How do you feel about latchkey children?

Question

latchkey children - kids who care for themselves while parents are at work

Answer 1

You are setting them up to "get into" things they should not. No parent at home, means I can drink cough syrup to get high or muse around looking for the beer in the house. Heck I might even find something sharp to play with.

Most children are not like this, but when children are left at home without supervision there is the chance they will do what they aren't supposed to.

Why not send him/her to after school care? Some schools charge by the day and others offer a monthly charge or none at all. It all depends on what you want to do. The child would be safer at school where he/she can be watched. They can get their homework done and have help from after school care people.

I don't think it is wise, in the 1970's it was different children went home and did what they were supposed to, now they don't.

Read this article about it...
http://www.aboutourkids.org/aboutour/articles/latchkey.html

Good Luck!

Answer 2

As a parent myself and a latchkey kid when I was growing up, I can say it would depend on so many things. If you live in town, do you have a trusting neighbor that can just keep an eye on the house, how old are your children, how mature is the one to be in charge, remember children can handle more than we give them credit for, how long would they be alone, do they have emergency numbers, fire escape plan, etc. When I was a kid my parents divorced and my mom had to go to work. My older sister was sick and I had a sister that was 4 years younger. We had neighbors that just sorta kept an eye on things out of the ordinary. We had to stay inside until my mom got home, didn't answer the door and took messages from phone callers for our mom that was "busy, outside" whatever. I cooked supper and clean up the house, my older sister didn't get to do too much when she wasn't in the hospital. A parent has to feel like her children will be safe, if you have a library for them to go to or an after school program, a parent you can trade a weekend day for a couple hours after school. There are alot of options today for children. I was 10 when we started this and I would haven't left my children at that age, things are much different now.

Answer 3

It all depends on their age and how long they are home alone. It certainly isn't the ideal solution, but some parents, especially single parents don't really have any alternative. If the child is at least 12 (most day cares won't take children over 12) and is responsible then I don't have a problem with it. Especially if it is just for 1-2 hours each afternoon.

Answer 4

I was a latchkey kid since 2nd grade. I did have an older brother, but he wasn't a babysitter. We had to call mom as soon as we got home, and it was expected that we would sit around watching TV and doing our homework until she got home. We had other friends in our Apt. building that we would play with in the courtyard, and we never got into very much trouble. Kids are kids, so they are going to play with stuff and make a mess every once in a while, but I think that if you treat them with respect and are straightforward with your expectations of them, you won't have too many problems.

As far as the kids who get into cough syrup and drugs and stuff, I have to say that none of that stuff ever even occurred to me. I grew up in a pretty ghetto part of Long Beach, but I was never offered drugs or anything like that until I was in High School in the OC. And I never tried them until college.

Your kids are going to hide stuff from you and do stuff you don't approve of even if you stay home with them every single day. The more freedom and responsibility you give them, the stronger they will be as people.

Answer 5

depends, how old are these latchkey children? at if one of them is 13 or above then I would say it's all good, as long as one is not a baby.

Answer 6

It really depends on the maturity of the child (aka, can they be trusted not to throw wild parties while they are home alone? Are they responsible to do their homework without being told? Will they use common sense when answering the phone or door? ). As long as the neighborhood is safe and have a neighbor who can be avaliable for emergancies, I'd have no problem.

Answer 7

I guess sometimes it can not be helped but the parents need to participate, call and make sure they are home, rules to stay inside and no friends allowed in, rules like that and make sure they are followed. I had a neighbor and her son was one [although she rarely worked] he would come to my house because she had forgot and locked the door. Her plan was to leave the door unlocked and her five year old son was to go in after school that is not acceptable. As a teenager he was in trouble with police and last I heard was in jail. As a parent you need to keep your kids safe and if they need to come home alone you need to prepare them so they can do it safely.

Answer 8

Depending on their ages and level of maturity. Their are classes done by the Red Cross for children who are home alone. They give some helpful information in case of emergency and what do do for entertainment that is safe.

Answer 9

Nothing wrong with it if they are old enough and mature enough. I got off the school bus and was alone until my mother got home when I was 9 years old.

Answer 10

if they are old enough, fair enuf, but i think they need to kno exactly where they can go (i.e, next door) to get an adult if need be and kno exactly what to say on the phone to 999/911