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.
Research indicates that kids from higher income families on average spend more time alone as compared to the rest of the families. This is because these parents feel that their neighborhoods are safer than other areas. In addition, these homes are fitted with state of the art security systems. Single-parents households also have many kids spending time alone at home. This tends to have many different effects.
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.
In the case of teenagers, they often result to social evils like smoking, drinking, drug abuse, sexual promiscuity and theft. One of the main reasons that lead to this is peer pressure with other being unspent energy, attention seeking and hostility. Those who stay after school with friends instead of going home are more prone to these undesirable behaviors.
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.
Some parents prefer to leave their kids at the public library especially in the afternoon before they pick them up in the evening. They sometimes spend up to three hours alone passing time. However, this is highly discouraged. Other parents leave them with babysitters who are mostly teenagers. This can also result in negative behavior. Ideally it is considered better to leave children home alone than with babysitters.
As regards legal issues concerning latchkey kids, many states and countries have set minimum ages under which children cannot be left unsupervised. In the US, many states have set their own age limits while others do not have a distinct age. However, child welfare organizations and law enforcement can hold parents accountable for harm caused due to neglect and lack of supervision.
Many schools offer after school programs and co-curricular activities as well as sports. This is a perfect opportunity for parents to utilize as an alternative. Similarly, they can sign up for the community calling programs in their neighborhoods.
Research indicates that kids from higher income families on average spend more time alone as compared to the rest of the families. This is because these parents feel that their neighborhoods are safer than other areas. In addition, these homes are fitted with state of the art security systems. Single-parents households also have many kids spending time alone at home. This tends to have many different effects.
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.
In the case of teenagers, they often result to social evils like smoking, drinking, drug abuse, sexual promiscuity and theft. One of the main reasons that lead to this is peer pressure with other being unspent energy, attention seeking and hostility. Those who stay after school with friends instead of going home are more prone to these undesirable behaviors.
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.
Some parents prefer to leave their kids at the public library especially in the afternoon before they pick them up in the evening. They sometimes spend up to three hours alone passing time. However, this is highly discouraged. Other parents leave them with babysitters who are mostly teenagers. This can also result in negative behavior. Ideally it is considered better to leave children home alone than with babysitters.
As regards legal issues concerning latchkey kids, many states and countries have set minimum ages under which children cannot be left unsupervised. In the US, many states have set their own age limits while others do not have a distinct age. However, child welfare organizations and law enforcement can hold parents accountable for harm caused due to neglect and lack of supervision.
Many schools offer after school programs and co-curricular activities as well as sports. This is a perfect opportunity for parents to utilize as an alternative. Similarly, they can sign up for the community calling programs in their neighborhoods.
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