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  1. #1
    azzeps is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default Kindergartener on the bus?

    DD is starting K this year, and she is very excited to ride the bus. It will also be helpful to me so that I can get on the road to drop off DS at Grandma's house and get to work, then do the same in reverse to be home to meet her when the bus brings her back. I am hoping it works out, as my work schedule depends on it. However, I am having qualms about it!!! One friend (in another district) had her kindergartener dropped off at the wrong stop last year!!! And when I told the aftercare people that she would be riding the bus, they looked at me funny, like, "nobody does that" and said something like, "well, we will see how she does because it can be noisy." Sigh. Totally not reassuring. So I'm wondering, how did things go when you put your kindergartener on the bus? What do I need to do now to prepare her so that she doesn't get left at the wrong stop, or what to do if she does get left at the wrong stop, or get on the wrong bus, or, or, or.... thanks in advance
    DD - 3/2008
    DS - 7/2011

  2. #2
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    My ds rode the bus in K. He was the only kid in the mornings, but it was full in the afternoon. No stops between the bus stop and school, on the way back there was a stop in between school and his stop. He knew what his stop looked like so I wasn't worried about him getting off at the wrong place. His ride was pretty short and he handled the noise fine.

    i would make sure she knows what her stop looks like--find one thing that stands out (pink house, big rock, etc) and tell her to check for that before she gets off. I would also make sure she has your cell number and home address memorized. I still check with my ten year old periodically to be sure he can answer those questions correctly. We have also talked about what to do if he gets lost in any situation--find a store or museum or amusement park employee and ask them for help. If that's not an option, find a mom with kids and ask her for help.

    Catherine

  3. #3
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    I couldn't do it...ESP thinking about the wrong stop issue. That's a lot of commotion for a little kindy. Maybe your DD can handle it. Neither of mine would have liked it. DD2 would have better than dd1.

    Can u drop off still even with your work schedule. I somehow managed to - we don't have a choice our area in so cal has NO bus service.
    Bodyboarding, music loving, clothing upcycler Mom to adult kid1, elementary kid2

  4. #4
    Philly Mom is online now Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Around here all the kindly kids I know take the bus. Pre-k kids take buses to summer camp during the summer.

  5. #5
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    We will be walkers, but it's not uncommon at all for K students to take the bus around here. In fact, on the orientation day in the spring, they put all the K students on a bus and drove them around the neighborhood while the parents had orientation.

    ETA: Our district has a policy that K students must be met by an adult or middle school/high school age sibling, or they are returned to school. So not a lot of chance to drop them at the wrong stop if no one's there to meet them.
    Mommy to my wonderful, HEALTHY twin girls
    6/08 - Preemies no more!

  6. #6
    scrooks is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by Philly Mom View Post
    Around here all the kindly kids I know take the bus.
    Dd took the bus for the first time last week (her first day of k). They seat the kindergartener's in the front couple of seats (she was the first one on the bus so she got the first seat). Our k is half day so on the bus home it was just kindergartener's. There was an aid helping them off the bus and teaching them bus safety. I think this aid will help them for the first few days. My dd loved the bus.
    DD 7/07
    DS1 9/09
    DS2 7/13


  7. #7
    scrooks is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by TwinFoxes View Post
    ETA: Our district has a policy that K students must be met by an adult or middle school/high school age sibling, or they are returned to school. So not a lot of chance to drop them at the wrong stop if no one's there to meet them.
    This is the rule around here too.... I have to meet the bus or they won't let her off.
    DD 7/07
    DS1 9/09
    DS2 7/13


  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Philly Mom View Post
    Around here all the kindly kids I know take the bus. Pre-k kids take buses to summer camp during the summer.
    Yes, this; there were at least eight kinders on my dd's bus the year she was in kindergarten.

  9. #9
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by TwinFoxes View Post

    ETA: Our district has a policy that K students must be met by an adult or middle school/high school age sibling, or they are returned to school. So not a lot of chance to drop them at the wrong stop if no one's there to meet them.
    Same here so I really had no worries about ds1 taking the bus. Everyone used the buses here.

  10. #10
    KrisM is offline Clean Sweep forum moderator
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    Quote Originally Posted by TwinFoxes View Post
    We will be walkers, but it's not uncommon at all for K students to take the bus around here. In fact, on the orientation day in the spring, they put all the K students on a bus and drove them around the neighborhood while the parents had orientation.

    ETA: Our district has a policy that K students must be met by an adult or middle school/high school age sibling, or they are returned to school. So not a lot of chance to drop them at the wrong stop if no one's there to meet them.

    That's the rule here, too. But, I think it can be difficult to enforce, especially at the beginning. Our stop as about 15 kids at it and there are a good handful of adults, but we don't have to get our kindy kids off individually. I know they won't let the kindy kids off if there is no adult there, but I'm fairly certain that if 5 or 6 of my neighbors were there and I wasn't, DS2 would get off.

    But, we practiced driving by the stop and having DS1 tell me where it was. He got pretty good pretty fast, really. All my kid ride/rode in kindergarten. DS2 is super excited to start next week. DD did complain that it can be loud at times, especially when they are waiting to leave the schools. And, she found it boring because she was on and not moving for so long (kindy gets on first to leave). But, no other issues.
    Kris

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