We Got a Landline. My Kid is Thrilled. My Wife Was Right.
- Carson McLean, CFP
- Aug 28
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 29
We Got a Landline.
Yes… a landline. For our home.
Not because our cell service is spotty. Not because we’re prepping for some post-apocalyptic communications blackout. No, we got one because my wife wanted our 9-year-old to learn how to talk to people and for us to set a better example with our own screen time.
She’s been the one reminding me how much time we adults spend staring at screens. And she’s not wrong. Between email, texts, and the black hole known as “checking one thing real quick,” our phones are always around, even when we know we should be more present.
So this was her idea: get a house phone. One that lives on the counter. One that can’t scroll, swipe, or ping with notifications. One that just… rings and lets you talk.
To be clear, I resisted. A landline? It felt like we were installing a time machine. What's next an outhouse? But now that it’s here, I have to admit, she was right.
Our son loves it. He’s genuinely excited to call the parents of friends to set up times to play, or to talk to Grandpa about his upcoming birthday (and the “ideal gifts” list he’s carefully prepared). He was disappointed when he realized it didn’t have a massive curly cord you can stretch across the kitchen while pacing, but he's since accepted the cordless model.
He says hello. He asks questions. He signs off with, “Okay, see you soon!” And just like that, he’s learning real conversations and connections.
We’re going to hold out as long as possible on cell phones for our kids, and when the time comes, it’ll be a flip phone. No apps. No social. No internet. Just a tool. Because that’s what a phone is supposed to be, right? A way to reach someone, not a way to escape everything else.
My wife knew that. She saw that what we and our children needed wasn’t more access, but more freedom, the kind that comes from being connected without being consumed.
She didn’t say “I told you so.” She didn’t have to.
The look on my son's face when the landline rings and he picks it up, was enough.
About the Author: Carson McLean, CFP®, is the founder of Altruist Wealth Management, a flat-fee fiduciary financial planning firm based in Charlotte, NC. He helps families navigate the complexities of investing, retirement, and life planning — all while raising four kids and occasionally learning lessons the hard way, like how a landline can still teach connection better than any app.