So I was browsing Facebook and I came across a post where buses were discussed. One woman had said, "Since I'm a stay at home mom, I drive my kids to school. If you stay at home there's no reason for kids to ride the bus."
I was like:
Because guess what? I work from home, which means I stay at home, and my kids DO ride the bus.
Here are reasons why:
1. I'm not dealing with all the traffic. I am NOT a morning person. This is Texas. There are people in every damn corner.
2. I'd lose my cool if people didn't follow car line procedures. I am not friendly before I've had my caffeine so if the person in front of me wasn't following the rules, I might get out of my car, march over, and ask what the hell they thought they were doing. For everyone's safety, it's best I'm never in a car line.
3. I'm half asleep since I'm up at 6 so I wouldn't feel safe driving with all the traffic. No further explanation needed.
4. Other people tick me off. This sort of goes along with the top two reasons, but it's true: I have road rage. And people in Texas don't like to do the following: use their turn signals, give a proper distance between vehicles, wave when someone lets you in the line....
5. I just plain don't want to. The bus is there for a reason. I get to save my gas. I had a friend who said she had THE BEST conversations with her kids when she drove them to school but here's the thing: my kids would be fast asleep because hello, we are NOT morning people.
Now, if my kids said they were being bullied on the bus, I might consider driving them. Maybe. What I'd probably want to do is march onto the bus and remind the other kids to stop being assholes. So far the kids are okay though. I rode the bus. I was okay. It helped me get comfortable with public transportation.
Do you drive your kids to school even though they could ride the bus?
Yes, they take the bus! And I kick myself that they didn't start earlier. I hate going to the school twice a day! And it's free for us since we're slightly over the two miles it requires to be free. And it saves me TWO hours a day. I mean.. sheesh. What is wrong with people for judging that?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. Because I've read a lot of your posts, I know that you're a very sweet and kind person. But when it comes to traffic, I think we all get road rage and turn into an altogether different person. But yes, most times it's the other person's fault and why waste time when there's another feasible option! All the power to you!
ReplyDeleteI wish we had a bus! We do have a carpool and I never drive in the morning!
ReplyDeleteThat is very intersting. I had never seen taking the bus in that way. It also creates bonds.
ReplyDeleteI took the bus all the time when I was a kid, it wasn't a big deal. And now that I'm an adult I try to people as little as possible, so can't say I blame ya!
ReplyDeleteI think it's great you don't drive your kids to school. They can learn how to be independent and they socialize with other teenagers. :)
ReplyDeleteaww i think it's great and my kids def love to take the bus too- it helps bring independence for them and they love to socialize too. plus its not too far from our house.
ReplyDeleteMy son took the bus in elementary school. Walked to middle school since it was literally in our backyard (we could see the front doors from our backdoor). For high school depending on the day I would either drive him or he would walk. Since I had to drive right by his high school to get to work and if he had a first period class I would drive him.
ReplyDeleteCar riders. Too much goes on that the bus driver can't see. I've not desire to risk it.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the morning traffic. Sometimes I've driven the kids half-asleep. One of the reasons I refuse to be up late anymore.
ReplyDeleteI think it is just a good morning routine. Get up, get dressed, have breakfast and get on the bus. Over and done.
ReplyDeleteOh, I have so much to say here - but I will limit it. My kids went to Catholic school and they got the bus for free - so yes -BUS! Then we moved - same school, but no bus route here. My neighbor also sent her kids to same Catholic School, but she didn't believe in carpools. Down right un-american, right? I have written about this delightful neighbor many times on my blog - search for 'Mary Ann' and you will learn all about what it is like to live near her. Then we hopped over to public schools and had to pay for the bus. I drove them the first year, and then decided the $200/kid fee for the year was worth it. We had 4 kids in the school. Once they are in junior high, they walk 5 blocks to school rain or shine. You know what I did not do when they rode the bus? Wait at the bus stop for them or with them. We live across a culdesac from the bus stop. There is almost no traffic. No one was going to abduct my kid as they marched 16 steps to the bus stop. Still, my neighbors hate me.
ReplyDeleteI took the bus for a while in school. I really liked the extra time to talk to my friends.
ReplyDeleteMy mom was home for years and I don't think she would have ever driven me. I took the bus because that is what the bus was for.
