Where's My Son?!?
By maddysmommy
@maddysmommy (16230)
United States
September 4, 2008 3:18pm CST
Got a bit of a fright today when I went to the bus stop to pick up my son. The bus arrived and all the kids that usually get off at our stop, got off the bus, but there was no sign of my son. I asked the bus driver where he was and she said "that was all the kids she picked up from school."
She paused, and I paused and I could hear my heart pounding. I pulled out my cell phone and started to call the school, when a few seconds later my son walks off the bus. PHEW. I asked him if he was ok, and he stood there quiet, saying nothing so I waited till we got home before I asked him again. I think he was shy to tell me when he noticed the other kids were looking at him when he got off the bus late.
Apparently, he was day dreaming about being a Tyrannosaurus Rex (his favorite dinosaur) and had not realised the bus had arrived at his stop. He said they were at the school library today and he found a reading book about Dinosaurs and couldn't stop thinking about it when he got on the bus.
I was just glad he was on the bus, or else I would be panicking bigtime.
Has this ever happened to you?
3 people like this
16 responses
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
12 Sep 08
Oh, you poor thing. I know that had to be such a horrible feeling for you. That happened like three times with my niece when she was younger. You are just so happy to see them and they look at you like, what's up with you? As if they didn't know they were missing. I am so glad that Maddy was safe.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
15 Sep 08
Me too. Thanks Rozie, hope you're ok!
1 person likes this
@cupid74 (11388)
• Pakistan
5 Sep 08
Hi dear
thanks that he was in the Bus
but i must say that Bus Driver must know about the Kids and their stops, As u r rights, kids might get sleep or busy in day dreaming but Driver must know it and check it that she droped right kids on right Stop
Take care
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
5 Sep 08
I think she must not have realised he was already on the bus. I know she does other bus runs besides our school so her mind must of been on something else. She knows my son and me so I was a little taken back and relieved when he finally stepped off.
@Flight84 (3048)
• United States
11 Sep 08
That would have scared me! I'm glad he was okay though. I can't believe the bus driver didn't pay attention that he was on there, but I guess they have to keep up with a lot of kids. That's cute that he was daydreaming about being a dinosaur. He must have a good imagination to get lost in thought like that. That's good. :)
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
15 Sep 08
I was glad he was there and ok. I was surprised though that she didn't remember that he boarded the bus, she see's him every morning and after school and was our bus driver last year too. THanks for posting flight!
@frecklelip334 (1668)
• United States
11 Sep 08
Three of my friends have had probs with school bus incidents. And they all live in three different states, so it's not just narrowed down to one location.
One of them had both sons on wrong buses before.
One had gotten a call from some stranger that her daughter had been dropped off near her house, and was crying, she didn't know where she was. Hello??? The bus just dropped her off, in the middle of nowhere for heaven's sake???
And the other forgot the kid at the school and she got a call from the school asking when her kid was going to be picked up........he was supposed to be on the bus!!!?
SO who drops the ball in this situation....so so scary. So glad your lil man was on there.....my heart would have dropped.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
15 Sep 08
Hey freckle, how are you?
I know that the bus driver would of taken him back to the school if he was found a little later, but by then I would of been at his school panicking and having them run around trying to find him.
Another parent here in our building forgot to meet her son at the bus stop when he was in Kindergarten a few years ago and the bus driver refused to let the boy off the bus if there was no parent there (one of the rules for kindergarteners), so she took him back to school and they phoned his parents. Apparently she overslept. Poor kid.
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
8 Sep 08
Sorry that I am late on this one..I am so releived he was on the bus...I know my heart would have been in my throat...scary...
My oldest grandson has fallen asleep on the bus but the kid sitting next to him made sure he woke up to get off the bus...
It is so good that he found a book that he liked...and it stayed with him for the ride home...
If he had not gotten off the bus would the driver had gone back to check the seats?? I would sure hope so...
I've heard where a child falls asleep and isn't found until the bus is back at the station and the driver is checking his bus only to find a sleeping child.....
I am glad all is okay..
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
15 Sep 08
I was surprised she didn't recognise him because she knows him very well and I'm always at the bus stop in the mornings and after school so she knows who I am. I think she would of checked the bus if I asked her to LOL but at that moment all I thought about was he must be still at school. I'm glad he was there and ok though!
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
4 Sep 08
I'm glad he turned up safe and sound. That must have been frightening. When I was at school, aged about nine, I was so engrossed in talking to my friend, whose Mum was picking him up, that I got into the car with him. She was in a tearing hurry and it was only when we were about half way to his home that she and I realised that I was there and shouldn't have been! She actually took me home, which was nice of her because they didn't live close to us at all! My Mum was a bit surprised because I got home ages before the bus!
