Should I let my 5 year old ride the school bus?

Tawnya - posted on 09/26/2011

Yes its too long. My 5 yr old rides comes at 6:45am and drops her off at 3:00pm.

Karen - posted on 09/25/2011

Wow that's a LONG time - even as an adult I would be super tired...if it was a shorter day bus wise that would be much better. My son is 10 - has diabetes and we have yet to put him on the bus - I wish I could say he was a responsible child but anything can happen on the bus. I think if you are able to pick your child up and drop them off - that for now would probably work out better. Here the bus comes at 8:35 and he would get home around 4:15 - he gets out of school at 3:45pm he is in middle school...but for a small child I would hate to think if they fell asleep and no noticed that they were there or anything like that. Maybe even a carpool with some other parents that have time to maybe go one way but not the other or something like that? It's a great way for a kid to get to know others their age without the long bus ride and by then kids are tired and grumpy. Something like that is just as much fun as the bus but they don't have to worry about missing it or getting up so early...

Jes - posted on 09/24/2011

This is also my worry when we moved here in Arkansas, my daughter is only 5 years old and I am so worried about her riding a bus. But I have to be brave for my little girl, she has to feel that I am confident letting her ride the bus and nothing to worry about. She is now riding a bus for 2 months now since the class begins, she even doesnt want me waiting in the drop off area but I cant coz she is only 5 to let walking alone in the streets to out house. ;)

Rebecca - posted on 09/22/2011

if she will be riding the bus to school when she gets older than i would cause it will teach her the bus rulers and she will not be scared later on when she has to ride it

Nicole - posted on 09/21/2011

My soon to be 5 year old just started kindergarten and he takes the bus. It is more convent for me and he loves it. He is the 1st pick up and he is the first dropped off. The bus comes at 7:05 and drops him off at 2:15. Now he wakes up by him self and gets ready for school cause he is excited to get on the bus. His first few days of school he would fall asleep on the bus and I would have to go wake him up. Now he's good!

Theresa - posted on 09/19/2011

My 5 year old rides the bus but he gets picked up at 8:05 and dropped off at 3:20. He loves it and wants to but I was having a hard time sending him on it. I can't help but worry about him. If she really wants to then it should be fine. If you aren't very comfortable try taking her a few days and having her ride the bus a few days and see which works out better.

Joanne - posted on 09/19/2011

My son is 4 and just started JK. We just moved into a new house, so new house, starting a new school and I out him on the bus the very first day!! Grant you bus drop off is 8:35 am and pick up from the bus is 3:55pm He loves it.. We were lucky as we met a family who lives 6 houses down with a wee boy same age,class and bus stop as us. They made friends and take the bus together, this helped. I put him on the bus asap because of all the changes this would be part of his new routine and he ajusted just fine. Good luck!!

Jakcie - posted on 09/18/2011

wow my son get up at 730 and the bus he here my 9

Ashley - posted on 09/18/2011

Gosh that seems like such a long day for a 5-year-old. In our city we have half-day kindergarten, which was very appropriate for his age. I let him ride the bus, but that's because I had to have my 3-year-old in preschool at the exact same time. My oldest is 6 this year and it's his first year in school for the full day -- 1st grade. It's tiring. If you can take her and pick her up, do it. She doesn't need such long hours.

