Saying No to Smartphones, Yes to Landlines

I am taking it back. WAAAAY back. To 1986.

Before cell phones. Before social media. Before COVID. Before extreme political divides. Back when life was simpler.

I want to give my kids the childhood I had, and I'm starting by bringing back the home phone.

My kids are 8 and 10. Some of their friends already have cell phones. The internet and social media scare me. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready for them to have their own phones.

But my daughter is 10, and she wants independence. Soon she'll be old enough to stay home alone. Soon she'll babysit (she already has—I just stayed with her). My kids are always asking to text their friends. I want them to be able to connect, but that means giving up my phone, and I have a JOB. I need my phone.

So I got a landline.

Actually, I got TWO landlines and TWO cordless phones—one for each kid with their own phone number. I remember fighting over the phone as a kid. It was part of growing up, but I'm trying to avoid the battle.

The confusion has been real: "Why doesn't my name pop up when I call you?" "Is there speakerphone?" "Can I FaceTime?" "Can I text?"

Nope. They're going to have to learn how to actually TALK on the phone.

And you know what? That's the point. Real conversations build communication skills, foster independence, teach phone etiquette—and as a parent, it's way less scary than wondering what they're seeing on a video call or who they're texting.

They can call family, their dad, their friends. They can feel independent without the distraction (and danger) of a smartphone.

But I didn't stop there.

I also ordered them tween magazines. One of my best childhood memories was reading through those magazines with my friends. I'm hoping my kids find them just as fun.

And speaking of old school: blogging. People say it's dead, but here I am, blogging away. I write for me. I love writing—always have. It's therapeutic. I love going back and reading what I wrote. I love documenting our lives.

I never got on TikTok (nope, never, don't have an account, never will). I was late to Instagram. I still have Facebook, and I appreciate how it's kept me connected to friends from school, friends around the world, reconnected me with people from my past, and helped me grow groups I've started over the years (mom groups, real estate groups).

But social media poses risks we didn't have to worry about as kids: cyberbullying, privacy concerns, mental health issues, and addiction.

Now, before you think I'm some perfect parent with no screens allowed...

I'm not here to tell you I'm perfect. Far from it.

Do my kids have too much screen time some days? Sure. But did I watch too much TV as a kid some days? Yes.

What even IS too much? We're busy parents—especially us single ones—and our kids work hard. School, extracurriculars, life. Isn't it okay to unwind at the end of the day or on weekend mornings with something mindless?

Balance. That's what matters.

My kids go to school every day. My daughter is a competitive gymnast training three days a week. My son is a soccer player training twice a week, constantly moving, playing with friends, at the park, riding bikes. They're also taking piano and drum lessons.

So yes, they get screens. And they deserve to unwind. This is what they choose, and I'm okay with it.

Because I unwind at the end of the day with screens too—after work, yoga/Peloton/running, laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, school drop-off and pick-up, driving to all the extracurriculars.

We watch TV. We watch YouTube shorts. We look at funny memes. But we have limits in place.

And no, they will not have their own cell phones. We'll also be reading magazines. And I'll be writing in this damn blog.

If you haven't read "The Anxious Generation," read it. Then do what feels right for your family.

For us? That means landlines, magazines, real conversations, and yes—some screen time too.

Welcome to 1986, with a 2025 twist.