Why We’re Living Without a TV—and Loving It

TV was our babysitter during busy moments and our go-to fix for toddler tantrums. Today, we’ve been living without a TV for a year—and it saved our sanity (and a lot of money). Here’s what we struggled with, how it brought more joy and connection, why it might be the best decision you ever make — and what happens when you stop watching TV at all.

Where We Come From (TV Was The Norm)

Marc and I both grew up with television. The older we got, the more we watched TV — for hours. Every evening, and sometimes even in the afternoon, after school, or on weekends. Television was the norm in our homes, and living without a TV seemed extreme to us.

Funnily enough, I wrote my thesis at university about the passivity of the viewer in media behavior — or in other words, why we watch TV and can’t stop. My thesis was over 300 pages long, so I was familiar with the mechanisms that keep us watching TV for hours, and the many social systems and norms that are conveyed through it.

The Turning Point: Breaking With The System

When Marc and I got married over eight years ago, we were a completely normal couple with a completely normal lifestyle. It took a few years before we made some unconventional decisions.

It all started with a break from the food system. We made major changes: from our diet of convenience foods from the supermarket to real, wholesome foods from the farm and our garden, home cooking from scratch, and seasonal eating. When we realized the huge benefits and health improvements of our new diet, the ball started to roll.

We began to rethink other systems — consumerism, finances, educational systems, and more. Every time we broke away from conventional cultural expectations, we found increasing joy and peace as a family. Breaking with “the TV system” felt like the next natural step for us.

Why We’re Living Without A TV

Honestly, it took some outside encouragement to start living without a TV at all.

It all started over five years ago, when our first daughter was born. I found less and less time to watch TV. But still, TV was part of our home, and we allowed our little daughter to watch TV before the age of three. She is the only child who knows both worlds, as she’s old enough to understand this transition. So, we know the impact of both worlds.

When she started kindergarten, we stopped watching TV altogether, as her new daycare follows the Montessori philosophy. In the end, that gave us the final nudge to start living without a TV at all.

The Montessori Philosophy Behind Living Without A TV

In Montessori education, television is seen as a barrier to creativity, active discovery, and hands-on learning through the senses — and that couldn’t be more true. Kids learn best when they actively do something rather than just passively consuming “learning content” from TV.

It’s also understood that children, especially those under six, can quickly experience sensory overload. This early phase — often called “The Absorbent Mind” — is when children build the foundation of their personality and begin developing their unique abilities, if given enough free play time.

Today, it’s up to us — not the TV — to shape what our kids absorb. We are so grateful that we’re living without a TV these days — because now we get to shape these precious early years of life for our kids with intention, connection, and calm.

Why We Don’t Have A TV Anymore – Or Do We?

YES, we still do have a TV — it’s even on display in our living room. But we are seriously considering creating a TV-free living room for embracing a screen-free lifestyle.

Why do we keep that TV, even though we don’t use it ourselves anymore in daily family life?

That has two reasons. One is that our parents visit regularly, and take care of our kids in the afternoons and evenings while we work. During that time, we’re okay with letting the kids watch carefully chosen programs. So far, that setup works well since it’s limited to that specific time. We also still watch YouTube — intentionally. Marc sometimes prefers using the TV in the living room over his phone for that in the evening.

Benefits Of Living Without A TV

The benefits of turning off the TV in our home? Honestly — we never imagined how deeply life without daily television would impact our daughter’s development. Since then, our eldest has grown in ways we never expected — and we’ve come to realize just how powerful that one decision really was, for our kids and our whole family.

Incredibly Creative Play

Since we’re living without a TV, our kids — especially our eldest — have gone from passive watching to hours of focused, imaginative play. She plays more freely, argues less, and even creates her own little (TV-style) stories. Her younger sister loves being involved.

Today, our daughters don’t need someone’s input to figure out what to do next. There is nothing beyond their own imagination. Our eldest comes home from kindergarten, runs into the living room, and starts to play on her own. Sometimes she wants quiet time or just to be with mommy. But mostly, she’s playing, painting, or crafting on her own. She’s fully in her own world, and that’s a gift.

I never expected that to be the outcome. Independent play for hours? That was a surprise I truly value.

Improved Family Interaction

Living without a TV removes the screen between you and your child — or your partner. That alone encourages the kind of family connection you may not even realize you’ve been missing. Because even if everyone is watching the same show, it’s still a solo experience — not real time spent together.

Improving family connections without TV can really work. With fewer distractions, we have richer conversations, longer shared meals (because no show is waiting), and more bedtime stories than ever. It’s simply more quality time. Inside and outside the house. That is a gift — for our kids, and for us as parents.

More Free Play Time Outside

Passive screen time is an indoor activity — and often, it leaves kids craving even more stimulation, sinking deeper into that couch.

Since we’re living without a TV, we’ve been far more likely to create our own fun — rather outside than inside. We love gardening with the kids, heading to the playground, or simply going for a walk into the woods. The moment we leave the house I notice a wave of relief — in all of us. There’s something truly magical about being outdoors.

The global 1.000 hours outside challenge captures this perfectly: encouraging a full year of outdoor play. That’s about 2 hours and 45 minutes every day — and the health benefits are massive. Movement, fresh air, vitamin D, and mental calm. The World Health Organization (WHO) actually recommends: A child should spend at least 1-2 hours outdoors and engage in at least 3 hours of physical activity every day. Kids in the U.S. average less than 10 minutes outside daily. In Germany (where we live), it’s 1.5 hours — as in many other European countries.

