How Our Family Makes Time for TV (and Each Other!) During a Busy Week

 *AD - This post is a collaboration with TV Licensing (a trademark of the BBC), but all thoughts and experiences are my own.*

In our house, the TV isn’t just a screen in the corner, it’s where we gather to unwind, laugh, and connect, even with all our different and busy schedules. Whether it's a cosy evening watching our favourite shows to unwind individually, a Saturday night filled with game shows and takeaways as a family, or (now we are coming up to that special time of year) Christmas day films on TV, the telly is a big part of our family life and our downtime together.

That is why when we were asked to take part in the Rest and Connect campaign with the BBC, we jumped at the chance to share with you how TV helps us unwind, reconnect and relax as a family. 

Making Time for Our Favourite Shows

Life can get hectic, especially with kids in school, work commitments, after-school clubs and all the usual family to-dos. But we’ve found that a little time on the sofa, enjoying a good show together is the perfect way to unwind. There’s something about sinking into the sofa after a long day, PJs on, a cup of tea (or something stronger!) in hand, and getting lost in a great show. Even when we are super busy, I try to find time to sit down for an hour or so before I go to bed to watch some TV and unwind, it helps my brain switch off from all the things it has had to think of throughout the day.

For me, there's nothing quite like my favourite soaps in the evenings. A bit of fictional drama never goes amiss – it’s that slice of escapism, that brief pause from reality, and a chance to watch other people’s ups and downs from the comfort of my sofa, making me think perhaps my own life isn't so bad after all! Whereas my husband and son are always tuning in for his weekly sports fix. Whether it’s football, racing, snooker or cricket, that’s their “thing” together, cheering on their teams and groaning when the referee has made the “wrong” call because they know better. It’s become a way for them to bond over something they both love and a bit of friendly rivalry when they support different teams, and they love that time together.

Saturday Nights: Game Shows and Takeaways

One of our favourite family traditions is our Saturday night game show marathon. Shows like these bring out our competitive (and silly) sides, as we all try to guess the answers or predict who’ll win. We order a takeaway (fish and chips or a Chinese is always a winner), curl up on the sofa, and settle in for a night of laughter. It’s amazing how something as simple as a shared show can bring us closer together and let us just enjoy each other’s company.

Getting Ready for Christmas with Movie Nights

The lead-up to Christmas is one of our favourite times in general but also for family TV. There’s nothing quite like a good Christmas movie to get us into the holiday spirit. With so many great movies out there, the Christmas movie evenings start well before the big day. We pull out the festive pyjamas, stock up on all the goodies – mince pies, hot chocolate, popcorn – and settle in for a film fest of Christmas classics. These nights are pure joy, a time for us to laugh, snuggle, and, yes, even sing along to the holiday tunes.

There’s just something magical about sitting in a cosy room filled with twinkling lights and a bedazzled Christmas tree, watching a classic Christmas film with everyone around. It's a small tradition, but it’s ours, and it’s something the kids will remember long after they’ve grown up. Plus, it always gets us all even more into the Christmas spirit, the only question is what is your go-to Christmas movie?

The Importance of TV for Self-Care

Some people think watching TV is just a way to pass the time, but for us, it’s a form of self-care. After a long day, sometimes what you need most is to kick back and relax with a show that makes you laugh or even shed a little tear. It’s a way to unwind, to let the stresses of the day drift away, and to reconnect with what matters most your well-being, health happiness and of course family time. Watching a TV show can help clear your mind of all the little tasks and stresses that you have been storing up all day.

Even on days when I’ve been juggling a million things, I look forward to that moment when I can just stop, switch off the “to-do” list in my mind, and watch something purely for fun. And, when the kids are watching along, it becomes a shared experience, full of inside jokes and memorable moments we’ll laugh about later.

Why TV (and a TV Licence!) Matter for Family Time

Having a TV Licence means we can tune in to live telly and catch up on BBC iPlayer without a second thought. It’s something we don’t think about day-to-day, but it makes a big difference. From live sports to drama series and Saturday night family favourites, our TV Licence lets us enjoy it all together, legally and hassle-free.

Your TV Licence lets you enjoy a huge range of live TV. It covers you for:

- All TV channels, like BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Dave and international channels – but you don’t need a licence if you only watch non-BBC channels on demand 

- Pay TV services, like Sky, Virgin Media, and BT – but these are platforms that could have both live and on-demand services 

- Live TV on streaming services, like YouTube and Amazon Prime Video 

- Everything on BBC iPlayer. 

This includes recording and downloading. On any device.

So, when life gets busy, we know we’ve got this easy, ready-made way to relax together, laugh together, and enjoy each other’s company. For us, it’s not about having the TV on all the time; it’s about knowing we have those go-to moments in the week when we can just be together. And in our family, that time is the most valuable of all.