Do you drive your kids to school even though they can take the bus?
By katsmeow1213
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
United States
September 21, 2010 12:26pm CST
My kids take a bus to school.. but starting tomorrow I'll be driving them myself.
We've already been having problems this year with my preschooler getting home. His bus doesn't bring him home until around 1pm even though he's out of school at 11:30. He says he likes riding the bus, so I didn't make a big deal out of it.
However today there was a much bigger problem that I am making a big deal of! My son didn't get off the bus at school.
When he got home this afternoon at his usual time he told me he didn't go to school today, he went to the middle school (which is right next to the bus garage). I kept asking him questions to try to figure out what happened, but he's only 4 and doesn't completely understand. Eventually I learned that he was sitting towards the back of the bus and didn't hear the driver tell the preschoolers to get off (they get off first to find their teachers and the rest of the kids get off after the preschoolers go inside). When the rest of the kids got off he continued to wait for the driver to tell the preschoolers to get off.. but he'd already missed it. So the driver left and went to the bus garage, which is when he noticed my son was still on the bus, and after notifying the transportation supervisor, who called the school.. the driver took my son back to school.
But here's the problems...
1. The preschoolers and kindergarteners are supposed to be sitting up front so the driver can keep an eye on them and ensure they get off when they're supposed to. This driver doesn't make the little ones sit up front. Had my son been up front like he was supposed to, he would have heard the driver tell the preschoolers to get off the bus, and the driver would have seen that my son was still on the bus.
2. The driver should have checked the bus at the school to make sure all the kids were off.
3. WHY DIDN'T ANYONE CALL ME??? I learned most of this from my son when he got home.. nobody had called all morning to tell me there'd been a problem. So I called the bus garage myself to complain.
Needless to say, I'm not happy! The woman I spoke to at the bus garage promised me she'd talk to the drivers about making sure the younger kids sit up front, and to make the drivers check the busses before they leave the school. She also told me she'd take it upon herself to call parents when there's a problem (she assumed the school would call me). I don't think any of that makes a difference now. I asked my son if he wanted me to drive him to and from school and he said yes. He likes the bus.. but I think it's just too much frustration for all of us right now.
Have you ever chosen to drive your kids to and from school instead of letting them take the bus? Why?
4 people like this
16 responses
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
21 Sep 10
My older kids took the bus to school - when they were in middle school I drove them to the bus stop because it was almost a mile from the house and across a busy hwy. In high school the bus stop was two houses down from our house so they just got on the bus there.
I drive my youngest to school and I will likely always drive her to school unless she WANTS to take a bus when she is older. She's in 1st grade and I wouldn't be comfortable putting her on a bus. We live too close to use the buses for her anyway, it takes me about 2 minutes by car to get to her school but it's way too far to walk with her.
If something like what happened to you happened to me, I would be IRATE. First of all, the school AND transpo should call you if anything out of the ordinary occurs. I know one time my kids did not call me when they got home from school. Since I always expected the bus to drop them off around 3:30, if they hadn't called me by 3:45, I'd start wondering. Turns out the bus had been involved in an accident and they were trying to get another bus out to get the kids home. I was mad that they had snapped at the kids and not allowed them to call me, if I'd know wht had happened, I'd have asked where the bus was and I'd have gone to pick them up there. It wasn't as bad though because they were teenagers, it's not like they were 4 years old and sitting there alone.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
21 Sep 10
None of my other kids ever had a problem on the bus, and they've all been taking a bus since they started school.
Nope.. that's wrong, I just remembered the time the bus forgot to drop my twins off at our house.. the bus just drove right by. It was a sub driver that day. I was standing there waiting for the kids and the bus went right by me, so I immediately called the garage and they sent a short bus out to pick my kids up and bring them home. My daughter was histarical because she's very sensative.
But aside from that we've never had problems.
