Adult Children & Keys to Your House

[disneychrista]

Do your adult children, who no longer live with you, have keys to your house? Do they stop by when you are not home?

 

[LSUmiss]

I have a key for the houses of pretty much all of my family members who live nearby & had a key to my dad’s house also when he was alive. If I ever go to any of their houses when they’re not home, I always ask or let them know. Most of them also have key to my house.

 

[OHmomof2]

Yes they do, and no they don’t...unless they are house sitting or dog watching for us.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I have a key to my parents house, but I don’t just stop by and let myself in. I have only gone there without them home with their permission- to drop something off, pick something up or once to use the bathroom.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I don’t have a key to my parents home. We aren’t that close.

I do have a key to my grandmas house. My son does too. I have stopped by to pick something up or drop something off and told her after the fact.

I suspect my kids will always have a key to my place. And they may stop by to grab food and stuff.

My friend just became an empty nester. The last kid moved out. She sent a group text to all 4 kids that when they stop by they should call or knock first (they have keys) and not let themselves in because they could be walking around naked now that no kids are around. Lol.

 

[ncc1701]

Posting as an Adult Child ( DH & I have no children), I have always had a key to my parents' home as did DH when his were alive. If they were on vacation we would go in to to check on the house. Which they wanted us to do. With my parents if we got something for them we would go in to drop it off and leave a note saying catch you later.

 

[design_mom]

I have both a key and an automatic garage door opener to my parents’ house. I don’t generally let myself in without permission but I have gone in multiple times for multiple reasons when they’re not home. (And asking permission is kind of a formality. I can’t imagine ever being denied entry to their house.)

My kids are high school and college age, but I can’t imagine a time when they wouldn’t have a key.

 

[Kae]

My kids still live here. I have keys to my dads, MIL & both my sisters. Do I stop by when their not home for various reasons. My one sister lives out of town and I stay at her house when I go to that area and stay at her even if she's not home.

 

[kymom99]

I had free access to my parents house when they were alive. Never called to see if I could stop over. It was like it was still my home since it was the house I lived in all my life. We all had keys, kids, in-laws and grandkids.

as far as my house, my 21 year old lives here when he isn’t at school so he has a key. The older 2 never lived in this house so they don’t have one. I’m not opposed to them coming in we just never gave them a key. My sister feeds the cat when we are gone so she has a key as does my niece.

 

[disneychrista]

My daughter moved out 2 months ago. She still has a key. She came by today, while I was at work, to do some yard word she said she would do before she moved out. She texted me this evening to tell me about an outbreak at the grocery store. I said but I NEED to go to the store tomorrow. She responds I know your freezer is empty. So not only did she come over while I was not home, without telling me she was but she went into the freezer and I am sure the fridge and cupboards too. She used to do this at my parents house too when we came over.

I also have keys to my parents house. But I do not come over when they are not home unless I am taking care of the cats while they are out of town.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Do your adult children, who no longer live with you, have keys to your house? Do they stop by when you are not home?

Only one child out of the house. Used to have a key, but doesn't any more. Never "stopped by" when we weren't home.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I have a key to my mom's house but only because when we replaced her front door locks last year she requested I keep one just in case. However, if she's not home I just use the garage door code. There's only been a handful of times I've gone over when she's not home and that's because she's asked me too. I wouldn't just stop on by there's really no reason to.

Flipside my mom does not have an additional key to our home, there's 2 keys (1 for each of us) plus a backup left in the home. My mom comes through the garage door using the code when I'm not home, she does not just stop on by when I'm not home unless it's to take care of our cat. There's really no reason for her to.

 

[bethbuchall]

None of the kids have a key, but they all know the garage door code. None live close enough to just drop in, but I have offered our house when my son and daughter-in-law were going to be in town while we were out of town. They are welcome anytime.

 

[AndreaDM]

No keys but they have the garage door code. No one stops by without a heads up first whether we are home or not.

 

[tvguy]

We have keys to both our kids houses. Actually, my son and daughter in law just took all the key locks off their house and put keypad locks on. We have the combination. Let's just say we had to rescue them at least once when they locked themselves out. They have fancy alarm systems and have our own code and they get a text when we enter their house. However, if they are home we ring the doorbell They have keys to our house, as does our daughter-in-law. They know the alarm code, but my system doesn't allow individual codes, but it does send a email that the system has been armed and disarmed. Our daughter lets herself in even if we are home. Our son and daughter and law ring the doorbell. Makes no difference to us.
I mention that because about 25 years after I moved out of my mom's house she finally told me she didn't understand why I didn't let myself in, and rang the doorbell. She felt it was still as much my house as hers. She had a key to our house.

 

[superme80]

I did until they changed the locks. Need to get a new one. I stopped letting myself in about 6 months after I moved out. My parents have keys to my house. They always knock before entering. My in laws don't have a key, but they only come over when we are here.

 

[wenrob]

My DD has a key and the garage door code/app. The only reason she doesn’t just drop by is because she lives in another state right now. She’ll be welcome to come and go when she comes back. This is her home and always will be.

Once upon a time I was the person who had a key to everyone’s house, my dad, mom, sister, brother, both grandmothers and a handful of friends. The only one I didn’t really call beforehand or leave a note/let them know I’d been by was my maternal grandma. Hers was a true open door policy, it was not uncommon to run into a sibling, cousin, Aunt etc. while stopping by. Grandma also had spare keys to all our houses and vehicles as well as copies of our birth certificates and social security numbers. She was kind of the keeper of all the things.

 

[wenrob]

My daughter moved out 2 months ago. She still has a key. She came by today, while I was at work, to do some yard word she said she would do before she moved out. She texted me this evening to tell me about an outbreak at the grocery store. I said but I NEED to go to the store tomorrow. She responds I know your freezer is empty. So not only did she come over while I was not home, without telling me she was but she went into the freezer and I am sure the fridge and cupboards too. She used to do this at my parents house too when we came over.

I also have keys to my parents house. But I do not come over when they are not home unless I am taking care of the cats while they are out of town.

Did you tell her having a key was not an open door policy?

 

[disneychrista]

Did you tell her having a key was not an open door policy?

No. I really don't mind. If she is going to keep coming to do yard work she can come over anytime she wants.

She does knocks, before entering, when she comes over when I am here. I don't knock at my parents house. I figure the 6 dogs have already announced my arrival, so there is no need.

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

I have a key to my parents’ house. But I never use it without a reason or them knowing about it.