A new term is circulating TikTok describing children who choose to spend most of their time in common spaces around the house rather than retreating to their rooms.

A “living room child” is the opposite of a bedroom child, one who usually plays and relaxes in their own room. A child in the living room feels comfortable enough to make his presence felt throughout the house.

said Dr. Martha Deiros Collado, clinical psychologist Newsweek that being a living room child transcends physical space. “It’s also about how families accept and welcome children’s play, toys and personal belongings into shared living spaces, rather than requiring them to be kept in bedrooms or separate spaces,” she said .

Being a living room kid means your presence is seen and heard, unlike growing up in a family where you were expected to stay out of sight.

Jess Darrington, a mother of two from Idaho, first heard of the term through TikTok. The night before she watched the video, she said Newsweek that she and her husband complained that they could not have a free moment during the day because their children like to be in the same room with them.

“But then after seeing that TikTok video explaining what it means, I found myself looking at my situation completely upside down,” she said. Newsweek.

She was inspired to post her own video on social media and explained why she was happy that her children were comfortable in all the spaces around the house. In clipher two children are laughing and playing in the living room, with some of their belongings on the floor and sofa.

Many other moms are taking to TikTok to share how they make their kids feel comfortable, valued and included using the hashtag “livingroomfamily,” which has more than 900 posts on the platform.

Although there is no specific research to support the developmental benefits because the concept is so new, Deiros Collado said Newsweek that the psychological impact of feeling included in all areas of the home can be profound.

“Children in the living room will feel more accepted and welcome in all areas of the house, rather than experiencing certain rooms as adult spaces versus children’s spaces,” she said.

When families allow toys and games to be part of the living room landscape, it “sends a strong message that children are not mini-adults. It communicates: the children also live here and we let them occupy as much space as the adults”. she added.

This new term contrasts with the more traditional idea that children must adapt to adult spaces without leaving a trace of their play. Dr Deiros Collado said the change is part of a wider movement by parents, particularly those who have experienced trauma in their own childhoods.

“Our homes are an extension of that, and the idea that parents don’t make accommodations for children feels old-fashioned and dismissive of the value that children and childhood bring to our lives and society,” she said. Newsweek.

Parents who grew up in a home where the only room that felt child-friendly or accepting of the things they enjoyed was their bedroom could have left them feeling excluded from family life, lonely or even under pressure to they behave like mini adults in the common spaces of the house.

“It makes sense that if you’ve felt any of this, you might want to give your child a different message; one that says, ‘you’re allowed to take up space in our house, it’s yours too,'” Deiros Collado said.

Darrington explained that her children love to follow her and her husband around the house, even when they are in the bathroom.

“Because they prefer to stay in the rooms we are in, such as the kitchen while we cook or the living room while we fold the laundry, it means the house gets a lot messier faster than if they were just playing. their playroom,” she said Newsweek.

After watching the TikTok video that defined a living room family, she posted her video along with the caption: “It’s worth the mess.”

While this inclusive parenting style can work well for younger children, Deiros Collado said that as children grow, their needs change and they’re more likely to want private spaces away from family more often.

“It’s also about how, as a parent, you allow your child to be seen and heard and convey the message that their thoughts and opinions have value, how they feel matter, and their interests are important. What children want most is to be accepted and understood for who they are,” she said.

Breaking with past expectations of separating spaces for children and adults, today’s parents are choosing to convey a strong message of belonging and acceptance.