Children Catching the Bus

Dunroamin

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

I would want to do the journey with them the first couple of times.
Maybe:
1st time go together, with the grown up taking the lead and pointing out relevant things to the child.
2nd time go together, with the child taking the lead, telling the grown up when to get off, etc.
3rd time with the grown up on the same bus but not sitting together - just be there in the background if needed.
4th time they can go on their own.

If they struggle with any of the steps then you can go back a step or stay on that step until ready to progress.

Obviously, as has been said above, it depends on the child.

I think that's really OTT for a kid of this age - you make it sound like a journey to Mars!

anniemf2508

As others have said it does depend on the maturity of the child....my daughter was catching the bus to school from 12 and is quite comfortable going on the bus on her own. If we let her go elsewhere on the bus (other than school) shes always met the other end and she has to text/phone me just so i know she got there safe

FBaby

My son is 10 and takes the public buds every day after school to come home since he was 9. It is 1/2 hour journey. He would be comfortable taking any bus in our town as long as he knew the journey and where to stop.

JimmyTheWig

Dunroamin wrote: »

I think that's really OTT for a kid of this age - you make it sound like a journey to Mars!

If they don't know the route, aren't familiar with going on busses, etc, it may as well be a journey to Mars.

megela

The original way for the DD to get to school when she started seniors at 11 was to be by bus. We took her once, then let her do it 'by herself' with us 'with her' to gain her confidence. However before she started school they changed the bus routes and I've ended up taking her by car everyday:mad:.
I'm happy for her (now 13) to take the bus in the holidays during the day while I'm at work, making her more independant, but several of her friends mums are horrified and insist on collecting her in their car!
Does he have a mobile phone? This would also make it easier for his mum to accept I would think as he could contact you if he felt at all worried.

nfollows1982

Yes he has got a mobile and he uses whatsapp so there would be no worries about running out of credit. He's always be able to text home to say he's on the way home so they can meet him the other end.

Mojisola

phill99 wrote: »

I think you need to wise up on this if you are worried about the "or worse" scenario, then you need to realise that 90% of children that are molested are molested by someone they know.

It's actually the person putting them on the bus and meeting them at the other end that you should be worrying about.

I don't need to "wise up" on this. We tend to do a lot of stuff with little kids about keeping themselves safe but it's worth reminding them as they start to do things independently - and that includes talking about people they know as well as strangers.

Most women who use public transport regularly have experienced being touched inappropriately. The same can happen to children. That kind of experience can knock a child's confidence.

With the public's reluctance to get involved these days, a child needs to be told tips to reduce the chances of this happening and ways to handle it if it happens.

Spendless

I think it would be fine. Child is either already at Secondary school or not far off going depending on where you live in U.K, so possibly already being independent and catching a school bus.

The clocks change the weekend after next, so it will be lighter till later on allowing him to 'find his feet'. If he has a phone then he's contactable if he gets off at wrong stop or the bus breaks down and he wonders what to do.

I'd possibly run thru the journey with him once, depending on whether he is a child who is oblivious to surroundings and just follows an adult when making that journey or if he's a child perfectly well aware of where he needs to alight.

At the same age my son wanted to make his own way to a leisure centre and I vetoed the idea, because it meant changing buses and he'd never had to work out where to get off and which route to get and I told him a November eveing in the dark wasn't the time to start. 16 months on and son has still never changed bus routes or done a journey more than either a school one of from our village to the terminal and lacks confidence over giving it a go. Really wish I'd kept my big mouth shut and let him go ahead and try when he wanted to.

Mojisola

Spendless wrote: »

At the same age my son wanted to make his own way to a leisure centre and I vetoed the idea, because it meant changing buses and he'd never had to work out where to get off and which route to get and I told him a November eveing in the dark wasn't the time to start. 16 months on and son has still never changed bus routes or done a journey more than either a school one of from our village to the terminal and lacks confidence over giving it a go. Really wish I'd kept my big mouth shut and let him go ahead and try when he wanted to.

Although it's easier if you're going out to jump in the car, it's worth using public transport occasionally, just to give the children the experience.

Newly_retired

I had to learn from the age of 11, that if I wanted to stay for an after-school activity, I would have to get a normal bus, not school special. This meant changing buses in town.
Good experience. Right time to start being independent.