“Hi, This is Emma Speaking:” We Got a Landline and You Should Too

One day last summer, my then-eight-year-old climbed grumpily into my car after camp. Following some initial huffing and puffing, she proceeded to demand that she needed her own phone. My imaginative daughter, who likes to carry around a purse full of homemade cardboard “smart phones,” now needs her own cell phone? While she was only going into 3rd grade, there were kids at camp as old as 8th grade. Seeing her “peers” with their own sparkly screens must have flipped a switch. After my initial reaction (an incredulous guffaw, followed by a “sorry kid, heck no”) and her subsequent silent treatment, I finally asked her, “Alright, Em, why do you think you need a phone?” She answered simply – “So I can call my friends.” And suddenly, there I was imagining life if we got a landline.

Within days of our discussion (or lack thereof), an article popped up from the Atlantic about a group of families who decided to get their kids landlines. I then started seeing ads for a company called Tin Can who was promoting a “new-school” land line that used Wi-Fi, just needed a normal outlet, and included parental controls. I think their Instagram account may have had just a couple thousand followers at the time. I didn’t know what to think, but I was intrigued.

Next up, crowdsourcing. I quickly posted in our school parent group trying to gauge who might be interested. “We’re all getting landlines this year! Who’s with me?” (or something like that). Many parents expressed their desire to wait as long as possible before getting their child a smart phone, to decrease screen time, and ultimately to take a step back in time with me.

In case you are not yet convinced, I’d like to share some positives I’ve observed in our first weeks with our new “landline.”

Instilling Confidence

I’ve seen a generation of kids who have grown up afraid to speak on the phone. They’ve texted and facetimed, but when it comes to picking up an actual phone to speak to another human – “Nope!” Let’s make it familiar. The first day we set up our phone, a boy from her class called to see if she had the phone number for another classmate. The interaction made me smile – You want something? Pick up the phone and ask for it!

Developing a sense of ownership and responsibility

Although the entire family can use the phone, it belongs to my 9-year-old. She has learned to answer the phone promptly, greet the caller politely, let them know if now is not a good time, and respectfully transfer the call to her little brother if a caller has requested to speak with him.

Strengthening friendships

We have friends in and outside of our own school who have recently set up their own Tin Can phones. Some we see regularly, and others not as much. Although some of her phone calls may last a minute or less, it is a really sweet way to see them connect and show each other – Hey I’m thinking of you!

Connecting with family

With a Tin Can phone, you can choose to either have the phone alone which can call free to other Tin Cans, or you can upgrade to a “Party Line Plan” for $9.99/mo (around the cost of a typical landline) that allows you to call out to external/non-Tin Can numbers. We opted for the party line so she would have the freedom to call family members who don’t own Tin Can phones. Any additional way to connect with family, near or far, is lovely!

Memorizing important numbers

Although this is probably something I should have done a few years ago, I never really made sure my daughter knew my phone number. With her new phone, she also has a new phone book to keep track of phone numbers for her friends and family. Within a couple of days (without my encouragement), she had already memorized the numbers of both parents and all four grandparents!

Safety and peace of mind

The Tin Can itself does not include any sort of screen – just buttons and speakers, like the good ‘ol days. It does, however, include an app parents can manage from their smart phones. This allows me to set quiet hours, decide whether or not the phone can dial out 9-1-1, and most importantly set approved numbers to call in and out. If I have not saved a number to our account, the call will not be received – no spammers or weirdos getting through! I can feel confident that it is someone I know whenever my children answer the phone. The app also includes a call log so we can review incoming and outgoing calls at any time.

Nostalgia

The nostalgia factor for the parents involved is strong here, and I think it’s lovely! We’re picturing ourselves chatting and making plans with our own elementary- and middle-school besties. Some of us may have fond memories of Skip-its, Creepy Crawlers, or Tamagotchis, but none of it is quite as pervasive as the nostalgia we all share for a good old-fashioned land line.

I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of a community that shares a similar mindset when it comes to how we approach our young kids and their access to smartphones. Having other parents and guardians on board with decisions like this can be crucial to your success. Although I think there are benefits to a Tin Can specifically, a good old-fashioned landline can also be a great choice.

Alright, now stop wasting time – get out there and set up your landline too!