When are children considered "latchkey kids"?

The term "latchkey kid" first appeared to describe young children taking care of themselves after school while dad fought in the war and mom went off to work. But the anxiety over latchkey kids really exploded in the United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Latchkey kids were prevalent during this time, a result of increased divorce rates and increased maternal participation in the workforce at a time before childcare options outside the home were widely available

Latchkey kids are kids between the ages of 5 and 13 who take care of themselves with no adult supervision before and after school on a regular basis. The term self-care is also used to describe these children.

Unsupervised time can make children independent and sometimes can lead to challenges and negative outcomes. School performance tends to be lower in latchkey children. Some studies show the number of latchkey students doing poorly in school is as high as 51%. Children tend to go home and watch television rather than engage in more stimulating activities.

Although millions of people now in their 40s and 50s look back fondly, even nostalgically on their latchkey experience, that's not the case for everyone. In one study, middle school students left home alone for more than three hours a day reported higher levels of behavioral problems, higher rates of depression, and lower levels of self-esteem than other students.

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37 Comments

popsiclecat

If both parents work it doesn’t mean their children are latchkey kids as they might be with a childminder. I was a latchkey kid from the age of 9 years old, I underperformed at school and had mental health problems but I don’t believe either of these were because I was a latchkey kid more due to other issues although they may have been interconnected. I have grown up to be fiercely independent and I’m not happy unless I have a significant amount of alone time everyday.

Shelley Welch Dunivan

Actually three answers are correct, as a lot of children have to look after younger siblings as well.

Grant McIntosh

We were all latchkey kids in the UK in the 1950s. Families were so poor after the war that both parents needed to work to be able to feed the family and pay the bills.. It was no hardship as it was the norm..... everybody I knew at primary school was in the same boat.

Rita Dee

I was a latch key kid, I was told go in the house, lock the door, get a snack, do homework, watch TV, and if you touch the stove basically they'd kill me lol. I listened.

Edie Koller

I was a latchkey kid.

Leapy Lee

Shelley Welch Dunivan, perhaps the answer might've been more clear if the author had explained what the term "latchkey" actually means. It doesn't mean looking after siblings or that both parents work, it means being home without adult supervision.

Helga U. Williams

I was a latchkey kid by 10 years old. I actually wore a key on a chain around my neck, and came home to an empty house after school because my mom worked 9 to 5 six days a week.

Kathleen Bishop

I think is was far safer to be a latchkey kid in the past- a bit risky these days.

Mary Clinton

I was not a latchkey kid as we had a huge Italian family watch out for us! I remember my Mother worked in a Department store pastime and for lunch I had to walk home maybe 3 blocks to my Grandmother’s grocery store and on those days she’d make me macaroni and spinach or macaroni and eggs or macaroni and peas and Italian bread an 2 ounces of wine because I looked pale to her! A week later I cried to my Mom that all I wanted was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! I laugh over this because now I’d love all that great food!, I loved remembering this! We also had Aunts and Uncles and cousins around to tell our Mother if we were not behaving well! I loved my big Italian Family! Sorry TMI!

Joanne Serin

After school, not after THE school, which indicates a specific school.

babyblues

Latchkey has become a phrase for children who remain after school in the care of adults because there is no one home to care for them at that time. There is a fee for this service.

Monty Mathias

I thing I can understand the issues that many children have had to cope with in living in this kind of situation. But, I valued my alone hours at home. It was when I truly had some privacy.