WWYD? Misbehaving Kids on Our Walk Home from School

[BumbleBee]

We are a no transport daycare. Every day myself or my assistant walk the school age daycare kids home from school. It's approximately 4 blocks, depending on which way we go.

Now the daycare kids are generally well behaved in our walk home. We have issues from time to time but overall they do pretty well.

The problem we're having is with 2 non-daycare kids (roughly ages 6/7 and 8/9) who will not leave us alone. I have repeatedly told them to leave us alone, go on home and that they are not to walk with us. We have tried taking different routes (only 3 options), ignoring them, leaving asap to get far enough ahead of them, waiting at the school to get some distance between us.

The younger one put his hands on one of my dck's and almost pushed him into traffic. The older one swears like a sailor and tries to coerce the dck's into misbehaving. They've thrown rocks and snowballs at us, kicked snow at us, follow us regardless of which way we walk, wait for us if they can't find us right away, run to catch up if they see us ahead of them.

I don't know their names, don't know where they live & don't know who their parents are. I suspect they live in the apartment building a block past mine-which is a known high traffic drug apartment building. Police and cps are back there frequently but there's multiple questionable families in that building. I have my suspicions of who their parents are but haven't confirmed it.

Regardless, I'm not interested in going to the apartments nor getting into it with anybody back there.

At this point we're just ignoring them and trying to keep distance but it's been ongoing for a solid month. Additionally I've had multiple people ask why we're walking too many kids home (ratio is 6:1. When these two come up on us and loiter behind or in front of us it looks like we're over ratio.) So, in the interest of not dealing with this all school year & not being reported for ratio concerns, what do we do? What would you do?

[Pandaluver21]

I would report it to the school. See if they can send an aid or someone to come and see who the kids are that are causing the problems.

[Josiegirl]

I would report it to the school. See if they can send an aid or someone to come and see who the kids are that are causing the problems.

I can't think of anything else; what a couple of brats!! Maybe go to the principal and explain the dilemma, see what they say. Maybe they'll talk with the parents and hold the kids after school until you can make a 'clean get away'. Are those kids bullying the dcks while at school? Do any of the dcks know them? If it doesn't change things, what about calling the police? They may be young but throwing rocks, etc., might call for tougher measures.

[Pepperth]

Definately talk to the school. Maybe they can stagger their release so you can get a head start.

[Cat Herder]

Contact your sheriff's departments school resource officer division. They can solve this quickly.

[hwichlaz]

Take pictures of the kids with your phone, since you don't know their names. And go to the school with them, I'd especially emphasize the part about trying to push little ones into traffic. Ask who the School Resource Officer is.

[Alwaysgreener]

First Contact your licensing and let them know what is going on in case somebody does call. You can also ask them what to do.
Honestly I don't know as long as they are off school grounds at the school can't do anything about it but instead of having the school hold them back, you could just hangout and play in the playground or something. But if that's not an option our local elementary has an officer at visits the School during pickups and drop-offs. So I would be inclined to call the local station and ask for that particular officer, then discuss it with him to what's going on.
My other suggestion would be to call CPS, these kids are walking home unattended, I have a question why.

[Blackcat31]

Contact your sheriff's departments school resource officer division. They can solve this quickly.

I'd definitely do this! We have a school resource officer in all building for all grades.

Take pictures of the kids with your phone, since you don't know their names. And go to the school with them, I'd especially emphasize the part about trying to push little ones into traffic. Ask who the School Resource Officer is.

I dunno that I'd purposely take pictures of a minor child.
Even one that is misbehaving or harassing you. No matter intent, it just seems like it could go wrong for many reasons.

[Rockgirl]

I’d start with the school officer, and if that didn’t work, I’d call the police. Throwing rocks and pushing a child into the street is nothing to mess around with! Good luck.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I’d start with the school officer, and if that didn’t work, I’d call the police. Throwing rocks and pushing a child into the street is nothing to mess around with! Good luck.

I agree. If they are assaulting other kids and putting their lives in danger, I would call the police and request their presence. I would also alert the school to the situation. This was a while back, so not sure if it's still allowed, but a child was harassing another kid on the walk home, so the school wouldnt allow the child to leave the school without a parent or guardian present to escort him. It was a small town though, and again, not sure if it would be a possibility.

[hwichlaz]

I'd definitely do this! We have a school resource officer in all building for all grades.



I dunno that I'd purposely take pictures of a minor child.
Even one that is misbehaving or harassing you. No matter intent, it just seems like it could go wrong for many reasons.

They are out in public, it's legal...and she doesn't know their names or addresses. Her other option is to say... "some kids I don't know are doing things....I can't tell you who they are or where they live, or show you what they look like..."

[Blackcat31]

They are out in public, it's legal...and she doesn't know their names or addresses. Her other option is to say... "some kids I don't know are doing things....I can't tell you who they are or where they live, or show you what they look like..."

Oh, I agree... I just don't think I'd take pictures of them.
It might just be the "provider" in me that can't stop thinking liability or how things with good intent can be taken out of context.

Plus most parents of kids like that...will focus on something trivial like their child's rights being violated.
Never mind that their child was the one behaving badly... kwim?

[Snowmom]

If it were me, I'd have my phone ready and call the police as soon as I saw their faces.

I'd let the school know too.

I'd probably bring my emergency siren with too and if they bothered me or the kids, I'd let that ****er ring free for the whole neighborhood to hear.

[hwichlaz]

Oh, I agree... I just don't think I'd take pictures of them.
It might just be the "provider" in me that can't stop thinking liability or how things with good intent can be taken out of context.

Plus most parents of kids like that...will focus on something trivial like their child's rights being violated.
Never mind that their child was the one behaving badly... kwim?

While I do know what you mean....no one has the right to not have their pic taken in public, esp while in the commision of a crime. I would never publish it though, just use it to show the school and police. I get you on worrying about liablity, but there just isn't any in this case. But, just in case maybe ask the SRO first.

[Leigh]

I'd call the police non-emergency line, and ask for an officer (there is likely at least one patrolling the area after school, anyway) to speak the the children about what they're doing and tell them that it needs to stop. That's likely all it will take. If the school has a resource officer, they'd be able to help, as well.