Many Americans lead extremely hectic lifestyles with loaded schedules that see them have little time for their families. One major effect of this development is the fact that these parents leave at home latch key children who are unsupervised and unattended by any adult especially after school, before or during the vacations. Some kids rarely see their parents because they leave for work very early at dawn and return home late when everybody is asleep. This term refers to those kids aged between five years old up to thirteen and usually takes care of themselves each day with little supervision.
Recent research has indicated that those kids who belong to higher income families are more likely to be left on their own by guardians compared to other type of families. The main reason is such parents are confident that the neighborhoods they reside in are safe and secure. They also fit their homes with good security systems that keep burglars and intruders away. Other families that leave children for long periods unattended are single parent homes.
Younger children left unsupervised after school often feel bored, fearful and lonely. This is because they spend many hours alone while parents are working. They result to watching television programs and cartoons for hours in a bid to pass time. They will rarely do homework or study resulting in poor class work and exam results. Furthermore, many of them will develop social awkwardness and prefer to stay aloof.
Teenagers often tend to act out when left alone. They indulge in negative behaviors like drug abuse, smoking, alcohol abuse, theft and sexual promiscuity. This usually stems from a number of reasons including peer pressure, unspent energy, hostility or seeking attention. Those who choose to hang out with friends after school are at higher risk of getting into trouble and indulging in bad behavior. Those kids living in gang prone areas often end up joining such gangs.
Fortunately, not everyone who is left alone ends up engaging in self-disruptive. Some of them acquire good attributes like self-reliance, adapting to hardships and other difficult behaviors as well as maturity. Often they help at home looking after other siblings, cook, clean the house and look for jobs to do.
Many of the parents prefer to leave kids hanging out in public libraries as they wait for them to leave work in the evening. This leaves the children spending a lot of time in these public buildings. Yet other guardians prefer to hire babysitters. However, leaving them home alone is better.
Legal issues surrounding latchkey kids defer from state to state in terms of the minimum age for leaving them unsupervised. Each state has set own limits while others have not specified. However, any harm that befalls one due to negligence will attract the attention of law enforcement and child welfare organizations.
A better solution would be to enroll latchkey kids into after school programs or encourage them to engage in extracurricular activities and games. Many communities offer calling programs that check in on any kid who is home alone by calling them.
Recent research has indicated that those kids who belong to higher income families are more likely to be left on their own by guardians compared to other type of families. The main reason is such parents are confident that the neighborhoods they reside in are safe and secure. They also fit their homes with good security systems that keep burglars and intruders away. Other families that leave children for long periods unattended are single parent homes.
Younger children left unsupervised after school often feel bored, fearful and lonely. This is because they spend many hours alone while parents are working. They result to watching television programs and cartoons for hours in a bid to pass time. They will rarely do homework or study resulting in poor class work and exam results. Furthermore, many of them will develop social awkwardness and prefer to stay aloof.
Teenagers often tend to act out when left alone. They indulge in negative behaviors like drug abuse, smoking, alcohol abuse, theft and sexual promiscuity. This usually stems from a number of reasons including peer pressure, unspent energy, hostility or seeking attention. Those who choose to hang out with friends after school are at higher risk of getting into trouble and indulging in bad behavior. Those kids living in gang prone areas often end up joining such gangs.
Fortunately, not everyone who is left alone ends up engaging in self-disruptive. Some of them acquire good attributes like self-reliance, adapting to hardships and other difficult behaviors as well as maturity. Often they help at home looking after other siblings, cook, clean the house and look for jobs to do.
Many of the parents prefer to leave kids hanging out in public libraries as they wait for them to leave work in the evening. This leaves the children spending a lot of time in these public buildings. Yet other guardians prefer to hire babysitters. However, leaving them home alone is better.
Legal issues surrounding latchkey kids defer from state to state in terms of the minimum age for leaving them unsupervised. Each state has set own limits while others have not specified. However, any harm that befalls one due to negligence will attract the attention of law enforcement and child welfare organizations.
A better solution would be to enroll latchkey kids into after school programs or encourage them to engage in extracurricular activities and games. Many communities offer calling programs that check in on any kid who is home alone by calling them.
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