Life With a Landline
Technology that adds real value
When I asked my husband to handle the purchase and setup of a landline for our home, I did not expect him to choose the most retro-looking phone he could find. But one day, I walked into the living room, only to be greeted by a shiny black rotary telephone that looked just like the one my grandma used to have in her kitchen.
"Do you love it?" he asked excitedly.
The kids were less impressed. "You've got to be kidding," said our oldest teen. "Why did you get the weirdest-looking phone possible?"
"Because it's funny!" my husband said. "I grew up with one of these."
"What, in the 1800s or something?"
Pretty much every person who's seen it since, whether they're young and old alike, has said the same thing: "Is that thing real?", followed by, "That's awesome!"
Pro-Independence
While I would have chosen a sleeker, more modern-looking phone to sit prominently in our home, the rotary phone's old-fashioned appearance has not inhibited its performance. In fact, I wish we'd introduced a landline sooner—or never gotten rid of the one we used to have when our kids were really small.
There are many things I appreciate about it, but the biggest benefit is that the kids now have an independent line of communication with whoever they want. They call their grandparents, uncles, and friends on a regular basis, anytime they're struck with an urge to chat.
Frequently, I walk past the living room and see my youngest child lounging on the couch, feet up on the cushions, yakking to his uncle or grandma, while twirling the phone cord around his fingers, exactly the same way I did as a kid. I've had the privilege of listening to their conversation skills develop, going from stilted and awkward to relaxed, as they get used to the idea of talking on the phone—a surprisingly foreign concept to many kids these days.
Whenever the phone rings, they dash for it and answer it breathlessly, excited to find out who's calling, because there is no call display. Every call is a mystery!
Built-In Reassurance
Though I've never allowed myself to fret overly about their safety when I'm away from home, there is comfort in knowing that they can call my cell phone whenever they're home alone. (In the past, they would've had to text me from the desktop computer, which is a more cumbersome process, or go ask the neighbour for assistance.)
It makes things easier for me, too. I can call "the house" whenever I need to inform someone of a change in plans, ask if we need a specific item at the grocery store, or remind a kid of an upcoming appointment.
My husband bought them an address book to write down friends' phone numbers, but they seem fairly committed to the "loose scraps" model, with bits of paper floating in the phone's general vicinity. What I didn't realize is that many of these numbers are now fixed in their minds, since they dial them so often—again, just like my childhood!
Yesterday, I needed to text my son's friend to tell him to send my son home for dinner. I said aloud that I didn't have his number saved in my phone, but apparently my youngest child knew it from heart, thanks to the paper scraps. He recited it, and I sent the text.
There is safety in knowing phone numbers by heart, instead of relying on a contacts list in a cell phone that could get lost, broken, stolen, or run out of battery. It gives me a good feeling, knowing that my kids can call more than just me and their father, from any phone, in an emergency.
This Is What Tech Should Do
It is amusing that this piece of technology, which many would view as downright archaic, has done what the most modern and up-to-date telecommunications tech has failed to do—facilitate my family's communication by making it simpler and smoother. I could buy the latest iPhone, but it would not do as effective a job at allowing my kids to talk to me or their friends, because it would simultaneously introduce a host of other risks and distractions.
The landline is a techno-selectionist's dream come true, a superb example of technology adding value to our life without detracting from it in any way. I cannot recommend it highly enough if you're looking for a basic, commonsense solution to give your kids an independent means of communication.
Ours is from a Canadian company called Ooma (I have no affiliation with either company mentioned here). It's VoIP, so it makes calls over an Internet connection. This means that sometimes the call quality isn't great, as we don't have great wireless in our house, but it does the job. There are retro phones, hamburger phones, red lips phones, and, yes, regular modern phones.
I've seen some recent US-based coverage of the Tin Can Phone, marketed as "the new-school landline for friends." It comes in fun colors and, if desired, can link to an app on a parent's phone to approve all contacts. It even allows for 3-way calls, which is a neat idea for kids whose friends might be incentivized to get the same kind of landline.
Do you have a landline? I’d love to hear from readers in the comments about what your experiences have been!
Love this idea. Thank you for writing!
Done deal! Sold!