Should I let my 4 year old get on the bus for school?

Question

It my oldest daughter. She doesnt really now how to tallk and Im afraid to put her on the bus for school Im the only one working my wife is a stay at home mom and we only have one vehicle. We live about 3 miles away from her school and we dont want her to take the bus cuz were afraid she might end up in the wrong bus. What are your opinions should i let her go on the bus or should we buy another vehicle.

Answer 1

talk to the teachers at school, (esp your own kids teacher) and ask her if she thinks your daughter is ready.  and of course you wife should stand with her to wait for the bus, and be at the bus stop when the bus arrives at the house to pick her up, and have a neighbor be back up, in case your wife isn't there.

My sister has her kids take the bus, I think they started at that age too.  If you think your kid is ready, then do it.

but teach her all the rules about good behavior and what to report to the bus driver... Usally there is an adult to supervise on the bus at that time, other than the driver.  if not recommend it to the school, they should for kids that young.

Answer 2

Is she going to special ed preschool? 4 year old is too young for kindergartern. I'm assumeing because you said she has trouble talking. If it is special ed preschool they have a special bus with a trained driver. They go in carseats. The teacher take and met the bus to and from the classroom. talk to the bus company about this. Don't worry the bus company doesn't want to happen either. Good luck

Answer 3

Where we live, in Michigan, the cut off date for kindergarten is Dec. 1.  2 of my children have fall birthdays, one is Sept. 20 and the other is Nov. 12.  Both of them started kindergarten when they were 4 and then turned 5 after school started.  We live in the country, I work at home.  So, my children have all ridden the school bus to and from school.  We've never had any problems.  In our school district, all the buses are equipped with radios so in the event a child does end up in the wrong place, it can easily be fixed.  Kindergartners wear tags with their name, their address, their bus number, and the school they go to.  Parents put them on in the morning, teachers take them off at school and return them at the end of the day.  First graders also use them the first few weeks of school.  Once you put your child on the bus, then the bus driver will make sure she gets to school.  After school, your child's teacher will make sure she gets on the right bus and it would be a rare bus driver who wouldn't watch out for the little ones to be sure they are on the right bus.  We have excellent, trusted bus drivers in our school district.  If she doesn't know how to talk at 4 perhaps she will be attending special needs classes and if so, she will probably ride a bus that also has a aide.  I think riding the bus would be fine for your daughter.  My kids are now 29, 26, 23, and 10.  The older ones complained about the bus when they were older, but they rode it anyway.  We live 8 miles away from our town and I am a licensed child care provider in my home.  All of my daycare children have rode the bus as well.  Once in awhile we'd have a little bus snafu and one of my daycare children would forget to get on the bus to my house, but it was always easily fixed.  I am on a first-name basis with the bus dispatcher and the bus driver.  Unless your child is a special needs child, car seats are not required on busses.  The design of the bus and the seats actually make it a safer form of transportation than many cars.

Answer 4

Let her take the bus. For preschoolers there will be a lot of supervision. An adult helper will be on the bus. Your wife will have to be at the bus stop before they let her off the bus. If it is going to a preschool within an elementary school the preschool teachers or helpers will come out to the bus to get the preschoolers. If she has a medical/development problem that prevents her from talking then it is even more stringent as far as help and supervision on the bus and etc.

So...not to worry. They will take care of her.

Answer 5

I think if you really cared about her you would drive her to school its safer and taking the us home ... or drive her back home

Thank you chelcey

Answer 6

No. I think she is to young. Let her go on the bus when she starts First grade but not before then. Kids learn some bad things on the bus and most bullys...thats when they bully. They also pick on kids in kindergarden alot. I would wait. I hope this helped.

-Tara

Answer 7

I wouldn't put any child under 12 years of age on a school bus.

That being said, we ALWAYS drove our kids to and from school, every day.  We both worked, also. When our youngest girl was in her senior year of high school, she did get a car, and we allowed her to drive to and from school.

Answer 8

if the buses are like the ones in Utah, they have harnesses for the little ones, and an aide rides with your child, when they arrive at school the teacher meets the bus and walks the children to the appropriate class. then when they go home the teacher takes the kids to the bus and the bus aide puts the child in the restraint and they go home where your wife will be required to meet her. my kids rode the bus from ages 3-6 and i only had one problem when i missed the bus and had to meet the bus at the school to pick up my baby. however i think you should still by a car for your wife, when my oldest was 2 i had a 2 month od baby, no car and my oldest fell and needed stitches, i couldn't reach my husband and my land lord actually took us to the ER  i ha vent been without a vehicle since. so another car would be a good idea anyway.

Answer 9

many kids ride the bus and Its pretty safe but things do happen. my kids wont be riding the bus. They are still supposed to be in a car seat and one driver is responsible for all the kids. I hear stories of things that happen and Im not gonna even take the chance

Answer 10

I am struggling with this issue myself. My son has a speech delay and may be going to special ed preschool in NOvember when he turns 3. I really worried about it, and talked to my friend who has had 2 of her 3 kids in special ed for speech. The parent puts the child on the bus in the morning...a special harness hooks into the bus and acts as a carseat. at school a teacher, aide, or other staff member takes the kids off the bus and to the class. After school staff members return the kids to the buses and help fasten them in.  My friend said "stalk the bus til you feel secure". So the first week or so I plan to drive to school a few minutes behind the bus and watch him get off the bus and into the building.

whether she should do it or not is up to you. If your budget can afford another vehicle, then go ahead and get one. If not, arrange your work schedule for a few days so you can follow the bus to school

Answer 11

No please don't. She is only a baby still. Unless you know a responsible person who she can sit next to and help her if she needs help. I can just say i would not do it. It is up to you to decide.:)

Answer 12

As long as your wife watches her get on the bus in the morning. The teachers should help out little ones on their right busses at school. The sooner you start them on busses it's easier when they're older. I started riding a bus at like.. 8th grade. Hated it. Only did it for a year.

Answer 13

Do you mean a school bus or a public transportation bus? If its a school bus then yes. But a public transportation bus is alittle scary for a 4 year old. She might miss her stop. There are many strange people on public buses, lately alot of people are filing complaints about being groped on a bus.

Answer 14

i really think 4 yrs old is WAY to young to go on a school bus the only way i would ever allow that is if there was a bus aide on there and it was a small bus those long buses arent not good

Answer 15

I'd say, make sure she gets on the right bus in the morning. and make sure someone is at the school, like a teacher or another faculty member, to get her off the bus so she can find the right class and not get lost. then after school, make sure that same faculty member does the same with bringing her to the bus. If you ask the school, they wouldnt have a reason not to.

Answer 16

buy another vehicle... not to mention she is not old enough to be without a carseat....

Answer 17

I live in Australia, and I caught my school bus to and from school every day from grade 8 onwards.  There was a little girl on that bus who went to preschool every day, and we all looked after her - if she wasn't there, we'd get the bus driver to wait for her, we'd all make sure she got off at the right spot on the way home (and sometimes another kid would walk with her to her house).  I don't think that 4 is too young, but it depends on what your daughter thinks.  Maybe you could get an older kid who catches the same bus to look after her - I'm sure they'd be keen!  Good luck.

Answer 18

well ask your wife to take her to the bus stop intill you can trust that she will be ok by herself and if its a school bus the bus will take her  to school

Answer 19

OMG.......why would you let a baby ride the bus.....even though they have built in carseats i wouldn't let my baby or (nephews) do that.......until they are 5 or 6

Answer 20

if you wife gets her on the school bus int eh morning she wont get off till home

school should get her on the correct bus

you can even put a tag on her bag for her bus number just incase