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
4 Sep 08
At least you were safe with another adult :) I actually thought he either missed the bus (which is unlikely as they have patrols that walk them to the bus after school) or he fell asleep and just woke up in time. I was shaken a little and relieved when he stepped off the bus.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
4 Sep 08
He's clearly a bright little boy. We don't tend to bus children to school before the age of 11 so most are picked up by a parent or responsible adult. I can imagine that feeling that you would have got when you didn't see him get off the bus. Unless you've been there it's almost impossible to describe
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
5 Sep 08
Hugs Hi Gabs! your right, come to think of it, I did that when I was riding home on a taxi once and went right past the place I was going to LOL I was not happy because it could of save me at least a dollar LOL
Hope you are well :)
@patgalca (18391)
• Orangeville, Ontario
5 Sep 08
I thought you were going to say he fell asleep.
I have never had this happen to me as my kids were only on the bus for a couple of years and we only live a couple of blocks from the school. I have heard of kids getting on the wrong bus or stupid bus drivers letting kids off when there was no parent there to pick them up. I think the thing that scared me the most when my kids were bus-riders was watching teenagers whiz by the buses when they were supposed to stop behind them when they saw the lights flashing. A kid could be killed and I would crucify the person who ran over my kid for not obeying the law when it comes to school crossings.
I can imagine your fright. Good thing everything turned out alright.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
5 Sep 08
Oh that irks me when drivers don't stop behind the bus. I actually thought he was going to tell me that he fell asleep because he did look tired. I'm just glad he was actually on there and was OK. Thanks Pat.
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
5 Sep 08
Oh yeah! My oldest did that both in kindergarten and first grade. She got so involved in looking at her new books that she forgot to get off the bus. She rode all the way back to the bus barn. I called the school and they figured out where she was and brought her home.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
8 Sep 08
Oh my, how scary that would of been for you. It's good that the bus takes them back to school and the teachers contact the parents. They do that here too.
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
5 Sep 08
[i]Hi maddysmommy,
Wow...That will scare me too! Anyway, good thing he was just there and I smile learning from your post that he was daydreaming...LOL! That happen to me a lot also when I was younger and even when I was in College and will take a long trip...It eases the boredom to daydream and sometimes, I will not notice that I am already home! LOL![/i]
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
8 Sep 08
I'm glad he was ok and still on the bus. I have done that once too while riding in a taxi and missed my street completely.
@mummymo (23706)
•
5 Sep 08
Oh my I can just imagine how scary that must have been for you sweetheart - the heart pounding and the fear rushing in! Thank goodness he was okay and just daydreaming. My daughter got right into dinsosaurs when they researched that at school and now they are studying the Romans we cannot help her get enough information 0 even with the internet! Hugs xxx
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
5 Sep 08
It surprised me as he's never done this before. I'm glad that he was so engrossed in the book he picked up from the library but he still needs to be aware of his surroundings. Our stop is the first one before and after school, so it's just a short trip home :)
@ldybgsgma99 (798)
• United States
5 Sep 08
I would have panicked big time. I am glad that it was nothing serious. I am glad that your son was ok. That is a parents worse nightmare. My son did that to me once. He was gone for a couple hours. We couldn't find him anywhere. He had gone into the garage and was in the back of the car asleep.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
8 Sep 08
Oh my gosh, that would of freaked me right out. I wonder why he did that instead of just going to his room to sleep? I hope he was ok!
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
4 Sep 08
I cannot imagine what you must have gone through for those few minutes, you must have been horrified. I would have been. I am so glad that I do not have to put my children on a bus on their own to get to school, I do not think that my nerves would stand it. I would rather walk them there and back each day in all weathers! I am so glad that he was on that bus though for you!
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
4 Sep 08
The bus service to and from the school is usually reliable and since our stop is the first one in the morning and after school, I thought that it would be fine for him to travel on his own. It still is, but it gave me a fright today when I didn't see him hop off the bus at first. This has never happened before. I am also glad he was too, thanks gemini!
@ginamania (45)
• United States
4 Sep 08
That is a parents worst nightmare. I am very glad to hear that your son is okay. I get freaked out if I can't find my cat, so I can't imagine how that would feel.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Exactly - I freak out too when it comes to my 6 yr old son.
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
9 Oct 08
That would have scared me too!
I'm glad that your son is OK!
@sunny69316 (638)
• China
9 Oct 08
Hi,
God blees your kid!I'm glad that your kid on the bus,if not,it is realy a worst nightmare!Good luck!
