diff --git a/packages/extension-placeholder/src/placeholder.ts b/packages/extension-placeholder/src/placeholder.ts
index 1d9692f65e..423dacd6f7 100644
--- a/packages/extension-placeholder/src/placeholder.ts
+++ b/packages/extension-placeholder/src/placeholder.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export interface PlaceholderOptions {
   }) => string) | string,
   showOnlyWhenEditable: boolean,
   showOnlyCurrent: boolean,
+  includeChildren: boolean,
 }
 
 export const Placeholder = Extension.create<PlaceholderOptions>({
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ export const Placeholder = Extension.create<PlaceholderOptions>({
     placeholder: 'Write something …',
     showOnlyWhenEditable: true,
     showOnlyCurrent: true,
+    includeChildren: false,
   },
 
   addProseMirrorPlugins() {
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ export const Placeholder = Extension.create<PlaceholderOptions>({
                 decorations.push(decoration)
               }
 
-              return false
+              return this.options.includeChildren
             })
 
             return DecorationSet.create(doc, decorations)