Teaching Self-Care Skills to Latchkey Children: A Review of Research

Abstract

Growing concerns about the welfare of latchkey children have led educators to develop programs that prepare children for the demands and responsibilities of spending time without adult supervision. These programs attempt to teach basic safety, time management, and other self-reliance skills to school-age children. This article reviews research examining the effects of self-care skills training on children's knowledge, behaviors, and emotional well-being. The article also suggests ways in which the findings can be used to improve the quality of self-care instruction and presents directions for future research.