Jennifer - posted on 09/16/2011

If she wants to ride the bus how about a compermise? You could let her ride one way. My youngest started riding the bus at 5 but her older sister was with her (We lived in a differant distric with my oldest and we walked her when she was in K). This year she rides the bus alone as they go to differant schools. In the morning my youngest 6 gets picked up at about 7:30 and is one of 2 kids on the bus, (school of choice the school we are set to is about to loose funding bc of how bad the education is there.) her morning bus driver is a very nice guy who even knows our dogs name LOL. In the afternoon she is on a big bus with a longer bus rout she gets out at 3 and home just after 4. The only problem is that we have decided to let her walk herself home from the stop (she is in 1st and is almost 7) we live just yards from the stop so it takes her about 2 min to get home by herself. Monday- Thursday she is let off no problem but on Friday (early relise) we have had 3 differant drivers walk her home and last friday they took her back to school. Bus polisy is that any child under 6 must be met at the bus stop by a parent and more then one of the bus drivers have called in and been told this (the ones who walk her home) but the one she had knew her age and decided that bc she is small for her age she was incapable to walk herself home. This would not be a problem if there was a set time she got home on friday I could meet the bus BUT she can get home anyware from 1:20 to once 3! I cannot stand in the sun for that long a 30 min wait in the sun and I am literly burned to the point of blistering no matter what sunblock I use. If I could wait out there no problem I would! And her bus driver is changed everyweek (afternoon one) so I cannot even work something out with the driver... Very frusrtating. I dont drive so I cannot just go pick her up on friday. Last year my oldest got returned to school once as well (both kids are very small my nine yr old is about the size of an average kinder) when her sister stayed home sick and I did not meet the bus. But the also last year she did an after school activity and rode the activity bus and was let off over a mile from home with out a clue where she was. She had told the bus driver that was not where she was supposed to get off and he told her to get off anyway. Very lucky there we were after checking the dress where she was dropped at we found out that a regisetered child molester lived right there!!!!!!! There are hits and misses with busses you need to talk to the bus driver to get a feel for him/her most really do care for the childern and will do everything in thier power to ensure your little one will have a good experience riding the bus. After all if we parents decided to all pull our kids off the bus they would be out of a job, but there are those (I think few) that just dont care. If you talk to your driver you will get a read on them and it might put you at ease with it. Most wont mind at all if you go out in the morning with out your child to talk and find out how they would work with your daughter with the long ride.

Amanda - posted on 09/15/2011

To be honest, my five year old sees it as a rite of passage to be able to ride the bus. Because taking him to school on my own is not an option (School starts at 12:45 and they cannot be dropped off any earlier than 12:40) I think it's fine. Zach gets up early (as my fiancee is up getting ready for work and I am doing the chores) but I make him go to bed early so he gets enough sleep. Oh, and our school will not pick up or drop off a child that is at the bus stop by themselves. If they are supposed to be picking the child up, they contact the school by radio, who then tried to call the parent. If there is no answer, then they contact the police to ensure the child's safety. The bus driver is not allowed to leave until a parent or police officer is there. If they are supposed to be dropping the child off, they will pass on that stop and continue on their route. If they have not recieved a call about the child by the time they return to the school, then the school contacts the parent, and again if there is no answer, the police. The child stays at the school until the police can locate the child's parent. I think this system works great. I feel totally safe allowing him to ride the bus. That and the fact that I followed his bus to school for the first two weeks of class.... LOL!

Patricia - posted on 09/15/2011

@Gwen. Thank you for caring!! alot of bus drivers dont!! I'm fortunate to have an awesome bus driver like your self and it puts my concerns at ease. We live across town from my childs school so the ride is long for her she doesnt mind because its a social time for her and she loves her bus driver to death!! So thank you on behalf of a bunch of mommies that so appreciate a caring bus driver like you!

Patricia - posted on 09/15/2011

Tasha me my child is on the exact schedule as yours she is PK-4. It was terrifying for me to put her on the bus but she loves her bus driver and loves her school so as long as she is happy and not showing signs of stress then i'm happy too. The cool thing about her bus is the driver has an assistant because the majority of the kids are so small. So I say to you to utilize the bus to your advantage if your child is comfortable with riding the bus.It definitley takes a huge burden off of me.

Sherri - posted on 09/14/2011

@Carrie our Kindergarten kids have to be on the bus at 7am. As our Kindergarten starts at 8am and ends at 10:40am.

Carrie - posted on 09/14/2011

Why is the bus coming at 620? What time does school start? My son's Kindergarten starts at 9:00 and ends at 320, he gets on the bus at 851am and get off at 410pm. If the ride is over an hour I would think hard about it, but next year it will be the same story and he will be 6...so, maybe send him with crayons and coloring book, reading book, something to keep him busy while he rides. My son started Prek at 3 and had to take the bus, his ride was an hour and the poor kid was 3!!! Good Luck, be creative!

Sherri - posted on 09/13/2011

I taught my 5yr old what street we lived on how to tell the bus driver this is not my stop if he told him it was his stop.