I guess either way it's just easier to drive them. You know they get to school safe and you know they get home safe.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160696)
• United States
21 Sep 10
There are times when bussing is necessary, but communication should be the key. My first winter driving we had an awful snow storm that started late in the day. We called in extra drivers to help monitor, and the office called each house when we arrived to watch to make sure the kids could get in, as the driveways were impassable for the bus. If no one was home, we waited there until we saw them actually get in their houses. I always felt like we did an excellent job of communicating with families. On occasion a bus would get stuck in mud or snow and all the homes would be called. Some would come pick up their kids, others would not, but they had the opportunity.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
21 Sep 10
Our busses have been late a number of times, and it's usually ordinary hold ups.. or maybe a flat tire, it's never been anything major. However, a parent always gets worried when the child isn't home when expected. It would be so much easier for the bus garage to call each home when the bus is running unusually late instead of making each parent call the garage to find out what's going on.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
22 Sep 10
I drive them in the morning, then the twins go to extended day and their dad picks them up. Dearra takes the bus home. I don't put them on the bus in the morning, because I'd have to get up too darn early, and get them up too darn early to make the bus. Plus, the high school has 2 schedules, but the bus only runs on one schedule, so if you take the bus, you either get there way too early, or you have to wait a long time at the end of the day , depending on which schedule you're on.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
23 Sep 10
Heh. Knowing when school starts and ends and how long it typically takes me to get to and from a school shows me exactly the waste of time involved in bussing kids. I take care of my friend's son, who goes to all day kindergarten. He starts school at 8:15 and he gets out at about 4:10. If he takes a bus TO school he gets picked up at 7:30 AM and if he rides the bus home, he gets home at almost 6pm. I cannot be the only one who thinks that is WAY too long of a day for a child in kindergarten. My daughter had half day last year. I could not imagine having her gone over 10 hours a day!!! I'm barely okay with 6 1/2! I think he takes the bus in the morning sometimes but when I take care of him, I am there to pick him up right after 4 
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
22 Sep 10
The busses here are usually convenient.. aside from my preschooler getting home, and my middle schooler who usually stays for what they call Mod 12.. now this is funny. They say Mod 12 is part of the school day, so we shouldn't EXPECT our kids out of school at 2, we should expect them out at 2:45. However, 90% of the kids leave at 2.. and Mod 12 is only for those in sports, those serving detention or needing to make up work or needing extra help. I make my son stay Mod 12 everyday for the extra help or so he can make up work or get a head start on something else (either way he never uses this time wisely.. that's another story). So here's the thing.. there are multiple busses at 2pm which bring the kids home on multiple routes, and they get home around 2:45. At 2:45 there are 2 busses to bring the kids home.. and my son doesn't usually get home until about 4pm.. one time he didn't get home until 5. Now if Mod 12 is part of the school day, why is it that there are more busses at 2? Shouldn't there be 2 busses at 2pm then the regular busses at 2:45?
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160696)
• United States
21 Sep 10
I was a bus driver. My very first day driving a route a little first grader HID in the back of the bus. I pulled into the bus barn, looked in my mirror, and there she was, crying. She did not recognize her school when I had stopped there. The mgr. called the school, I took her back. If I had been her mother, though, I would have driven her at least her first day. I never could understand how some people could send their kids on the bus, when they were coming into town in time for school anyway. Another time we ran a semester long program for at risk pre schoolers that were in between two and a half and three. I picked them all up, including a set of twins. Got to the pre school. Nine teachers, therapists, and staff got on, and got the kids off. I pulled into the bus barn, heard a car seat squeak, and here is a twin, who does not speak. Bus manager called the school, they thought it was funny that they had missed her. I do not think the parents were called either time. With the first little girl I walked her in, and made sure she found her room, and helped her settle down. I could not walk them in when I had a bus full of other kids. Yes, in your case, I would drive my kids. They actually rode the bus, or walked from my friend's house when they were older. We always lived that close to school.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
23 Sep 10
It worries me that so many parents feel so comfortable putting a preschooler on a bus and basically forgetting about them all day. I know that sounds odd to say it that way, but there are some people who actually do that. Also, at my friend's son's school, I had heard from her that the first day was an orientation - for KINDERGARTENERS. This meant that first day the child was supposed to be there for only 2 hours WITH their parents - to tour the school, see the room, meet the teacher, etc. Some of the parents sent their kindergarteners on the bus alone and went to work, and when the teacher found out there were no parents, they had to call the parents to come and get their children 2 hours later. Some of those parents were actually ANGRY at being called from work to pick up their frightened little five year olds! SO WRONG!
