Latchkey Kids

neosapien

neosapien

Well-Known Member
I think my kid is a latchkey kid. My wife got 2 part time jobs now helping friends out and would rush home in time for the bus. But was late a couple times and the kid just walked home. Now, the wife started getting home about 30min-1hr after the kid gets off the bus. And it's just normal. This has been going on for 2 months now. So far it seems to be working out alright.

Growing up, both my parents worked and my older sister watched my brother and I. So I guess all 3 of us were latchkey kids?

What are your thoughts and experiences? Either as a parent or child?
 
When my kids were teenagers I ended up in the desert a lot, and mom worked full time. They were fighting all the time because my daughter thought she was the boss. Golfball fight in the livingroom on mom's birthday and had to call her. They felt bad and walked to the store and bought her a potted flower.
 
At around 11 I was allowed to supervise myself at home. Until then my first stop after school was at a babysitters house.
There were 8 kids she looked after, aside from the 4 of her own. Life was always interesting on a daily basis.



Things changed.
ArdinComedycom Being a Latchkey Kid You Grow Up Pretty Fast Especially After You Start Throwing Latchkey Parties | Being Alone Meme on ME.ME


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Were you a helicopter kid before you grew up to be a helicopter parent? No sweetheart, I was a latchkey kid. | Mom Ecard
 
neosapien said:
I think my kid is a latchkey kid. My wife got 2 part time jobs now helping friends out and would rush home in time for the bus. But was late a couple times and the kid just walked home. Now, the wife started getting home about 30min-1hr after the kid gets off the bus. And it's just normal. This has been going on for 2 months now. So far it seems to be working out alright.

Growing up, both my parents worked and my older sister watched my brother and I. So I guess all 3 of us were latchkey kids?

What are your thoughts and experiences? Either as a parent or child?
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Just lock your guns
 
I remember in third grade when Barbara was showing us her house key she had on a chain around her neck. We were awestruck her parents would not only give her the key to the house but trust her alone. Later when I asked if I could have a key my dad replied I was still young and nimble enough to continue using my window :shock:
 
I was a latchkey in the 50's and 60's. This was in an era when you stayed out all day and didn't have to be home until the street lights came on. You could ride your bikes across town at 10 years old, etc. Not so sure I would leave a kid too it nowadays. Shit can happen so unpredictably quick, especially stranger abduction scenarios. Guess it depends on the neighborhood, localized gang activity, types of crime in your area, if she walks with friends or alone, does she have a cell phone, does she truly really know what to do in various emergency situations. The walk is what would concern me not so much once she's at home. You and your wife must have some concerns about this to mention it? Does your local PD (precinct) or school have thoughts on this? Do they have anybody that talks directly with the kids about this. Do you have a neighborhood watch type of group? Other parents around you that have kids the same age and how do they handle it? Could you group carpool?
 
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My son decided to play flame thrower with a candle and some type of aerosol can, in the middle of the livingroom carpet. The Mrs was at work and I was in the desert. At least he knew there was a pitcher to put water in on the kitchen counter. Burned about a 3X3 piece of the carpet. He threw a towel over it before mom came home, that didn't work to hide it. He tried the same when I came home from the desert.
 
BarnBuster said:
I was a latchkey in the 50's and 60's. This was in an era when you stayed out all day and didn't have to be home until the street lights came on. You could ride your bikes across town at 10 years old, etc. Not so sure I would leave a kid too it nowadays. Shit can happen so unpredictably quick, especially stranger abduction scenarios. Guess it depends on the neighborhood, localized gang activity, types of crime in your area, if she walks with friends or alone, does she have a cell phone, does she truly really know what to do in various emergency situations. The walk is what would concern me not so much once she's at home. You and your wife must have some concerns about this to mention it? Does your local PD (precinct) or school have thoughts on this? Do they have anybody that talks directly with the kids about this. Do you have a neighborhood watch type of group? Other parents around you that have kids the same age and how do they handle it? Could you group carpool?
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Excellent input. Yes, as a parent I always have concerns lol. Just like you said, mainly with the walk. And more so with her getting hit by a car, because people are dangerous morons. The bus stop is in the middle of our neighborhood about a half mile from the house. Its a big bus stop with 12-15 kids. Then she walks home up the hill with about 8 of the kids. And 2 of them live across the street. And it's just her crossing our street at our driveway that gives me the worst worry. Our driveway is on an uphill bend. She does have a phone. That we got for that exact purpose of letting her know when her mom was running late. She's a very mature 8 almost 9 year old. Has a red belt in taekwondo and just started attending again. She has also been coached on how to scream and what nuts are and how hard to kick them. Knows 911 etc. Our neighborhood is pretty safe, the very definition of suburbs. The worry is just always there. Never goes away. Just changes to a new worry lol.
 