ReplyDeleteWhere I grew up we didn't have a bus so I was probably more excited than my kid was when he got to ride the bus to school. Next year my youngest will be going to middle school and both will be on the bus. Why not? Plus they can catch up and all that with their friends then! Instead of in class lol
ReplyDeleteI work from home so I can drive my kids to school. I do understand it isn't for everyone though.
ReplyDeleteWow! I super agree to you on this. Sometimes kids need to have this for them to learn independence. Not at all times we are around to send them to school.
ReplyDeleteI guess some people are really not into morning drives. One of the most difficult times to travel actually. I am sure the kids are safe on the bus.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter drives our two every day and I keep telling her how stupid that is when the bus comes right to their door. This is their first week so I figure it will last another week or two and she will come to the same conclusions! (Rena)
ReplyDeleteMy son rode the bus from 2nd grade up to his freshman year in high school. He started being a car rider last year, his sophomore year. I'm okay with it, besides there's not much traffic going to my son's school. :)
ReplyDelete-LYNNDEE
I am not sure why that mom was so judgy about kids riding the bus if a parent is at home. It does not affect her in any way.
ReplyDeleteWhat matters is the kids get to school safely. Every parent should make the choice that feels right to them.
My kids rode the bus in elementary school.
Once they hit middle school, they could get a ride to school with my husband (it was on his way to work.) As they got older, they started walking to and from school, because they didn't like riding the bus. The school is about a mile away from our home. Some of my kids had friends with cars in high school, so they sometimes got a ride from a friend. If they were on a sports team, we picked them up after practice.
"I just plain don't want to do it" lol that killed me...And I agree. You don't have to if a bus service is available.
ReplyDeleteI work from home and my kids still drive the bus. I live out in the country, so it would be a drive just to get there and back. I honestly think it's great for them to ride the bus. They've made many friends on the bus too.
ReplyDeleteI love the "Just plain don't want to" lol I get it. I actually tried this when the kids were in public school. I had the younger two ride our school bus, sadly we have a shortage of both bus drivers and teachers, so anyways, long story short - it would like TWO HOURS for them to get home after school. So with a routine driven child, getting home at DINNER TIME wasnt' working for us, so I ventured to do the drop off and pick ups and it ended up working for us, had we NOT had a shortage on bus drivers, then perhaps I'd totally be on the game of having them ride the bus so I could have gotten more work done. I think riding the bus gives the kids more experiences and interactions with others, and learning how to respect/follow the rules of other adults.
ReplyDeleteYes, these are all good reasons indeed. I agree that the traffic is a nightmare during drop off time. Also, my kids really enjoy getting on the bus and riding with their friends.
ReplyDeleteSo many reasons I agree with! My kid isn’t eligible for the bus cuz we live too close and it’s rough driving that early some mornings! Luckily we don’t have traffic in my little hood!
ReplyDeleteI love your honest post. I have to drive my kids to school every morning and pick them up in the evening. No bus available in my area.
ReplyDeleteWhat a crazy idea to have to drive your kid to school just because you work from home! We're fortunate that we live less than a 10 minute walk to school, so no need for buses or a drive right now, but my kids will be bussing it when the have to move to the middle school further away. (close enough for biking, but with a couple main roads, that's a NOPE from me) My blood pressure wouldn't handle it, and it is definitely bad to use gas when you don't have to. Must be a crazy precious snowflake mom that said that!
ReplyDeleteMe and my kids ride in a bus each day and I found it really cool and fun. Sometimes its ok to let your kids knows what life really is when they grow up :) and riding a bus is part of it.
ReplyDeleteI don't have kids yet but even though you have your reasons which makes sense but when i do have my own kids they will definitely ride on their school bus not minding if i am a stay at home parent or not because i guess it will go a long way in helping them bond with their fellow kids.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for the fact that my kindergartner would be on the bus for over an hour before school started, then they would be riding the bus to school. They are riding it on the way home though.
ReplyDeleteGirl, I GET IT! If bussing my kids was an option, I'd take it in a heartbeat (even though we live right next to the school -- haaaaa!)
ReplyDeleteI rode the bus to school every day and survived. It definitely wasn't my favorite thing to do and i did appreciate when my mom picked us up. But I feel like riding the bus is a right of passage every kid should experience.
ReplyDeleteI hate driving so I only take the car if I have to.
ReplyDeleteI work at home and I've been doing so for the last 17 years and my kids either walk, bike and more recently take the bus to go school. The main and only reason it's because I WORK at home, so my time is worth some $$$. Great post.
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