My mom claims that my grandma made her ride the bus by herself when she was three years old

[Anonymous]

How normal is this?

Also, would this kind of behavior from grandma directly or indirectly cause PTSD or anxiety? If grandma made her do this, surely she would have been inappropriate in other ways

[Anonymous]

What country was this in? What year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What country was this in? What year?

Canada in the 1950s

[Anonymous]

I think your mom is misremembering things.

[Anonymous]

I don't think she was 3, but she could have been 6? The expectations in the 50s, 60s and even 70s (and forget about the decades before that when little kids worked in sweat shops!) were more less hands-on raising kids. I definitely grew up in an out of sight, out of mind household. As long as we showed up for dinner all was good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think she was 3, but she could have been 6? The expectations in the 50s, 60s and even 70s (and forget about the decades before that when little kids worked in sweat shops!) were more less hands-on raising kids. I definitely grew up in an out of sight, out of mind household. As long as we showed up for dinner all was good.

She’s told this story for years. Maybe 20 years.

Assuming it’s true, what are the implications?

Also, she grew up in a very safe and idyllic neighborhood. It was a city bus but likely a short trip lasting less than 10 minutes I suspect

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think she was 3, but she could have been 6? The expectations in the 50s, 60s and even 70s (and forget about the decades before that when little kids worked in sweat shops!) were more less hands-on raising kids. I definitely grew up in an out of sight, out of mind household. As long as we showed up for dinner all was good.

She’s told this story for years. Maybe 20 years.

Assuming it’s true, what are the implications?

Also, she grew up in a very safe and idyllic neighborhood. It was a city bus but likely a short trip lasting less than 10 minutes I suspect

Why do you care what the implications are of a bus ride 70 years ago? Really. What is the point?

[Anonymous]

Check out "Old Enough" streaming on netflix. It includes 2-year-olds running errands, so it's not a stretch that a 3-year-old could take a solo bus ride.

[Anonymous]

The effect would depend on the kid and how it was handled. Did mom practice with her first? Was she excited to do about kid job? Was she sent off in a it's your problem to deal with kind of way, or a I'm so proud of you kind of way? Did the bus driver or other adults smile at her or give support at all? Was she going to drop off mail which she had done 100 times or something more intimidating than that? Did she like it at the time even if her adult self thinks it's messed up?

[Anonymous]

I totally believe it. She could have been put on the bus and then picked up on the other side.

[Anonymous]

My older sister took the public bus (not a school bus, a public bus) to and from Kindergarten alone in Australia in the 70's. I would have too, except I had an older sister riding the same route.

My mom walked us to the stop, and we got off when we could see school. On the way home, we got off when we could see our mom. Once, my sister missed the bus home because she got back late from a field trip, and so I rode alone, but I looked out the window on the wrong side, and missed my mom, and rode all the way to the end of the line where I followed a passenger home, waited till they went inside and then knocked. Passenger called my mom and offered to drive me home, which she accepted.

I would not allow my kid to do this, but it's certainly not a traumatic memory. It was a different time and place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My older sister took the public bus (not a school bus, a public bus) to and from Kindergarten alone in Australia in the 70's. I would have too, except I had an older sister riding the same route.

My mom walked us to the stop, and we got off when we could see school. On the way home, we got off when we could see our mom. Once, my sister missed the bus home because she got back late from a field trip, and so I rode alone, but I looked out the window on the wrong side, and missed my mom, and rode all the way to the end of the line where I followed a passenger home, waited till they went inside and then knocked. Passenger called my mom and offered to drive me home, which she accepted.

I would not allow my kid to do this, but it's certainly not a traumatic memory. It was a different time and place.

" I followed a passenger home, waited till they went inside and then knocked."

You and your sister must have been bright kids. I'm sure your mom recognized this. Kudos to your mom and your family!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think she was 3, but she could have been 6? The expectations in the 50s, 60s and even 70s (and forget about the decades before that when little kids worked in sweat shops!) were more less hands-on raising kids. I definitely grew up in an out of sight, out of mind household. As long as we showed up for dinner all was good.

She’s told this story for years. Maybe 20 years.

Assuming it’s true, what are the implications?

Also, she grew up in a very safe and idyllic neighborhood. It was a city bus but likely a short trip lasting less than 10 minutes I suspect

Why do you care what the implications are of a bus ride 70 years ago? Really. What is the point?

Oh, you! You're never late!

Why does anyone post anything?

It's a ~mystery~.

-DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think she was 3, but she could have been 6? The expectations in the 50s, 60s and even 70s (and forget about the decades before that when little kids worked in sweat shops!) were more less hands-on raising kids. I definitely grew up in an out of sight, out of mind household. As long as we showed up for dinner all was good.

She’s told this story for years. Maybe 20 years.

Assuming it’s true, what are the implications?

Also, she grew up in a very safe and idyllic neighborhood. It was a city bus but likely a short trip lasting less than 10 minutes I suspect

The implications are that the other adults in her very safe, idyllic neighborhood were watching out for her. And she was probably either closer to 4-- or even 4 and closer to 5. But it's not unheard-of.

My mom was doing the family dishes as soon as her sister was born (no dishwasher). She wasn't quite 4.

[Anonymous]

I’m in another country but lots of the preschools here have buses that pick up kids and bring them home. They know the bus (more like a mini bus) driver and it’s very normal. I choose to drive my 4 year old but I have a reliable car and have the luxury of picking her up after her half day there. I don’t find this strange at all!