My mom became a teacher when I was in the tail end of elementary school, and I experienced life as a latchkey. Wow, it was awesome haha. I wasn't prepared for that level of freedom.
Were you a latchkey kid? Would you consider letting your LO be a latchkey when they hit a certain age?
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
My parents both always worked full time and we lived around the corner from our elementary school, so after my grandma moved out we were latchkey kids. We moved from that house when I was in 2nd grade and my bro was in 5th, and we were home alone for many years before that, so come to think of it, we were pretty young!
ETA: My childhood as a latchkey kid has formed my priorities as a mom.... ever since I was young I knew I wanted to be the one to pick my kids up from school. When we lived around the corner it wasn't a big deal, but when we moved towns I lived 3.5 miles away from school and the bus stop was 0.5 miles from my house. If I missed the bus I had to either ask others for a ride (and I was PAINFULLY shy back then) or walk all the way home, which involved walking along the busiest street in town (basically a 2 lane highway) and it took me more than an hour.
I know my parents did what they needed to do and I appreciate everything they did for me, but I'm hoping we'll be in a place where I can work mom's hours or we can implement after-school programs so my kids never have to worry about how they're going to get home.
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
Yep! Both parents worked full time. I would meet my sister after school when I was 5 (she was 8) and we would walk home together. We'd meet my big sister (who was 11) at home and watch tv all afternoon. Dad didn't like us watching tv so he would detach the plug from the wire of the tv (I have no idea how this worked).
Good times.
And no.. my kids are lucky. They're gonna get picked up from school and I will be home with them. *cackle*
pomelo / 5820 posts
I wasn't a latchkey kid because my mom was a SAHM. My work is pretty flexible, so I think once we have kids, I'd just adjust my work schedule so that I'd be at home when they get home.
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
Yup in elementary school. It wasn't bad, but times are different now so if I can avoid it I would prefer that my LOs don't have to be latchkey kids.
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
My mom was a sahm until we went to school. Then she worked for my dad so she could set her own hours and be home with us.
hostess / eggplant / 11068 posts
I was a latchkey kid. My parents both worked and we were expected to come home straight from school and do our homework.
persimmon / 1408 posts
I had a single mom, so I was a latchkey starting around 10. My grandma lived right down the road so she came up a lot. I don't think I'd let my LO's stay that young, but mostly b/c I grew up the country and we live in the city now. I hope I'll be able take my kids to school and pick them up, but I don't think being a SAHM is in the cards for us.
persimmon / 1202 posts
I was a latchkey homeschooler from 11-15. o.0 In retrospect, I am baffled that this happened, but it made sense at the time. After that, I was a latchkey college student on a full-ride scholarship, so it's not like my academic life suffered.
I'd prefer not to have my kids be latchkeys, but I might change my mind when they are teens.
coconut / 8234 posts
I was a latchkey from a very early age. Single mom. When my sister and I (she's one year younger) were in elementary school, a neighbor would check-in on us, but didn't baby sit. It was pretty crazy during the summers when we weren't at camp--we basically did whatever we wanted. We'd ride bikes around Brooklyn and get lose a lot--but we eventually found our way home. We were pretty good kids, but we could have been hurt or gone down the wrong path with that much freedom.
And then when my twin brothers came along, we watched them after school.
My kids won't be latchkey kids.
pear / 1554 posts
I wasn't a latchkey. My mom was a SAHM until I was almost out of high school.
pomegranate / 3595 posts
Yes, my parents both worked full time my whole life. I usually went to an afterschool program at my school but once i got "older"-- like third or fourth grade-- i was allowed to walk home alone once a week. I had to call one of my parents as soon as i got home and they wouldncome home early but i remember feeling very independent. I was also super responsible...
For my LO I think a lot will depend on personality. I plan to beworking when she is in school so we will see how hours and logistics work out...
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
I was lucky. My mom worked part time until I was in high school which meant she was always home when we got there. I never thought about it before but am very greatly for it now.
grapefruit / 4355 posts
Nope - my mom was a SAHM.
Having her there to greet us after school and help with homework and such is one (of many many) reasons I want to be a SAHM to our children too.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
Yep... from 3rd grade on, my younger brother and I were latchkey kids. But, in elementary school we lived in a townhouse community and had a lot of "latchkey" friends around... we sorta "babysat each other" and some moms would be home on different days. I don't think I could do that EVER with our kids... but it was a different time then?... LOL.
I work from home once a week... and am planning on adding more WFH days after maternity leave. My mom has offered to watch our babies, so I'll be able to work... and be around our future kids.
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
Oh yes, my parents both worked about 30 minutes from home and we were on our own after school and sometimes in the morning before school. Mom hated it but knew they were doing the best for us.
coconut / 8299 posts
Yes, my parents owned their own business so they usually didn't come home until 6 or 7. I loved it in junior high but hated it in elementary school The upstairs neighbor used to check in on us during the day since we were still young. But I remember feeling sad and jealous when I would see others kids being picked up by their parents. I swore that I wouldn't let my kids become latchkey kids. Somehow I'll figure that out when the time comes.
cantaloupe / 6730 posts
Nope. My mom worked at a school, so she always beat us home (we took the school bus). I hope that we can have our kids in a before and after daycare so that they won't be latch-key kids.
clementine / 994 posts
I wasn't. My cousins and I had a network of family/family friends who would pick us up from our various schools and drop us all off at grandma's house. Our parents would pick us up from there whenever they got off work. Looking back, it's actually really interesting how my family pulled that off.
In our case, hubby will be a WAHD, so I don't think we'll be needing to re-establish the pick-up/drop-off network.
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