By India McCarty
Cell phones have kept us connected with people around the world, but some parents are choosing to take some time to disconnect with an old school device — the landline.
“We’re not meant to be available 24/7,” Alexia Ferrari, a social media influencer known as “The Millionaire Homemaker,” posted on Instagram. “As I learn to balance motherhood, leadership, and digital growth, I’ve felt the need for deeper boundaries with tech — because just like you, I want to raise kids who feel seen, not second to a screen.”
Ferrari shared that her family has started “shutting phones off at night, and the life, family, and business improvements are astounding,” from feeling less stressed to encouraging more conversations in the home.
“We’re even seriously considering installing a corded phone in our house so phones actually go away at night. No scrolling. No texts. Just family,” she wrote.
Ferrari isn’t the only mom considering a move back to landline phones. In an article for Southern Living, writer Elizabeth Passarella shared why she wants a landline, from teaching her children proper phone etiquette to keeping her kids safe at home.
“My daughter can stay home alone for short periods of time — long enough for me to run to the drugstore or pick up her middle brother from play practice — but isn’t yet old enough for her own phone,” Passarella explained. “A landline allows her to call me in an emergency. The other reason is that I hope when someone (again, my mother or dentist) calls, my kids will learn to say hello properly, make a little small talk, and gracefully end a conversation.”
Related: Home Phones Are Making a Comeback — Here’s Why
Gwen Hefner, founder of the The Makerista blog, also put in a landline phone, wanting her kids to be able to reach her without getting them a smartphone.
“You have to sit with them at first and teach them to say ‘Hello’ or ‘How are you?’ when someone picks up,” she laughed, adding, “Talking on the phone is a learned skill. But it will make them stand out someday.”
Landlines aren’t just having a good influence on kids. In an essay for The Every Mom, Patty Schepel put in a landline and saw many positive changes, from better mental health, to being more present with her kids.
“Instead of wanting to plant myself on the couch with my phone, I actively interacted more with my kids, and I know they felt it, too,” she wrote. “We’ve visited our local parks, played outdoors, and played together more than ever. And I’m not scrolling on my phone on a park bench either.”
Schepel continued, “By turning my mobile phone into a landline, I felt like I was better connected with myself, my family, and my friends. Being in the moment and out of the digital world 24/7 felt freeing again…I intended for this experiment to last over a week, but it’s been almost three weeks now. The landline is still in use.”
From better mental health to more meaningful time spent with family off of phones, it looks like there are no downsides to installing a landline and disconnecting for a while.
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