Hellobee Boards

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!!!"

I was a latchkey starting at 6th grade. I too had to immediately call my mom when I got home.

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.

With my own kids, I don't know when I would feel comfortable with leaving them alone.