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
21 Sep 10
With the older 3 kids I just put them on the bus the first day and watched it drive off without a second thought. I figured they'd be okay, and they were.
With this one, I put him on the bus, then drove to the school to wait for his bus to get there, watched him get off the bus and find his teacher. Once I knew the routine and that he'd be okay I left and didn't go to the school again after that first day.
I've heard all sorts of stories about kids being left on the bus, or forgetting to get off at school, or whatever. That's why most drivers check the bus once they're back at the garage, but I think a quick walk through of the bus before you leave the school would make a lot more sense.
I also think the parent should be notified for any situation.
@Mistie (69)
• United States
21 Sep 10
I'm sorry you are dealing with this. My kids have only rode the school bus on field trips. We live in a really really small town and the buses don't pick up the kids in town. The kids that live in town either walk, ride their bikes or their parents or older siblings drive them.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
21 Sep 10
We live in a small town too, but our house and the school is on a very busy road which is the only way to the 2 larger cities on either side of us.. so it gets a lot of traffic, especially during rush hour. That's why every kid in town is bussed unless they happen to live on the same side of the road as the school or behind the school in that quiet development.
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
22 Sep 10
Wow. I can't believe no one spoke up and said he was still on the bus. Even the older kids should have known that he didn't belong. Or as they were getting off they should have said hey there is a little one back there. When the girls were in preschool had I had to drive them and pick them up. The preschool that is in our school is considered a separate place, they are just renting the room from our school. They don't have to ride the bus far either way. They are the last pick up before the bus goes up over the hill in the morning, so they only have like a 5 minute ride to school. They are also the last drop off after school. But even then their ride is only 20 minutes. We haven't had any issues so far besides our bus breaking down and a different one picking them up. My friend had an issue with that because a different bus came from a different direction to pick her daughter who rides the same bus as mine. Her poor daughter was so confused getting on a bus full of kids she wasn't used to riding with. She called the school to complain and no one knew what was going on or why our route was split up on different buses.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
22 Sep 10
When I first found out I was a bit mad at the twins, who were also on the bus.. I wondered why they didn't realize he hadn't gotten off and why they didn't help him. I guess when they didn't hear the bus driver call for the UPK kids, everyone assumed he eventually would, so they told him to keep waiting until the bus driver called for UPK.
I dropped them off this morning.. and the drop off kids enter the side door where they wait in a hallway until it's time to go to class. There's a staff member there who opens the door for the kids and watches them.. so I explained to her what happened. She kept saying she'd talk to someone about it, or do something about it.. not sure exactly what she meant.. I just kept rambling on about what happened and the conversation I'd had with the bus garage.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
1 Oct 10
I can completely see why your son won't be riding the bus to school anymore. Well, my daughter likes riding the bus even though we did like taking her to school. That said, we've never had an incidence with the bus except for one time last year they had to do a rebus with one of the kids on the bus (he was misbehaving and they had to bring a smaller bus for him to ride on back to the garage where his father had to pick him up). This resulted in Kathryn being 45 minutes late getting home and I was very concerned. She was only in first grade and I had no clue where she was. I do feel like in those situations they should call the parents.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
1 Oct 10
We've had a few rare incidents with the busses, but nothing as major as this one. I still let the twins ride the bus home.. and my oldest still rides the bus as well. The preschooler will only ride the bus home once in a great while, usually on Fridays so I have a bit more time to get my shopping done.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
22 Sep 10
one of my nieces just started school this year. She rides the bus to school but my brother has to pick her up since she comes home earlier then the other kids nd she refuses to ride the bus home by herself. So my brother has to go to school to pick her up. She is only 4 so yeah riding a bus without her siblings is scary for her. I would have freaked out which I have when my little sister didn't get off the bus like she was supposed to..we had to call the school who contacted other buses to see where she was. The bus left without her she went to the bathroom and then didn't know what to do. She has also gotten on the wrong bus a few times especially on first days or at new schools..it is scary..it makes you feel helpless not knowing..I am just glad he is okay and no harm came to him.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
21 Sep 10
That's what my son is doing for his little one....she just started kindergarden and they don't want her on a bus for a long time...not to mention that the bus stop is a couple of blocks from where they live and it's easier to take her then go down and wait with her....I don't blame you for being mad...I would have been too!