Needless to say they were so amazingly wonderful they gave our kindergartners bus passes with their names and stop and at ea. stop would call out the child that was to get off there. A parent must claim each child and the bus driver verifies name and then hands back bus pass for next day.

LEAH - posted on 09/13/2011

My daughter went to a specialized pre school for children with developmental delays. She actually started riding a school van (with car seats) when she was three. She was in that program for 2 years. I don't drive due to medical issues so that was our only option if I wanted her to go. She was very happy and it worked out well.

If you feel uncomfortable and have another way to get her there than I was say don't put her on the bus!

Michelle - posted on 09/13/2011

i dont know about anyone else but i would not let my 5 yr old ride the bus. i know those ppl are supposed to watch over our kids but just the other day i haerd a story from our community. i am not a prejudice person but the little white boy was let off the school bus in the middle of an unfamiliar area.... and there is no telling what could have happened. this area is known well for its drive bys and just all around crime. so i decided rite then and there that my daughter would not ride the bus until she was at least old enough to let the driver know that was not her stop!

Savitha - posted on 09/13/2011

not comfortable sending my 4yr old daughter by school bus, so we drop and pick her from the school

Ieesha - posted on 09/12/2011

I would say let your child ride the bus my daughter started riding the bus at 5 and she loves it

Kenya - posted on 09/11/2011

My 4 yr old rides the bus to and from school. Some days he's late and i take him but i'm am actually comfortable with him taking the bus. His bus comes at 645 to pick him up and he's dropped off by 245. I talk to his driver and we both notice things about my son on a daily basis. They make sure all the little kids sit up front. Plus my mom is a bus driver and has been for the last 13yrs and I am sure that there of plenty of drivers that take care of the kids just like she does. I rode the bus all my school years and i really wanted my son to experience the joy that i had on the bus.

Anne - posted on 09/11/2011

hmmmm i think the world is nt safe enough for our 5 yr olds to do it alone... i live in a small town, but i still take my 5 yrold to school xx

Carla - posted on 09/07/2011

This year my son is in first grade and is now riding the bus at night for one hour and a 1/2 I thing that is too long.
I am going to look into moving him on another bus

Terri - posted on 09/07/2011

I have always taken my kids to school because my work schedule allowed it then they went to daycare afterwards on daycare bus or van. However, I am taking them every morning now and daycare van 1 week to daycare and then they are car riders the other week. My 7th graders wants to ride a bus but so much go on on school buses bc they have 1 driver and she or he has to watch the road not keep eyes on kids and their behaviors or actions. It is what you can live with happening because of your actions. Each of us are different in ways we feel about bus riding and-or what may go on on the bus.

Jasa - posted on 09/06/2011

Why dont you ask your daughter if its what she wants to do if she doesnt like riding the bus then take her and pick her up but if it is something she enjoys then let her enjoy it My son(4 yrs.) loves riding the bus plus it gives him time to get to know the other kids he is going to school with it seems to make school a little more fun for him :)

Dorothy - posted on 09/05/2011

I have let both of my kids ride the bus since they were in kindergarten both they don't get on thebus until at least 8:00

Terri - posted on 09/04/2011

My daughter loves riding the bus. It wouldn't be a problem. I guess I would ask her how she feels about being on the bus a lot. If it's a problem then do what you must but she may not really mind being on the bus so much

Sylvia - posted on 09/01/2011

Wow, so your 5-year-old is in school for an hour and a quarter longer than my 9-year-old. Far out. I hope at least they get more recess or a longer lunch hour or something! (For comparison, DD gets two 20-minute recess periods and I think 45 minutes for lunch -- a good 45 minutes less than when I was her age. Sigh.)

Given a choice (which I don't have, as it happens) between walking my 5-year-old to school and sending her an extra hour each way on a crowded school bus ... I'd have walked her myself. (I don't drive, so for me, driving her to school would not have been possible even if I thought it was a good idea, which I don't.) That said ... if she's so eager to take the bus, there's certainly no harm in letting her try it!

