How old was your child when they had their own key to the house?

[pollycazalet]

DS occasionally walks home from school on his own but now it's going to be a more regular thing. He's just 9, in year 4.

He is really excited about the idea of having his own key - but to be honest one of us will be at home to let him in whenever he is out on his own. But to him it's a badge of being-a-bit-older

I am also worried about him losing it - what do other kids-with-keys do with them when they are at school? DS is a bit flakey but I am keen to foster a sense of responsibility.

age 11, yr 7 (dd)

would never trust my boy, yr 4, with a door key

11 here too

Could he not have access to a key without taking it away from home? When I was 11 we kept a key in the garage under a brick to unlock internal door between the garage and the kitchen.

I suppose that only works if your garage isn't full of stuff you want to protect.

But anyway, you could hide the key anywhere so long as it isn't under the door mat.

I was about 9 when I had a key!

i was 11 when i had my first key if that helps??

My daughter was given a key when she started secondary school, so around 11

ooooh Niecie DH (super paranoid) would never let me hide a key outside the house!

They all had one when they started secondary school-they get a bus so I needed to know they could get in when I wasn't there. They sometimes had one before then, but not their own.