The term latchkey kid became commonplace in the 1970s and 1980s to describe members of Generation X who, according to a 2004 marketing study, "went through its all-important, formative years as one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in U.S. history." Latchkey kids were prevalent during this time, a result of increased divorce rates and increased maternal participation in the workforce at a time before childcare options outside the home were widely available.[6][7][8][9] These latchkey children, referred to as "day orphans" in the 1984 documentary, To Save Our Children to Save Our Schools, mainly came from middle or upper-class homes. The higher the educational attainment of the parents, the higher the odds the children of this time would be latchkey kids.[10][11]

Nowadays, if my mother was a black woman giving me the responsibilities she did, they would've arrested her ass.

[–] AOCapitulator@hexbear.net 3 points 2 years ago

at a time before childcare options outside the home were widely available.

Ahh yes, the long ago days of yore known as checks notes right now