Aisha - posted on 09/01/2011

I told my son who just started kindergarten that I would take him and pick him up everyday except the days that I have school and he said that he wanted to ride the bus, but only in the evenings which Im fine with since the bus lets him out at our front door

Jessica - posted on 08/30/2011

My son is in 2nd grade and has been taking the bus since he started kindergarten. I have no problem with it. His morning ride is longer than his afternoon ride. I want him to learn to be self-sufficient as much as possible at his age and riding the bus and getting himself to class is an important part of that. He has a great time, has lots of friends on the bus, and even gets some of his homework done during the ride. I have an in-home daycare so I don't have the freedom to drive him to school and pick him up - but I don't think I would anyway. 2 extra trips to town really add up when gas is as expensive as it is and the bus comes right to us. The bus driver does a very good job of keeping the younger kids in the front. Our school district also has staggered start times so the middle and high school kids start earlier than the elementary kids and are not on the bus with the younger kids.

It has worked well for my family, but you have to weigh the pros and cons in your own life.

Rebecca - posted on 08/30/2011

I think that personally its all how you feel on the bus riding for her. If you think its too long dont let her take the bus. I for one am a mother of three. My son is 5 he just started kindergarden. The bus comes at 720 and school starts at 750. Then school is out 245 and bus arives at 3. I think that it all depends on how big the route is and how many/vs stops the bus has to take. I think that this makes my son more independant and thats good thing to have he has been in school going on thrid year he has always rode the bus. I see how much easyier it gets to get him to go off on his own as to oppoise the girls 4 and 3. Being they are begining to learn independance and not having mommy and daddy there. I go to school events partys with my son. But that is about it. I dont want to mess his independance up and always think he will have mommy there. But like I said its all on how you feel personally.

Kitty - posted on 08/29/2011

no i never did yes is waaay to long that is a long day for the lil one

Gwen - posted on 08/28/2011

Tasha, I am a school bus driver and even though I don't know where you live I hope I can help shed some light on this subject. Our schools, that I drive for, starts at 9 and gets out at 3:30. My first pickup is just before 8 and my last drop off is around 4:30.
Even though there are many kids on the bus of all ages I seat my little ones at front. One due to safety reasons and the other is because I don't want them sitting at the back and hearing older kids talk. I am also close by to answer questions and talk to them to make the drive go by quicker. I also allow food and drinks on the bus realizing that kids are starved when they are done school and need to have a snack. So even though it seems like a long bus ride if the bus driver is working with the parents of these little ones it wont seem long for them. Think it sounds worse to a parent sometimes than it does to a child. Do other classmates ride with your 5 year old? Do other neighbors kids that you know ride that can assist them if need be? Please talk to your bus driver to ask how to make the ride better for your little one. Also, in our school division, the first month of school is quite hectic with bussing. Sometimes you have more kids registered to ride than originally thought so buses are overloaded. Hopefully things settle down in the following month.
Hope I helped, have a great school year!

Sherri - posted on 08/26/2011

Well our kindergarten is only half days so I bring him to school and he takes the bus home everyday.

Drue - posted on 08/26/2011

I'm a SAHM with a 5 year old little girl and a 3 month old baby boy. I let her ride the bus 3 days out of the week and take her to school 2 days out of the week. I want her to get the full experience with going to school. I also want her to understand that she is growing up and becoming more independent. She has to be at the bus stop by 6:54 am She does not ride the bus home. I pick her up from school at 11 am. She's in PRE-K. Her b-day is Sept 16, so she's not 5 just yet.

Phyllis - posted on 08/26/2011

It all depends. All of my kids started riding the bus at the age of 5. It is very scary for both the parent and the child. I was always paranoid that my kids would get off on the wrong stop. The rule in our district is preschool and kindy parents HAVE to be at the bus stop with the child for both pick up and drop off. They will not let them off of the bus unless they see the parent. Sounds like you kinda have it figured out though. We don't have a second car, aso, while I am a SAHM I don't have the luxury of dropping off and picking up my children. :/

Laura - posted on 08/26/2011

Wow! That is a very long day for a 5 year! Up and off at 6.20 in the morning and not back till 4.45 ... If you have any other option I would take it - my 4 year old is just about to start school and I would hate that for her - an adult would struggle with that day let alone a child ...

