Bus Stop Dilema

[daycare]

I would say that I don't think that you should have to be at the bus stop, but if this child cannot behave himself, then he needs to have an adult there to supervise him.

I remember when my son was little he rode the bus to school and it was right in front of this crabby old mans house. Well the kids would go in his yard, play with his newspaper and so on. Eventually the old man called the school and complained. The school called me and told me that I needed to come and sit with my child at the bus stop until the behavior is resolved.


BUT I could not miss work to be there at the bus stop with my child. So I sent my neighbor who was a good friend and he lost the privilege of being at the bus stop without having someone there to control him.

Then my neighbor tells me, well it's not your kid, it's two other kids and your son is taking the blame for it.

It went on for some time before they ended up moving the bus stop. I am sure the old man kept complaining.

I do think that children should know how to behave at the bus stop and if it is right out front of your house, then NO they don't need you to be there. There are 60 kids to 3 adults during recess time, yet recess always goes over each day without too many issues. BUT again like I said before, if this child cant behave, I would be out there making sure he did,

YOu don't want your daycare to be known as the one with the out of control kid

[DBug]

I have decided that the culprit can sit on my porch and wait for the bus. I will leave the door open so I can see them and once the bus is here they can head across.

That's a great solution!

I do bus runs, and personally I would never take a child that I wasn't able to supervise up until they step onto the bus.

I'd be worried about exactly what you were mentioning -- they're representing your childcare! Some of my best advertising is by word of mouth, but if one of my kids were acting up like that? It could be really bad for business, kwim?

If waiting on the porch doesn't work, and it's not possible to accompany the SAs at the bus stop, I would tell the parents that they need to make other arrangements.

[Soccermom]

This is exactly why I decided to go with all SA or all littles because the bus thing complicates things.

My rule is that K-2 I wait a the bus with them and pick up off the bus too. Grades 3 and up I will watch out the window with windows cracked open so I can hear what is going on. I don't leave the window until I see every child get onto the bus. I will also pick up Grades 3 and up if the bus drops on the opposite side of the road and DCKs need to cross. For the last 2 years, the bus drops off and picks up on our same side of the street which is nice.

A few times last year I had to spend a few days at the bus stop in the am even though I had all Grade 3 and up because of kids acting up.

I can't imagine getting a call that a child didn't make it to school...paperwork or not, I would be so devastated.

I hesitated to add this because it is so sad but have edited it in because it should be shared :

When I was 11 years old, our school bus ran over a 6 yo Girl who had to cross in front of the bus to her babysitter's house. DP didn't physically come to the bus and get her...if she had, DCG would never have ran in front of the bus after the bus started rolling. DCG survived but was paralyzed from the accident. That event has stayed with me all my life