Should we have our kindergarteners ride the bus this year?

[Anonymous]

We're really debating whether we should have our K twins ride the bus this year or drop off/pick up in our car. Anyone have advice or experience with this? This is in the Potomac area of MoCo. The school system says to start them off right away with whichever method you're planning to use for the year.

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

I would just send them, but either way I agree you shouldn't think you can start by driving them and think it'll be easy to switch later.

[Anonymous]

I put my K's on the bus but drove to the school to meet them and make sure they got to class OK on the first day which seems a bit chaotic despite the schools best efforts.

[Anonymous]

Yes, put them on the bus! It will be fine and it's a great part of the experience.

[Anonymous]

Yes! The K bus is well-run and the children love it. Please don't let you kids be left out of this opportunity to socialize with classmates.

[Anonymous]

The school system says to start them off right away with whichever method you're planning to use for the year.

There is something to this, because there is a lot of help in the initial week or two by the school as they help kids figure out the bus.

But OTOH, the bus can be chaotic the first couple weeks as they figure out timing, tweak routes, etc. My DD found this very stressful, so after the first 2 days of chaos, I drove her the remainder of the first 3 weeks. Then I had her ride the bus after that. You can definitely switch later, but expect to have to do more hand holding yourself vs by the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I put my K's on the bus but drove to the school to meet them and make sure they got to class OK on the first day which seems a bit chaotic despite the schools best efforts.

That sounds like a good idea!

[Anonymous]

I agree iwth the PP re: putting them on the bus the first few days if that is the planned method of transportation for the rest of the year. the first few days, the schools do a lot of hand holding and help the kids get to where they are going and that will be when the children learn the routine they will use the rest of the year. If you drive them to school initially, they will miss out on this opportunity and you will be responsible for teaching them the routine. Our school ushers all of the bussed children into the gymnasium where they group together by class room then the safety patrol walks them to their class rooms after all the busses arrive. It is very organized.

[Anonymous]

As I recall, our MoCo school had a special bus "practice" day for the new K kids, I believe it was in conjunction with the orientation day for all new kids to the school, which was mostly K. The first day of school the teachers were at the bus stops and at the school. I don't know if they still do this (it was a few years ago), but it was really well organized. Also, they made us write the bus number and school on a piece of paper and tape it to our kid's back! Our K kid didn't mind.

K kids love the bus, so take advantage of it now. When they're older they will be more jaded and want you to drive them.

[Anonymous]

The bus actually has a big social aspect you might not want to miss out on -- in my neighborhood, this is how my child has gotten to know and befriend all the kids at her school in our immediate neighborhood. She probably wouldn't have gotten to know many of them because she would only have had a couple in her own class. And even when her best friend down the street hasn't been assigned to the same class, they still have AM/PM bus time together.