Please tell me the bus will be ok without seatbelts/boosters!

[kater-tot82]

So...what is the consensus on using lapbelts on the school bus? My 5 yr old will be riding on the bus in 2 weeks and I don't know whether to tell her to buckle the seatbelt or not...

 

[Beana]

I was all set to send my 5 year old off to kindergarten on the bus and have come to learn that he would be on the bus with kids up to 5th grade. It took me a long time to get comfortable with the safety part of the bus and then i learned about the ages. I can't imagine a 5 year old riding with kids 10 or 11 years old. I was so disappointed that I have resorted back to driving him. All with only a few days until school starts.

 

[Defrost]

I was all set to send my 5 year old off to kindergarten on the bus and have come to learn that he would be on the bus with kids up to 5th grade. It took me a long time to get comfortable with the safety part of the bus and then i learned about the ages. I can't imagine a 5 year old riding with kids 10 or 11 years old. I was so disappointed that I have resorted back to driving him. All with only a few days until school starts.

When my DD rode the bus for Kindergarten, she rode with 5th-graders. The younger kids were separated, though - they rode up front behind the driver.

It turned out well, actually. I got to know the neighbor girls while waiting at the bus stop, so when they dropped my DD off at home on a day when I wasn't there (she was supposed to go to G'ma's that day... same as every other Friday...) they immediately knew that something was wrong when I wasn't there to meet her off the bus. They walked her to our house, and when they realized I wasn't home, took her to their mom. If they hadn't helped out, she'd have been all alone in our yard, with no way to contact me and no idea what to do!

 

[*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue*]

My son I just found out is riding with up to 5th graders home. They have the kindergartener's/1st graders sit up front. I am already instructing michael he will sit in the front.

 

[marchofemily]

I am right there with you on this! After reading the blog and doing oter research, I am more at ease with the bus. I will mostly be driving her, but I think I will reserve the bus for when I have too many kids to drive her or when it is really bitter cold out, so she can be bundled up. I am trying to get ahold of the bus company to find out where the bus stops, her route and how long she'll be on it.

Ugh. Homeschooling was so much simpler.

 

[tiggercat]

My son has been a bus rider for 3 yrs now, and I feel totally comfortable with that. Our busses have no belts, and honestly I prefer that to lap only belts. The drivers tend to be pretty strict on sitting properly, I know Greg got written up once for sitting in the aisle Yes, we had a proper sitting talk after that one. Greg also rides with kids of all ages (he goes to a K-8 school), and we haven't had much trouble. There was an issue with older kids pushing the younger ones, but we got the vice principal involved and it was handled really well.

To the person who asked about size, I personally am not comfortable with kids under 40lbs on the bus without child restraints or harnesses of some kind. It wasn't an issue for us because Greg was 40lbs at 2 yrs old, LOL. My understanding is that compartmentalization isn't really that effective under 40lbs.

 

[Mommypooh]

Would I be wrong to ask the if they could put a harness on the bus for my daughter to ride in? I would let her ride if they would do it. I would also pay for one to be purchased as I would still end up ahead with that vs driving with gas and wear and tear on my car. Just a thought.

 

[MomToEliEm]

I am letting my daughter (6 years old) ride the bus for the first time this year. This bus carries everyone from Kindergarten to 12th grade (we are in a small school district) but I think the bus monitor keeps the kids separated by grade so they get off at the right school. Hopefully since there is a driver and a bus monitor on the bus at all times, the kids will be more behaved and sit correctly.

I drove my child to kindergarten all last year, but due to that, I was always 30 minutes late getting to work, and the traffic is horrible around the school. I feel that she will be more safe on the bus then me driving her as there are so many cars on the road around the school. I am more likely to get in an accident then the bus.

 

[bobandjess99]

it'll be okay. Buses are really safe. My kid in her harnessed seat in my new model car with side air bags that i have to drive across town is much more at risk, statistically, than your child.

 

[AlisonR80]

I'm worried about my kindergartener riding the bus this fall, mostly because of his ADHD and I worry that he won't sit properly. My older son (4th grade) will be on the same bus but that doesn't comfort me because they fight like cats and dogs. The younger kids ride up front. It would be nice if there was a bus aide or something.