neosapien said:
Excellent input. Yes, as a parent I always have concerns lol. Just like you said, mainly with the walk. And more so with her getting hit by a car, because people are dangerous morons. The bus stop is in the middle of our neighborhood about a half mile from the house. Its a big bus stop with 12-15 kids. Then she walks home up the hill with about 8 of the kids. And 2 of them live across the street. And it's just her crossing our street at our driveway that gives me the worst worry. Our driveway is on an uphill bend. She does have a phone. That we got for that exact purpose of letting her know when her mom was running late. She's a very mature 8 almost 9 year old. Has a red belt in taekwondo and just started attending again. She has also been coached on how to scream and what nuts are and how hard to kick them. Knows 911 etc. Our neighborhood is pretty safe, the very definition of suburbs. The worry is just always there. Never goes away. Just changes to a new worry lol.
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That's Parenthood, you know this. I'll tell ya though, it doesn't go away even when they are older; it lessens to a degree in the resting state so not as acute but the second you hear something or their tone of voice is different it's immediate and "I must protect my kid"
 
I grew up in the 80’s in an era with a lot of latchkey kids. My folks were not divorced but an awful lot of my friends were, some of them had two places to go hang out after school. My mom stayed home for about 12 years from ‘71-83 to raise us but went back to work full time once I was in grade school.
In middle school most of us had keys to our houses so we had a choice of houses to go to after school with at least a couple hours of no supervision (longer during the summer). We really didn’t get into too much trouble though - we watched movies we were too young for, played with fire a lot, messed around with sling shots and air rifles and checked out Playboy magazines. My group of friends really did not act up too much but there were other groups of similarly unsupervised kids we knew who did. Stuff like drinking really young, joyriding, getting into shoplifting, that kind of stuff.
My wife’s experience was different, her mom never worked.
As parents, my wife works part time and she’s still pretty uneasy with the kids ever being left alone for long in the house. She really gets upset if a friend is ever over when she’s not home. She imagines very dark scenarios with the house burning down, liquor being consumed and idiotic tiktok stunts being copied. The older one is in high school now and gets home before my wife when he doesn’t have practice but it’s only for 45 minutes or so.
 
neosapien said:
Excellent input. Yes, as a parent I always have concerns lol. Just like you said, mainly with the walk. And more so with her getting hit by a car, because people are dangerous morons. The bus stop is in the middle of our neighborhood about a half mile from the house. Its a big bus stop with 12-15 kids. Then she walks home up the hill with about 8 of the kids. And 2 of them live across the street. And it's just her crossing our street at our driveway that gives me the worst worry. Our driveway is on an uphill bend. She does have a phone. That we got for that exact purpose of letting her know when her mom was running late. She's a very mature 8 almost 9 year old. Has a red belt in taekwondo and just started attending again. She has also been coached on how to scream and what nuts are and how hard to kick them. Knows 911 etc. Our neighborhood is pretty safe, the very definition of suburbs. The worry is just always there. Never goes away. Just changes to a new worry lol.
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Is it an option for her to cross the street either before or after where she currently does now so she/the drivers' have a more situationally aware view? Does she cross with other kids or could she?
 
BarnBuster said:
Is it an option for her to cross the street either before or after where she currently does now so she/the drivers' have a more situationally aware view? Does she cross with other kids or could she?
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We're the last house on the street, back a scary alley lol. So she is the last kid standing. But is with 2 boys up until she crosses the street to our alley/driveway. I drew a map! I think her current route is the safest/most direct. It's just the damn people that fly up around the bend.

Screenshot_20211014-153043_Maps.jpg
 
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