Monday, March 28, 2016

What Are Latchkey Children And Some Of The Problems They Face

By Sarah Meyer


In our modern society when both parents work to support the family, this often leaves young kids without parental supervision if the parents cannot afford suitable childcare. These kids are often left unsupervised at home for some time until the parents return home from work. Thus, the term latchkey children was coined to describe these types of kids.

Daycare is an expense that many parents just cannot afford and so have very few options open to them when it comes to childcare. If they are fortunate they may have relatives who can watch their kids while they are at work, but many times parents don't have this option. So the children are left to fend for themselves after school until their parents get home from work.

Some states have laws regarding the age of a child who can be left home alone and for how long. Sometimes parents have no choice but to either break the laws regarding age limits or hope that their child is responsible enough to stay out of trouble until they get home. They may instruct their child in what to do in cases of emergency but there are always risk factors involved.

Some unfortunate events occur in the home while these kids are left alone. Some states allow children to be left unsupervised for a minimum amount of hours between the ages of 8 or 9 while some states require the child to be at least 12 to 13 before they can be left alone.

With a growing number of abductions throughout the nation, many parents worry about this. They may be able to enlist the help of neighbors or friends to check on their kids, but still it is not the most reliable and trusted source of protection for young kids. Parents are often left to worry and wonder until they get home from work to ensure their kids safety from predators.

There may be other options open to parents such as working with other parents in their area for childcare, or having close family members watch their kids until they get home. Sometimes you may find affordable babysitting services by young adults looking for extra money as well. Always make sure that you leave your child with someone who is trustworthy and responsible.

Parents often must resort to other methods of childcare if their kids become such that they cannot remain in the home unsupervised. They may have to hire a babysitter or enlist the help of family members to take care of their kids while they are at work. This often leaves parents who have no other alternatives such as these to simply allow the child to remain unsupervised without recourse.

Modern society has made parenting very difficult if both parents in the household must work. Unlike days in the past when one parent stayed home and took care of the kids, our modern economy just doesn't allow for that kind of luxury within the family unit. Until there are better solutions, latchkey kids are at risk for many problems unless some intervention takes place.




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