USA Bus Lines

Kids and the school bus stop?

Moms and Dads, at what age (grade) were you no longer with your child(ren) when they were waiting for their school bus. This is a bus stop that is too far away from your house to watch your kids from your front door. 2nd part: What important bus safety rules did you instill to your children before you would let them wait by themselves at the bus stop?

Public Comments

1. It all depends on the kids...like do u trust them, do they follow rules? All so are there other kids at the bus stop, other parents, is it a safe neighborhood? what u can all so do is bring them to the bus stop and then leave. you all so want to set rules like no talking to others they do not know and u MUST just go to the bus stop no where els. i hope this helps but remember to trust ur kids and hope u razed them to do the right thing : )
2. im 17, my bus stop is two blocks down, so not in visibly of my house, and ive been getting myself on and off the bus since i was 7. my parents have always worked full time, so when i was 4-6, my older brother (6 years older) would come and walk me and my sister (two years older) home, but when i was 7, my sister and brother both got into after school stuff and my parents decided i could do it by myself. my parents rules were i was to go straight to the bus stop and straight home, no stops, no talking to friends, no stopping at a store, and when i got to the bus stop in the morning, i was to stay out of the street and i wasnt to go anywhere with anyone, i wasnt allowed to except rides from anyone, even if it was pouring rain. when i got off the bus, i was to walk as far off the road as possible and stay out of the street (our town doesnt have sidewalks in most places) and come straight home, no stopping and talking to anyone, no going near any cars. once i got home, i was free to go play with friends around the block, but i had to leave a note. nothing ever happened.
3. I never knew it growing up, but my dad would watch us from the window until we got on the bus. As a kid, the other people at my bus stop were too far away from their houses to be seen by their parents, but I don't ever remember it being an issue. We all knew not to talk to anyone, and there were enough of us at the stop for safety in numbers to feel real. I think it all depends on your comfort level, the amount of kids at the stop, and the safety of your area. Are there other neighbors out in the morning you would trust to take action if something were to happen? We have a lady in our neighborhood who walks her dog every morning while kids are at the bus stop, and my husband and I are both teachers who leave when the kids are at the stop. I'm sure that makes parents feel a little safer. If you don't have those things, keep going with them. They might feel like dorks having the folks watch them, but it's better to feel dorky than kidnapped.
4. Here's a slightly different perspective: please make sure your children know how to respect other people's property before allowing them to be at the bus stop without your supervision. We have a stop on our corner, and I've had to speak to the children numerous times about different things - throwing sticks at my car (!), standing on top of the snowbanks when traffic is whizzing by (dangerous), and running all over my lawn (just annoying).
5. Well. I am 13 and my mother still takes me. I don't feel embarrassed at all and other kids may pick on me about it, but I don't care. She takes me for a reason and I love her for her love. I live in a bad neighborhood. Robbers, kidnappers and all. But no one has been kidnapped yet because we are all safe. My mother is worried for me so she watches out for me. My mom works 3-4 times a week. So when she is not there, my neighbor who drives her son, will drive me. When I was little, I use to go to daycare. My mother said that I can go to the bus stop whenever I am ready. But I must have my cell phone with me. I have 2 more years of middle school so I will do it in high school. She told me: *Look at the roads at all times and watch for cars. *Walk directly to the bus. No socializing or talking to strangers. *If any "bad" people approach you, run to the nearest house as possible. *Walk with a friend or someone you trust if you have to. and much much more.