What does it mean to call someone a latchkey kid?

Definition of latchkey child : a school-aged child of working parents who must spend part of the day unsupervised (as at home)

Where did the expression latchkey kid come from?

latch-key (n.) Latchkey child first recorded 1944, American English, in reference to children coming home from school while both parents are away at work. The older or simpler device was a latch-string, which could be pulled in to lock up; having it out was symbolic of openness.

Are latchkey kids offensive?

I’ve long been fascinated with the term “latchkey kid,” though something about it sounds offensive in an vaguely antiquated way, like describing an unmarried woman as a spinster or referring to siblings born less than a year apart as “Irish twins.” Perhaps that’s because there’s always been some shame for parents who …

Are latchkey kids still a thing?

Latchkey kids today You don’t really hear the term “latchkey kid” much anymore, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. According to the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization that advocates for after-school programs, there were 11.3 million unsupervised school-age kids in 2014.

What is another word for latchkey?

Latchkey Synonyms – WordHippo Thesaurus….What is another word for latchkey?

skeleton key	opener
door key	mechanism
pass’-partout

Who is most likely to be a latchkey kid?

latchkey kid or latchkey child is a child who returns from school to an empty home because their parent or parents are away at work, or a child who is often left at home with little parental supervision. If the child completes projects in life will feel good about self.

What is a turnkey kid?

A latchkey kid, or latchkey child, is a child who returns to an empty home after school or a child who is often left at home with no supervision because their parents are away at work. The child can be any age, alone or with siblings.

What is the legal age to leave a child home alone in California?

Some states, such as California, offer little guidance, with no minimum age set for when children can be left home alone. The majority of states with laws cite 12 years old as the cutoff, while some states lean younger, including Maryland and Georgia at 8 years and Kansas at six.

What is the legal age for a child to stay home alone in Louisiana 2021?

Louisiana does have a set age of 10 years old that a child may be left home alone, but we also expect parents to take all of the circumstances into account when deciding what level of supervision is needed.

What are snowplow parents?

Snowplow parenting, also called lawnmower parenting or bulldozer parenting, is a parenting style that seeks to remove all obstacles from a child’s path so they don’t experience pain, failure, or discomfort.

How old does a child have to be to stay home alone in Alabama?

Alabama does not have a minimum age for babysitters; however, as a general rule it is recommended that no one under the age of 12 be left alone or “in charge” of other children, a recommendation by Latch Key Kids, which also suggests that 8-year-olds and older can be left at home for up to several hours – usually after …

Why are latchkey kids important?

But being a latchkey kid made me who I am. It offered me freedom to think and to explore, and to exercise a few hours of independence everyday. It helped form me into someone who not only is comfortable thinking independently, but yearns for hours of downtime to think independently and without distraction.

When did latchkey kids start?

‘Latchkey’ kids got their start in the 1800s. • The U.S. Department of Education traveled a strange path on its way to becoming a cabinet department. It was established as an independent agency in 1867: the United States Office of Education. Two years later, it was moved under the Department of the Interior — the schools must have been wilder then.

What does latchkey kid mean?

A latch-key kid is somebody who visits a public area (in other words a park, play ground) simply because they have nothing else to accomplish. They invest most of their leisure time truth be told there, and finally learns the brands of everyone who visits that location.

When was Latch Key Kid born?

Latch Key Kid is a singer from United States of America. He was born on July 18, 1976 (44 years old) . His nickname is Latch Key Kid. About. Gavin Heaney is an American singer-songwriter from Manhattan Beach California.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk8o99RZqlw