Seriously, back to school already? How has three months flown by so quickly without giving me warning that it’s time for the children to go back to school?
At the beginning of each my daughter asks the same question — can I be a bus rider this year? As always, my answer is NO! The thought of her being on a bus with a driver I don’t know and with children older than her freaks me out. Her elementary school houses children Kindergarten through Sixth grade and all those children who ride the bus to school are put on the same bus.
I don’t know about you, but that just isn’t happening with my little people.
And besides, I don’t know a thing about the person that would be transporting my child back and forth to school. \What if one day they totally get all schizophrenic and kidnap all the children.
{Note to self: Ask the school about school bus GPS tracking systems.}
As if you couldn’t tell, this has been an ongoing struggle with my daughter because she wants to be a bus rider. I just don’t like the idea one bit. The only way I would be comfortable allowing her to ride the bus would be if I knew the bus driver and I could perform my own daily bus inspection. Otherwise, she’ll continue to be a car rider.
What about you? Are your children car riders or bus riders?
Stefani says
You are so like me! I would rather drive my children to school then to trust someone I don’t know driving them. I have always felt this way with all my children. I do allow them to ride on the bus when their is a field trip, but that is not very often.
I will admit I worry when they are on one of those school buses on their field trips! I will never be worry free when someone else has my children’s safety in their hands and not me.
Maybe I just worry too much!
Charlotte Varner says
I’m the same way worry the most when their on field trips on a bus! I worry about them riding on the bus and then getting lost/kidnapped from the group when their on the field trip.
Liz I. says
I have a kindergartener this year and I will be driving him to school also. On top of being protective of him in general, he also has a severe peanut allergy and the bus driver for the school informed me that he refused to carry my son’s Epi-Pen, he’d only call 911. NOT acceptable! I’ll be driving him or he won’t be going to school! Good for you for being such a great mom.
Crystal says
Um, ya, that is totally not acceptable. What was the reasoning for not carrying the Epi-Pen?!?
Liz I. says
he said bus drivers won’t carry medications, and that he personally wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that. I’m guessing he didn’t realize that if my son stopped breathing, an ambulance would not get there in time, thus the need for the Epi. Maybe it was just the individual that I talked to, I’m assuming that if I planned to have my son ride the bus that they’d have to figure out something! Just feeling thankful and blessed to be able to take him myself!
Crystal says
That’s so scary. So happy though that you don’t have to worry about him riding the bus.
blueviolet says
I’ve done it both ways, and my kids never had problems on there, but when I was a kid…the bus was a miserable place to be!
Crystal says
I HATED riding the bus as a child also.
Penelope says
I feel the same way, especially after the stuff you hear, eek!
Kelly says
I was a bus rider (or walker) growing up because both of my parents worked. If I’m still staying at home when my daughter starts school – I’ll definitely be driving her.
Jen says
Bus riders. We have had the same bus driver for 7 years, plus we know where he lives 🙂
It really is hard to relinquish control, but sometimes you just have to!
Dee @ Cocktails with Mom says
My boys will be riding the bus again this year and have been doing so for several years. Riding the bus is not as scary as you think. But believe me, I understand your concerns as I have them too. I am probaly one of the most paranoid folks you could know lol but I don’t want to overly protective either.
They actually enjoy riding with their peers but also have those days when they want mommy to drive them which I have no problems doing.
LaKeshia Coleman says
My children are riding the bus this year as well.The problem that I have is not the bus driver or should I say sometimes it is not the bus driver .Sometimes the bus driver would leave my child at school bring the rest of the children home and then before she would go and pick up the middle school children she would have to go back and pick him up.
Crystal says
Um, that’s crazy! That would totally not fly with me 😉
Louise says
I’m terrified of putting my kids on the bus, but that’s because I was on a bus in Texas. They do things differently here and the kids are seperated by age. I’ll feel a lot safer putting my kids on the bus here.
Charlotte Varner says
Oh my gosh I’m glad you wrote this post! This is so crazy because I’m definitely with you all the way 100%. It’s always been an argument between my daughter & I also and I just perfer car rider because like literally right across the street from me about 5 years ago there was a serious bus accident. The bus driver was all drugged up on pain medicine, nerve medicine and also had been drinking a little. Can you believe she loaded all those kids up & had the nerve to drive with them while all messed up and then have an awful bus crash? This was a huge headline and was on like Good Morning America or CNN can’t remember which one. One of the little boys was seriously injured to where he will have to wear a helmet looking thing on his head for the rest of his life and he can’t walk. A pole or tree came slamming through the window. They kept showing the bus cam over and over and I just can’t believe no others were hurt or none of them died. Though the little boy that was injured the most was in a coma for a while I believe. The bus driver had just had a newborn baby and like a 10 year old. Now I think it’s life in prison for her. Which she will have to live with causing pain to both families hers and the students. Just really a serious tragedy that could have been prevented. There’s always bad bus wrecks in this area because of the back roads. Two years ago a high school student got killed from a dump truck and bus colliding. Okay so back to what I was saying is that my daughter has to ride the bus two days in the morning and 4 days in the evening because of the new schedule in the household with jobs!! I totally DISLIKE and still am not over it and trying to do everything possible to prevent it! One good thing is literally I’m right across the street from her school that was built after the bad bus crash so she doesn’t have to come far but still it makes no difference to me! There’s also older kids that I’ve heard have the tendency to being mean to the younger kids. All it takes is one time and I’m going off! They ride kindergarten through 5th grade. She also has a guy bus driver which gives me the creeps because I don’t know who he is. Any suggestions anyone? Oh yeah thanks for making me paranoid about kidnapping the students…lol now I’m definitely going to work alot harder on getting her off that bus!! Wasn’t that like a Walker Texas Ranger espisode?
Crystal says
Oh my gosh, that is so sad. I hate hearing about all these bus related injuries.
Charlotte Varner says
I know it’s terrible! =(