Latch Key Kids

Families living on one income are a rarity, making it almost unperceivable to think of a parent being home on a daily basis to greet their child when he or she comes home from school. The birth of the two-income household was the beginning of the latch key kids (Dr. Heins, 1999). Today, about one third of all school-age kids, an estimated five million adolescents, so are so called latch key children. Many parents are forced into this situation due to various reasons. One of the most common reasons is when the child feels too old for a babysitter, usually around the age of thirteen. Other circumstances such as the lack of good day care services and prohibitive costs may drive the issue even further. There are conflicting opinions about the effects of leaving teens on their own.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro compared a group of forty eight la

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Also, most adolescent girls who become pregnant do so between these unsupervised at home. Recent studies have shown that up to twenty two million adolescents are left unsupervised during three and six p. Communication will also be a key element, keeping in mind that problems are more likely to develop in children who have little or no access to their parents.

Other experts advise against leaving young teens on their own (Bundi & Poppen, 1989) children and teens are curious creatures and will test their limits if the opportunity arises. The parents should prepare the children and provide instructions and rules that involve safety and school work. Some work places offer benefits such as day care. tch key kids with a control group of forty eight kids who were cared for by adults after school. Adolescents are far more susceptible to peer pressure and to enter into risk-taking behavior during the unsupervised hours. They found little difference between the two groups and discovered the latch key kids are as well adapted as the other kids. Although latch key kids are told the Do’s and Don’ts of being home alone, there are many hidden dangers parents should look out for.

I think that adolescents should not be left unsupervised due to the reasons listed above, but if it is necessary, the following aspects should be taken into consideration. There are various alternatives to leaving an adolescent home alone such as after school activities that can increase young people’s practical skills and knowledge, provide increased contact with civic minded adults (providing role models) and provide them with opportunities to practice formal leadership. This equals somewhere between fifty and ninety five percent of all school age kids.

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