Let’s Give Kids a Landline!
Hello, fellow parents, I have a proposition– for the sake of the children, we should bring back landlines.
Why, you ask? Bear with me:
1. Cell Phones are terrible for kids1.
They are bad for all of us, which I think is obvious. But for kids – phones are ruining their lives. Bullying, anxiety, even suicide. If we can DELAY their access to and reliance on cell phones, we should.
2. Kids need socialization2!
The need to learn to talk to people, to make plans, etc. They can call their grandparents, their cousins, their friends. They can plan bike rides, hangouts, etc.
3. It helps build self sufficiency and responsibility3.
Kids want to have more of a role planning their lives. Right now this falls to parents, both as parents AND as the keepers of communication, but it doesn’t need to. Even my kindergartner can dial a phone.
OK, OK so HOW?
Of course Quest centurylink Lumen offers phone lines. They can be expensive. No worries, there are inexpensive VOIP options.
I have not tried these, and I am not affiliated with them, but check it out:
https://www.ooma.com/home-phone-service/buy
Practically free- the monthly charge is only a couple bucks – mostly for 911 services.
You have to buy a device, plug it into your router. Then hook up any normal phone you might have or find at Goodwill.
https://www.vonageforhome.com/plans
<$10/month. Same kind of thing: plug a box into your router, plug the other end into your phone
PLEASE DO IT! FOR THE KIDS!