Millennial mom swears by 'home phone' hack to teach kids independence and communication — it's working for many
Although new technology is known to make things fast and more efficient, some purposes might only be fulfilled in the old-fashioned way. That is exactly what a millennial mom thought of when she realized that her kids might have to stay home alone more often and she was not ready to get them cell phones yet. In their moment of confusion, the parents turned to a trusty old technology — a home phone. The mom, Brittney Mast, who goes by @momsfororegon on Instagram, shared her reasoning behind the decision with the platform.
Mast shared that she had put a home phone in her house as a millennial in 2025. The mom made the decision for a wide variety of reasons, including "We’ve decided a cell phone is not an option for our kids until they’re much older." The parents had also realized that the kids would need a phone available to them as they start staying at home by themselves more often. "We realized they don’t know how to hold a conversation on the phone. They’re too used to FaceTime!" The parents also wanted their kids to have access to reaching out to their family without having to depend on their parents' cellphones.
"For all these reasons, my husband and I decided to just default to what we did growing up and get a home phone," Mast went on. Her kids have loved the change so far and love calling their grandma on their own. "We showed them what to do when you answer the phone. You have to be the one to say hello and things like that. Just basic telephone etiquette they’ve never been taught before, because they’ve never had a phone to answer," the woman revealed to TODAY.com. She also gave a heads-up to her family members to be patient with the kids, as they were not used to talking on phones like that. The parents installed an internet-enabled home phone instead of the traditional landline, as it can be quite hard to install today.
After the success of the home phones, they have purchased quite a few old technology items for their kids. "Both of our kids have CD players in their rooms. We were trying to figure out how to let them listen to music and have some sense of control over that. And CDs were just the easiest thing to do," the mom told the outlet. The parents have also considered buying a secondhand Game Boy for their kids. The woman clarified that they have nothing against new technology, but are trying to introduce technology in their kids' lives in a responsible way.
People shared their thoughts on the idea in the comments section of the video. @ourcreeksidecabin wrote, "Yes! We got one when our kids could stay home alone. My girls are 14 and still don’t have cell phones. We will get them flip phones next year when they start high school." @jgray690 commented, "Yes! We did this. I hope this becomes a trend over the next few years. Force these kids to have actual conversations! 3 ways calling, no texts." @momsforarizona remarked, "Same reasons why I want a home phone! Or like, what if I've fallen and can't get up and don't remember where I put my cell phone, so I need my kid to call an ambulance?"
You can follow Brittney Mast (@momsfororegon) on Instagram for more family-related content.