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
21 Sep 10
Our bus pick up is right in front of our house. Usually the kids just sit inside and look out the window until it pulls in. There are some people in the trailer park that will drive their kids up here to the bus stop and I always wonder why not drive them to school then since that's just down the road?
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
28 Sep 10
I stay home with my son. If the ocassion arises, either my hubby or Uncle will take my daughter to school. We have had problems with the bus before. I would have been ticked off too! I think I would have also called the school to complain. I'd be asking why I wasn't called..LOUDLY. Hope it works out.
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
21 Sep 10
My daughter has an hour long bus ride to and from school. She is the first one on her bus and the last stop home. Sometimes if she has a doctor's appointment or we have something else to dop after school, i will pick her up so that we are not late. Riding on the school bus can get a little out of control sometimes. i feel better when i can pick her up just for that reason alone.@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
21 Sep 10
When my son comes home he's only with other preschoolers, so it doesn't get out of control or anything.. and the long ride wasn't bothering me until today. He said he liked riding the bus and I was enjoying the extra time to get things done or to relax. But I've changed my mind and now I will just pick him up to save us the headache of wondering where he is and if he's okay.
@ebuscat (5935)
• Philippines
22 Sep 10
For me if they might not risk why you don't live it by the bus in school if not then best that you are the one to carry them in school.
@RebeccaScarlett (2532)
• Canada
21 Sep 10
When I was in high school, we had a driver that was always half an hour late picking us up. She would alter the route to drop off the stop that was supposed to be last somewhere in the middle, and radio in the she was finished, when she still had half of us to drop off. So one day she was really late plus there was a snow storm. My parents called the bus company, who told them the bus driver had finished her route (as per her daily lie) and when I got home they lit into me because they though I had gone off somewhere without permission. (they were super strict) I almost got beaten for lying before I could get them to believe me that she did this every day, and the snowstorm just made us extra late that day. I don't know what my parents did about it, if anything.
If a bus driver ever left my kid I'd be furious.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
21 Sep 10
That bus driver shouldn't have had a job. Neither should my son's bus driver!
@prashant_utneja (44)
• United States
22 Sep 10
i am just newly married and really i will love to drive them for my kid to there school, reason behind this i really dont belive someone to take care of my child, i will do the same till date he/she will not able to go themself alone to the school.
@patniesen (27)
• United States
22 Sep 10
I would drive my son to school when he is old enough to attend to make sure he gets there and home okay.. Although I would only take this precaution until he hits middle school/Junior High. At that point I would feel that He is responsible and smart enough to know what to do. I definitely don't blame you for getting a little upset. I think that we as parent should be notified about our kids if anything, even something small, was to occur. Finding out from a different source makes you wonder what else the school doesn't tell us.
@adaocosta1 (2)
•
22 Sep 10
I still do not kids but followed the growth of my niece.
Until the 10 yars old she did not need to use the bus to go school because it 5 minutes walking distance.
From 10 years started to use the bus and it was good because he began to socialize with other childrens and gain some respondability because it was moving without being accompanied by a relative
