latchkey kid
Self-supervising young person
A latchkey kid is a child who returns home from school to an empty house, letting themselves in with their own key because parents are still at work.
The term emerged in the mid-20th century as more mothers entered the workforce: I was a latchkey kid—I'd come home, make myself a snack, and do homework until Mom got back at six.
State of lacking companions
- isolationComplete separation from others
- boredomWeary disinterest from monotony
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
fear · neglected · abandoned · worried · scared · proud · capable · trusted
Dwelling without occupants
- solitudeState of being alone
- quietLacking in sound
- boredomWeary disinterest from monotony
- lonelinessState of lacking companions
door key · lock · safety rules · checking in · neighbors · security · vulnerability · stranger danger
Student assignments for outside class
- snacksLight bites between meals
- televisionBroadcast viewing device
- cartoonsAnimated drawings, often humorous
- videogamesElectronic interactive entertainment
microwave meals · after-school · reading · playtime · crafts · drawing · siblings · friends
Depending on oneself alone
- responsibilityState of being answerable
- maturityFull growth achieved
- resourcefulnessAbility to solve problems creatively
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
self-sufficiency · resilience · adaptability · initiative · competence · confidence · self-discipline · problem-solving
- 1980sFourth-to-last twentieth-century decade
- suburbiaResidential areas outside cities
- school busVehicle transporting pupils
- curfewMandated return time
neighborhood watch · economic necessity · divorce rates · MTV generation
loneliness
State of lacking companions
- isolationComplete separation from others
- boredomWeary disinterest from monotony
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
vulnerability · fear · neglected · abandoned · worried · scared · proud · capable · trusted · grown-up
empty house
Dwelling without occupants
loneliness · door key · lock · safety rules · checking in · neighbors · security · vulnerability · stranger danger · house key
homework
Student assignments for outside class
- snacksLight bites between meals
- televisionBroadcast viewing device
- cartoonsAnimated drawings, often humorous
videogames · microwave meals · after-school · reading · playtime · crafts · drawing · siblings · friends · neighborhood
self-reliance
Depending on oneself alone
- responsibilityState of being answerable
- maturityFull growth achieved
- resourcefulnessAbility to solve problems creatively
autonomy · self-sufficiency · resilience · adaptability · initiative · competence · confidence · self-discipline · problem-solving · self-care
working parents
- 1980sFourth-to-last twentieth-century decade
- suburbiaResidential areas outside cities
- school busVehicle transporting pupils
curfew · neighborhood watch · economic necessity · divorce rates · MTV generation
- familymother, father, parents, siblings, parent
- family structuresnuclear family, extended family, blended family, stepfamily, single parent
- generationsbaby boomers, millennials, Gen Z, Gen X, baby boomer
- middle schoolerssixth graders, seventh graders, eighth graders, preteens, honor students
- family breakdowndivorce decree, custody battle, custody battles, child support, joint custody
- Single Parentingsingle mom, single dad, single mother, single father, solo parent