When Parents Work From Home: The New Era of “Latchkey” Kids

The traditional latchkey kids of the 1980s would come home after school to an empty house because their parents were still at work. Many of us current parents were latchkey kids: watching whatever we wanted on TV, inhaling junk food, and otherwise taking advantage of that precious hour or two before a parent would come home.

While today there are still some latchkey kids who return home to an empty house, most parents I know send their kids to an after-school program. However, a group of parents—those who work from home—are creating a new kind of “latchkey” kid.

My husband and I both work from home. When our kids get home from school, they have about an hour before we both stop working. It seemed silly for us to get childcare for one measly hour– we are both home! They are safe! They are not alone and traipsing off into the wide world unbeknownst to any guardian.

However, my husband and I are unable to be present parents during this hour. We both have work to finish. When my kids walk through the door after school, I will leave my office to ask them how their day was, get them a snack, etc. Then, they entertain themselves. This usually means some TV time or playing in the backyard, where I can see them through my office window.

They often ask to go to the park or have a friend over. “No, mommy and daddy are still working. We are home, but we are working. Shhh, mommy has a phone call.” It has been a tough concept for my kids to understand.

This situation is not unique to my family. Many of my friends and neighbors also work from home and have the limbo time each day of when their kids are home from school, but mom and dad still have an hour or two left of work. Are we accidentally raising a new generation of “latchkey” kids? While they’re not completely unsupervised, they are often left to take care of themselves during this time.

Independence and responsibility are two traits that many traditional latchkey kids learned. However, traditional latchkey kids also faced higher chances of injury, drug abuse, and loneliness. I’m hopeful that because adults are in the house for emergencies, this new generation of latchkey kids will avoid the negative side effects of the past while still developing responsibility and independence. At least I hope so, because I still have to take this phone call.