{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Feric-thompson-show.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Flatchkey-life-freedom-or-neglect-N0gdRM9m","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Latchkey Life: Freedom or Neglect?","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/579e6e/579e6eec-326c-40ee-be0f-0a377206eceb/d7d210d5-4060-4613-9bf8-c2eb246ef18a/b4adaef333dc22c8ca8683cdac9da85d5785db96526aa3033134bd992b38578386973206460700b39f73ba8b234b8d034c3d499211d10c482724f69c7c177a9c.jpeg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/d7d210d5-4060-4613-9bf8-c2eb246ef18a\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"Latchkey Life: Freedom or Neglect?\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"For many Gen Xers, childhood meant coming home to an empty house. Parents were at work, and after school was a time of independence, responsibility—and sometimes loneliness. The “latchkey kid” became a symbol of a generation caught between shifting family dynamics and cultural change.\n\n\n\n\nIn this episode, we rewind to what it meant to be a latchkey kid in the 70s and 80s. From after-school snacks and unsupervised TV marathons, to the lessons in resilience and self-reliance, latchkey life shaped Gen X in ways few other experiences could.\n\n\n\n\nWas it freedom? Was it neglect? Maybe it was a little of both. Join us as we explore how latchkey life prepared Gen X for the future, influenced family culture, and left an unforgettable mark on the way we grew up. This is a story only our generation can tell—because we lived it.\n\nSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info."}