Toni - posted on 08/25/2011

My 8 year old started riding the bus at 5 and my 5 year just started riding it. They think it is so cool that they are in that big bus. :) I say, if she wants to ride, let her ride. :)

Carla - posted on 08/25/2011

My son is the first on picked up and the last on drop of do to the side of the road he can get off on. He ride the longest in the evening but he likes the ride or they sometimes wake him up from a nap

Tasha - posted on 08/25/2011

Wow...that's awful. When her bus came this morning she was still asleep. I want her to enjoy the bus but I just don't know. I talked with the bus coordinator and she's gonna try and work something out for me. Maybe another bus can swing by,fingers crossed.

Kacie - posted on 08/25/2011

i remember freshman year in highschool, i had a friend who lived a good 20 minutes out of town who rode the bus. i stayed a school night with her. we had to wake up at 5am to eat, get dressed and ready for the bus coming at about 5:45/6am! that killed me considering i lived a mere block from the school and didnt have to wake up till 730 every morning to be taken to school by car!

Tasha - posted on 08/25/2011

Kacie you are exactly right. She is the first one on and the last off. Today was her first day back to school, the bus came by at 6:15am to early for me so I took her this morning. The bus driver said she would be thru around 4:30-4:45 this evening. Having a really hard time processing that.:)

Sylvia school starts at 7:45am and they are released at 3:30pm. Yes she would be riding around the neighborhood for an 1hr 30mins to an 1hr 45mins. We are not in walking distance, way to far to walk and its about a 10 min ride. Her bus load is outrageous. And thats the other thing, to many kids on the bus. The fact that that I own my own business I can adjust my schedule to her schooling so no her day does not have to be that long but she wants to ride the bus, Me being the parent I deside weather that is suitable for her at this age or not. Her dad thinks it might be ok. But i am still hesitant.
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Kacie - posted on 08/25/2011

Sylvia, the farther you are from the school, the earlier you get picked up (being one of the 1st ones) and the later you get dropped off (being one of the last ones).

Sylvia - posted on 08/24/2011

You don't say when school starts, so it's tough to know how much longer her day is going to be if she takes the bus. Does she go to before-and-after care, or would she be sitting on the bus for hours while it drives all around the neighbourhood? Or what? I'm having trouble picturing this, because unless her school starts at, like, 6:45 in the morning, why on earth does she need to be picked up that early? And if she's in before-and-after care because you work, then doesn't she have a long day no matter how she gets to school?

Around here, school starts usually between 8:30 and 9:00 (my DD's school starts at 8:40) and lets out between 3:00 and 3:30 (DD's lets out at 3:15). But I'm thinking your daughter's school must start earlier? But then it would let out earlier, so why would the bus drop her off so late?

How far are you actually from her school? Is it a nice walk, or would you have to shlep back and forth on a bus or streetcar or something? She's maybe a bit young to walk on her own, but are there older kids in the neighbourhood she could walk with?

Natalie - posted on 08/24/2011

I agree with the previous reply - if you can take her, I would take her, or pick up, one or the other, or both. My daughter was 5 when she started kindergarten and asked us to let her ride the bus. She was very social, responsible, mature, the kinda kid who loves any chance to practice her independence...so we let her a couple of weeks after school started, made sure her teacher knew she was to ride the bus, etc. It was fine, she loved it, the driver kept the younger kids toward the front so no worries there. The school bus worked well for us. Good luck in your decision making!!

Kacie - posted on 08/24/2011

if you're home and able to bring her and pick her up, then do it. here, school doesnt start till 7:55 (tardy bell at 8) and lets out at 2:55/3. I dont leave the house to bring my 5 yr old until 7:20 and he's dropped off and im out of the car line at 7:40. when i pick him up, we're home a little after 3! the bus he would ride picks kids up in the neighborhood at 7:15 and they dont get dropped off till after 4

Does she want to ride the bus? my son really wants to (this is his 1st year in school...kindy) but i have talked to him about it and he's content with me dropping off/picking up. these days, bad things happen on the bus. and i dont like the fact that he wouldnt get home till after 4! so for me, im not comfortable with it. Im a SAHM, so im able to be there to do it