Recovery and Latch Key Children

Microwave Explosion

I opened the microwave to heat up a tamale and cheese.  As I opened the door, my eyes got wide and my thoughts of horror turned into angry words. "What happened! Who did this!" I screamed at my 7 year old son and husband lounging in his recliner. The story unfolds . . . .yesterday I was out of town at a meeting.  My husband had carpal tunnel surgery on his hand. After they got home, my husband fell asleep in the recliner.  

My son was hungry and decided to make his own dinner.  He found a can of spaghetti in the pantry and placed it in the microwave.  The spaghetti exploded. 

Learning to cook is a life skill.

When I looked into the microwave this morning, in addition to seeing dried red spaghetti on all the walls I did see some wipe marks where there was an attempt to clean up the mess.  This morning my son said,  "Mama, it is ok because I made another spaghetti . . . and this time I took the metal top off." 

Many kids today are cooking for themselves when their parents are not available.  Parents may still be at work when their children get home from school.  A "latchkey kid" is a name given to a child who comes home to an empty house.  Sometimes children are left home alone while parents run an errand.  

How old must a child be to be left home alone? 

According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, "Supervision of children is basic to the prevention of harm. Adequate supervision means an adult caregiver is accountable for the child's care.  Although, there is no Texas law that defines a specific age at which a child may be left home alone, there are several factors that should be taken into consideration when deciding how closely to supervise a child, including:

• the age, emotional maturity and capability of the child;
• layout and safety of the home, play area, or other setting;
• neighborhood circumstances, hazards, and risks;
• the child's ability to respond to illness, fire, weather, or other types of emergencies; and
• whether the child has a mental, physical, or medical disability.

The number of children left unsupervised, the accessibility to other responsible adults, the length of time or frequency with which the child is left alone, and the child's knowledge of the parent's whereabouts are additional relevant factors."

Learning to cook and care for oneself is a part of growing up.  Adults are given the responsibility of training children.  As children mature, they are able to take on more responsibility and develop healthy life skills. 

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