https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:05:23 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-7334 Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:45:51 +0000 yin 7334@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents often left me home alone at a very young age... some time in elementary school. It was usually only for a few hours. Once I was in high school my parents would take month long vacations to China and Hong Kong, leaving me alone with my little sister.</p> <p>With my own kids, I don't know when I would feel comfortable with leaving them alone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-7220 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:05:02 +0000 BSB 7220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yup, I was. My mom worked the morning shift so she would be gone from 7 to about 6 ish. My dad worked the 3 to 10 shift so he would be there in the mornings to get us up and to drive us to school.<br /> So we would be home alone until my mom came home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-6980 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:03:27 +0000 sandsandmore 6980@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was a latchkey starting at 6th grade. I too had to immediately call my mom when I got home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-6941 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:41:16 +0000 Mrs. Marbles 6941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My brother and I were latchkey starting when I was 9... but just for a year. My grandmother lived in the same apartment complex 4 floors down, so if we needed anything she was available. But we were pretty behaved when by ourselves... did homework, chores, and played. E will definitely NOT be latchkey since she has a huge network of family very close by and hubs works from home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-6925 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:58:15 +0000 mrsjyw 6925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My brother and I were latchkey kids from 4th/5th grade. Luckily, we also had best friend latchkey kids as neighbors. The four of us hung out together until our parents got home. </p> <p>I remember that there was a "No Oven" rule and I'd freak out when Maria (our neighbor latchkey friend (the oldest)) wanted to make us something to eat; "YOU CAN'T USE THE OVEN, MY MOM WILL KNOW AND WE'LL GET IN TROUBLE!!!!" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-6863 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:17:19 +0000 mrs. wagon 6863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>high school!! that's late! My brother and I were latchkey kids since around 2nd and 5th grade. I remember lying to my mom about practicing piano... haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-6823 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:43:40 +0000 eeh 6823@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My sister and I first became latchkey kids in late grade school/middle school. My sister wasn't comfortable staying home alone until she was in probably 7th or 8th grade and I was in 5th or 6th. Both parents worked but dad owned his own company and would pop in at random times throughout the day. It wasn't really a big deal in our family for us to be home alone except I hated it some days because my sister would try to make me clean her room and when I would refuse she would push me outside and lock the doors and only let me inside when she saw my dad's truck coming through the alley. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-6811 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:10:16 +0000 Rubies 6811@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>MY brother and I were latchkey kids since elementary school. We knew to come home straight from school and as soon as we got home, we had to call our mom at work to let her know we were safe. Then we had to do our homework. When I was in grade 2, my mom would leave multiplication tables for me to memorize by the time she got home at night. Hardcore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-6801 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:01:07 +0000 Boogs 6801@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was ever since I was in 3rd grade. My mom was a single parent and couldn't afford childcare. I would never want to do that to my kids, though, if I could avoid it. Middle school and high school were the years when I got myself into things I probably shouldn't have been doing, so I'm especially hoping to be around then! If that doesn't work out, I'm hoping that at least I would have done the best job I could have raising my kids to make better choices than I did. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-6793 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:49:42 +0000 geekinheels 6793@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My sister and I were latchkey kids since late elementary school! We were very independent and took care of each other, did homework without prompting, kept the house clean, and even started dinner some nights.</p> <p>While I would love my own kids to have the same type of independence, I think that in this day and age someone would call child protective services on us if we were to leave them alone starting 5th, 6th grade like us. Perhaps when they are a bit older, like start of high school? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-6790 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:48:34 +0000 Jenna 6790@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>From about age 9-10 onward, I was always alone on the weekends. My parents were divorced and I spent weekends with my dad. He's a farmer and would always be out doing something in the fields or working on a tractor when I was in the house by myself. I enjoyed it then, but I think that I was definitely too young. I think he felt it wasn't as dangerous because we were out in the country. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-6784 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:45:21 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 6784@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yup!!! And I would take care of my sister too. We were only allowed to use the microwave (if we wanted a heated snack) and we had to get our homework done before my mom arrived. I liked having my own house key. Lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-latchkey-kids-out-there#post-6779 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:43:04 +0000 mrbee 6779@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In high school, my mom started teaching Japanese at a local elementary school... so I became a latchkey kid.</p> <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latchkey_kid" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latchkey_kid</a></p> <p>I really enjoyed the time alone! I was a bit older though, so am not sure I count as a true latchkey...</p> <p>Any latchkey kids out there? Would you let your kids be a latchkey kid too? </p>