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Original poster

What age would you give your child a front door key?

52 replies

Rowofducks · 27/03/2021 09:17

Just that really.

I am struggling for money and currently paying loads of money to cover 20mins that I’m behind getting back from work for my 10 nearly 11 year old. When I’m not at work he walks home alone normal time but while I’m at work goes to wrap around child care. As I get home 20mins after him and his siblings get home slightly before me. Just wondering what age you would let your child let themselves in?

OP posts:
riotlady · 27/03/2021 09:20

How old are his siblings? I would trust a sensible 11 year old to let himself in with a key and be alone for 20 minutes but they’re not all sensible!

TeenMinusTests · 27/03/2021 09:22

I'd definitely let a nearly 11yo have a key to let themselves in for 30 minutes.

DD1 had a key younger but only so i didn't have to keep getting up to let her in when she was playing out in the nearby park.
DD2 I was happy to leave in the house alone for periods of time at that age.

DinosaurDiana · 27/03/2021 09:24

I always think that year 6 is a good time to promote independence , before going to high school.

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Mumdiva99 · 27/03/2021 09:26

So you are asking if a y6 child can walk home alone to an empty house....where siblings are home soon after and then you. I would let him if you trust him. Worse case is he loses the key and has to stand on the doorstep for 20 mins while sibling comes home.

If your work is unreliable and you are regularly held up by an hour or so and sibling is often at clubs...then I might reconsider. ..or do it a few nights only.

Really I would also ask the xhild if they were happy to do this. (And I would prime a couple of school parents so they could be on hand for an emergency).

Landlubber2019 · 27/03/2021 09:26

Gave 11 yr old a key in September, it was lost by October and hasn't been replaced Sad I think it depends on the individual!

Bunnybigears · 27/03/2021 09:28

Both my kids.glt a key on their 10th birthday. DS1 who is now 13 uses his all the time. DS2 who is still 10 has only used his a handful of times but it meant I could increase my working hours until 3pm and be confident that if I was slightly delayed in getting home he wouldn't be sat on the doorstep.

Strangekindofwoman · 27/03/2021 09:28

11 is fine to walk home and let himself in. .

GaraMedouar · 27/03/2021 09:29

Year 6 I’d say. Although mine didn’t need a key until much older as someone was always around , my youngest will have a key yr6 or yr7 depending on whether I’m still wfh .

Some people use a key safe for younger children attached to the wall, so the child has access to a key but doesn’t have the responsibility of carrying it around all day.

TroysMammy · 27/03/2021 09:30

My niece is year 6 and has a front door key as she walks home from school. However I'm sitting in my car outside her house waiting for her. Because of covid I don't go into her house but if she wants to drop stuff off or get something it saves lazy Auntie getting out of her car. If she can't be bothered to look for her key in her bag I just hand her mine Grin

theteachesofpeaches · 27/03/2021 09:32

I think most secondary school aged children are expected to be capable of this. As he will be presumably going in September now would be a good time to prepare him for this IF you think he's capable and sensible enough.

Chimeraforce · 27/03/2021 09:32

My child was 9/10.

gretagreengrapes · 27/03/2021 09:34

I used to do this in year 6, get home about half an hour before my mum. It was a short walk and I was allowed to use the TV and get cold drinks in that time, promising I wouldn't touch any other appliances.

Bunnybigears · 27/03/2021 09:34

Some people use a key safe for younger children attached to the wall, so the child has access to a key but doesn’t have the responsibility of carrying it around all day.

Honestly it baffles me how some people ever expect their child to learn to be responsible when they dont let them try.

skeggycaggy · 27/03/2021 09:35

I would give him a key!

My 9yo doesn’t like after school club, so when I’m working she walks home (5mins, can see the school from our house) & lets herself in. My Y8 gets home about 20 mins later & I get home about 20 mins after that. We have a landline so she can ring me if any issues.

Clymene · 27/03/2021 09:40

Children used to wear the key round their necks on a string @Bunnybigears so that is not the big 'woah people infantilise their kids nowadays' gotcha you think.

OP my son has a door key on a stretchy cable attached to the inside of his school bag. Works well.

FindingMeno · 27/03/2021 09:44

I think if they have a phone and contacts on standby it would depend on the individual child and what they are like.
Good neighbours could really put you at ease too.

Sparklingbrook · 27/03/2021 09:44

Year 5 here when they started walking home from Middle School. Kept it on one of those lanyards and clipped it inside their backpack so they didn't actually have to take it out to use it (and possibly lose it).

A friend got one of those key safes with a combination lock hidden behind a plant because their DS kept losing theirs.

Inthevirtualwaitingroom · 27/03/2021 09:45

a key safe is excellent
but year 6 is a good opportunity for some responsibility

easterbuns1 · 27/03/2021 09:46

My son was given a key when he turned 11. He's very responsible, has a phone and I thought it would be a good start in being more independent before going to high school.

Pearlywunzel · 27/03/2021 09:49

My DS started Y7 with a door key, because even though we wfh we are often in meetings and don't hear the doorbell. It's on a retractable wire key ring clipped to his school bag so it's safe and hasn't got lost. School bag has no address identifiers!

FindingMeno · 27/03/2021 09:49

By secondary school they often have to be responsible for keeping a locker key safe.

user1471538283 · 27/03/2021 10:57

My DS had a key from the age of 11 and he enjoyed being left alone whilst I went to get groceries for half an hour. But it was just him. He wasnt responsible for a younger sibling.

I had a key from a younger age so I wouldn't be locked out even though my DM didn't work (she was never there).

Butterfly44 · 27/03/2021 11:07

From Secondary school they all had a house key.

memberofthewedding · 27/03/2021 11:14

I had a key when I was 13 because my mother worked PT. It meant I had to rush home from school to let my younger sis in - she finished school before i did and did not want to go to a relative to wait. So I missed out on a lot of after school activities.

LindaEllen · 27/03/2021 11:15

I'd say every situation is different. I didn't get one until I was in high school, and I came home for lunch some days when the house was empty. If I didn't do that, I probably wouldn't have got one - as my gran still picked my younger brother up from school. My mum would have left me home alone until Dad got back at 5.30, but she didn't want me to be in charge of a 5yo, which is fair enough.

However, in your situation, given it's only 20 minutes, I'd say absolutely give him a key. Talk to him about how important it is that he keeps it safe. It's good to get into a habit of being responsible for your own things. My stepson is 17 and he's only just stopped leaving his key at home when he goes out (a big problem when both me and his dad are out, and one of us has to come home to let him in).

Another option if you're not sure about it would be to ask whether the school could keep hold of the kids for an extra half hour. Is there a library they could sit in and get their homework done, or do a little bit of reading? Is there an after school club?