inviting family room that encourages natural conversation will only help your quality time with family to be more organic. Simply rearranging or replacing key pieces, like your sofa, can make an immense difference in your family wanting to spend time together in your living room.

3. REMOVE (OR DISREGARD) YOUR TELEVISION

As mentioned, many people tend to arrange their living room furniture to focus on the television. We have become so dependent on our TVs that we often turn them on without thinking or let them play in the background.

It’s time to break that habit. The best part is that it won’t cost you any money. Better yet, you will likely save some money on your energy bill!

After you’ve rearranged your furniture to focus on the other people in the room, you have a couple of options. One is to remove it from your family room altogether. While this might seem like a drastic step, it will allow focus on other, more important activities. If you’re not quite ready for that yet, you can disregard your television. This means not turning it on and utilizing the phone “safe” to stash the remote.

Disregarding the television rather than removing it can allow for activities like family movie nights or watching a show together before bed. So you’re not wholly unplugged, but still spending quality time together.

4. GET COZY

Unplugging and spending quality time with family means getting comfortable with one another, both emotionally and physically. There’s no better way to do this than to make optimal use of your surroundings. 

Bring out all of your plush pillows and super soft blankets to adorn your newly positioned sofas and have a family sleepover in the living room! If it were me, I’d use the blankets and a few bedsheets to make a fort for everyone to camp out in.

With a decently sized coffee table, you can also host an indoor family picnic every few weeks. Take those soft pillows and blankets, throw them on the floor, and you are all set!

5. CREATE A GAME AREA

Remember all of those old board games you had growing up that are likely collecting dust in your parent’s basement? Well, it’s time to bring those out! Family game night is an old faithful when it comes to bringing people together and spending quality time with family. 

Make this a weekly or bi-weekly event in your household. The best part is if you still have those classic games from your childhood, little to no money will have to be spent.

Add a bookshelf to your family room to store your games if you want your collection proudly on display. If you’re looking to keep things out of sight while also adding extra seating, consider adding a storage ottoman to your living room decor. Then when it’s time for family game night, you can easily grab your games, surround your coffee table setup, and play!

Taking the time to immerse yourself in an old fashioned board game is a sure way to create great memories while spending quality time with family.

UNPLUG AND CREATE LASTING MEMORIES 

Spending quality family time together creates precious and lifelong memories for both you and your children. By even just limiting the amount of technology you allow into your living room, you’re teaching your kids that there’s more to life than what’s streaming on Netflix. The best part is, it does not have to be an elaborate, expensive affair!

Having these lessons and moments now will allow those memories to stick with them later on in life. Just like the memories of your family dinners, fort building, and game nights have stuck with and impacted you.

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Tootles,

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