Meaningful Learning Activities

Replacing TV with meaningful activities can also happen indoors. Even rainy days feel active and intentional for us. The kids help in the kitchen, ask to “exercise” on our big blue gym mat, and — my favorite — my eldest now asks if we can do her preschool books together. She’s eager to learn letters and numbers, and I love seeing that spark of curiosity grow and this form of intentional learning in our home.

Whether indoors or outdoors, kids who are given the gift of free play time lose themselves in imagination, wonder, and curiosity. And from that space, they naturally develop a love of learning and grow in their own unique ways — shaped by the rich sensory world around them.

Better Sleep

In my early adulthood I often stayed up later than I should, just to finish one more episode. The next morning, I barely dragged myself out of bed. But cutting back on blue light and screen time can make a huge difference. We sleep better and start our days with more energy. Engaging in calming activities before bed helps us wind down naturally. I’ve written about that in A Productive Evening Routine For Working Moms + Free Checklist.

Higher Attention Span

Today, TV has been supplemented by phones and tablets, constantly pulling our (kids’) attention. But all that overstimulation affects our focus. I can confidently say that ever since we’re living without a TV, our attention span has improved dramatically. If you want to further explore that topic, I highly recommend reading Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World.

Saves Money

Living without a TV saves you money in two major ways.

I work in communications and marketing for over 20 years, and I can tell you: the less you’re exposed to bad news, fear-based content, or shows and ads telling you what you or your kids need to buy — the less likely you are to fall into the trap of impulse spending like I did.

Another way that living without a TV can save money is by cutting ongoing costs. It’s not just the price of the TV itself or the next “bigger and better” upgrade. It’s the sound system, the wall mounts, streaming devices, subscription services, monthly cable bills and the electricity costs from extended screen time.

Challenges You Might Face In A Life Without Television

At first, adjusting to life without a TV can feel uncomfortable. We went through weeks of frustration. But on the other side, we discovered something much deeper. It’s worth pursuing that, despite the following challenges.

Cultural Disconnect

One of the biggest challenges of living without a TV is the occasional feeling of being out of the loop when you’re part of conversations about trending shows, but you haven’t seen what everyone’s talking about. We’ve learned to navigate these moments with curiosity. And for must-see sports events or games like the Football World Cup, we join public viewings or watch with friends to stay connected.

Kids’ Boredom At First

When kids have no screen time to fall back on, they have to dig deeper to figure out how to stay entertained. The transition to raising kids without screen time wasn’t easy—we heard “I’m bored” more than once. It took a willingness to sit with discomfort and real effort not to rely on TV as the easy fix. But it paid off fully in creativity, calm and free play. Now, there’s simply more space to think, create, and reflect. The boredom we once feared became the doorway to something richer.

No More Background Noise

At first, the silence felt almost unsettling. We hadn’t realized how often we used the TV as background noise. Without it, the house felt still, almost too still. It took time to adjust, and replaced the hum of the screen with the following alternatives.

Alternatives To Watching TV

“The Audiobook Tablet”: One of our favorite discoveries came during a recent long car ride. Our eldest has a Toniebox (though she only ever uses one Tonie!), and it’s become her go-to companion. But now, I’m thinking about replacing it with something that offers a wider variety of rich, age-appropriate literature—an “audiobook tablet” preloaded with high-quality children’s audiobooks from trusted authors that truly spark her imagination.

Music also filled the silence that came from living without a TV. I’ve developed a real love for country music, especially in the afternoons while cooking. It’s amazing how a good song can change the energy in the whole house. I use our Alexa in the living room for that—no subscription needed. Even our youngest started telling Alexa which kids’ songs to play at just two years old.

Podcasts, especially, have been a game-changer for us as parents. Much of what we’ve learned over the past few years has come from there. We often listen through the creators’ YouTube channels or blogs, where many podcast recordings are shared directly. It might take a bit of research, but there’s almost certainly a podcast out there that’s just right for you—maybe something like the 1.000 Hours Outside Podcast.

Books and Blogs: The most powerful outcome of living without a TV for me personally has been my rediscovery of reading books in the evenings, and sometimes blogs, too. They’ve become quiet sources of reflection, growth, and calm for a good night’s sleep.

So… Should You Do It Too?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck in a loop, giving up TV—even temporarily—might just open the door to a better version of life for your family. Don’t make the choice based solely on what’s “normal” or expected. Reflect on your current family rhythm and the changes you’d love to see—and let that guide your decision.

If considering a TV-free family life, try a TV-free week, unplug during evenings and weekends, or consider reducing screen time at home down to a minimum. Then see what fills the space. You might be surprised by what you gain.

Resources For Screen-Free Parenting

If you need some inspiration for screen-free parenting, you may want to check out these resources:

• Screen-free week initiative
• 1.000 hours outside challenge
• “Live more screen less” initiative
• Why “healthy children” recommends no TV for infants & toddlers
• “Kids to parks day” initiative
• Project Nature
• Green Hour Book: A Daily Dose of Nature for Happier, Healthier, Smarter Kids
• “Get the kids outside” blog
• Kids book “A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems”
• How screen time affects childhood development

Living without a TV isn’t about being extreme. A no screen lifestyle is simply about choosing connection over distraction, and presence over passivity.

We’re living without a TV for one year—it saved our sanity and we gained our life back.

Maybe it’s time you gave it a try too.

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🚀 Now it’s your turn: Can you relate to one of the benefits or challenges from living without a TV — or have you experienced a similar one yourself? Share your story in the comments and inspire others on their own journey to mindful living without television.