given new, later, start time, can I drop my 4th grader at the (closed) door at 8:30?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Since the school won't be providing supervision for those 15 minutes, I don't see what the difference is between those scenarios other than duration.

But ok, if you don't feel comfortable dropping your child off at the bus stop 30 minutes before the bus is due to come, then don't. And if you don't feel comfortable dropping your child off at school 15 minutes before the doors open, then also don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask around. I am a SAHM and I am frequently the only parent at the bus stop both in am and pm. Parents usually drop off their kids at the bus stop and they drive away knowing that I am there. All the kids (6 of them) will sit in my minivan and wait if the weather's not great. I also wait at the busstop after school to make sure all the kids are picked up by their parents. There are some who are habitually late.

I used to get annoyed at this. But, I know that I will worry about the kids and if something bad happens to them because they are alone at the busstop, I will forever feel bad for not waiting with them. BTW - I am not paid in any way.

So, ask around. There are many people who will help you out without any pay. And there are people who will help out for a very nominal fee as well.

PP, this really is kind of you. But perhaps the parents who drop their kids off at the bus stop do so because they think that the kids are old enough to wait at the bus stop by themselves until the bus comes? Likewise the after-school pick-up -- perhaps they think that the kids are old enough to wait at the bus stop by themselves until the parent comes. When my child was in fourth grade with a central bus stop at an elementary school, I was late a few times picking her up, and another parent waited. It was nice of the parent to wait, but it would have been fine with me if the parent had not waited.

I'm a SAHM and my own parents entrusted me to walk to/from school by myself. So when the time came for my own kids to walk to the bus stop I had no trouble allowing them to do that. I would drive and let them sit in the van on days when it was pouring rain and lightening but if it was just sprinkling I would let them figure out whether to bring an umbrella with them or wear a jacket and off they would go. Sometimes they would walk out the door without a jacket or an umbrella and it would drive me crazy but they didn't melt either and I think they learned not to do that. But they were only outside for a short while before the bus came (within 5 minutes).

I would not have felt comfortable with them hanging out at the bus stop for half an hour or more. Even if they were well behaved what about the other kids who are not being well behaved or nice? Even walking to school I would want them walking when the other kids were walking - not alone, 20 minutes before everyone else was out. A pattern like that of being alone every day is going to draw attention. So no, I wouldn't just drop them off at the school early. I would arrange for them to walk to school from a friend or sitter's house.

LOL. I am the SAHM who waits at the busstop. These are magnet ES kids, and their school bus comes early for them in another MCPS school in the am and later than usual in the pm. I did not write this to start a debate.

I do this because I am not comfortable with any ES kid or kids being alone on the bus stop. It does not mean that others need to think the way I think. I don't expect for people to understand, notice, feel obligated, thankful or judged in any way if they come to the bus stop late and see me waiting there with their child.

People do what they think is best for them and their child. I also do what I think is best for myself, my peace of mind and my child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask around. I am a SAHM and I am frequently the only parent at the bus stop both in am and pm. Parents usually drop off their kids at the bus stop and they drive away knowing that I am there. All the kids (6 of them) will sit in my minivan and wait if the weather's not great. I also wait at the busstop after school to make sure all the kids are picked up by their parents. There are some who are habitually late.

I used to get annoyed at this. But, I know that I will worry about the kids and if something bad happens to them because they are alone at the busstop, I will forever feel bad for not waiting with them. BTW - I am not paid in any way.

So, ask around. There are many people who will help you out without any pay. And there are people who will help out for a very nominal fee as well.

PP, this really is kind of you. But perhaps the parents who drop their kids off at the bus stop do so because they think that the kids are old enough to wait at the bus stop by themselves until the bus comes? Likewise the after-school pick-up -- perhaps they think that the kids are old enough to wait at the bus stop by themselves until the parent comes. When my child was in fourth grade with a central bus stop at an elementary school, I was late a few times picking her up, and another parent waited. It was nice of the parent to wait, but it would have been fine with me if the parent had not waited.

I'm a SAHM and my own parents entrusted me to walk to/from school by myself. So when the time came for my own kids to walk to the bus stop I had no trouble allowing them to do that. I would drive and let them sit in the van on days when it was pouring rain and lightening but if it was just sprinkling I would let them figure out whether to bring an umbrella with them or wear a jacket and off they would go. Sometimes they would walk out the door without a jacket or an umbrella and it would drive me crazy but they didn't melt either and I think they learned not to do that. But they were only outside for a short while before the bus came (within 5 minutes).

I would not have felt comfortable with them hanging out at the bus stop for half an hour or more. Even if they were well behaved what about the other kids who are not being well behaved or nice? Even walking to school I would want them walking when the other kids were walking - not alone, 20 minutes before everyone else was out. A pattern like that of being alone every day is going to draw attention. So no, I wouldn't just drop them off at the school early. I would arrange for them to walk to school from a friend or sitter's house.

LOL. I am the SAHM who waits at the busstop. These are magnet ES kids, and their school bus comes early for them in another MCPS school in the am and later than usual in the pm. I did not write this to start a debate.

I do this because I am not comfortable with any ES kid or kids being alone on the bus stop. It does not mean that others need to think the way I think. I don't expect for people to understand, notice, feel obligated, thankful or judged in any way if they come to the bus stop late and see me waiting there with their child.

People do what they think is best for them and their child. I also do what I think is best for myself, my peace of mind and my child.

I think it's fine for you to do what is right for your child. If that means standing at the bus stop with your kid - do so without apology. I would have done that myself up to a certain age but my kids were walkers or I drove them to school. Of course, I assumed that other parents knew what was best for their child too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask around. I am a SAHM and I am frequently the only parent at the bus stop both in am and pm. Parents usually drop off their kids at the bus stop and they drive away knowing that I am there. All the kids (6 of them) will sit in my minivan and wait if the weather's not great. I also wait at the busstop after school to make sure all the kids are picked up by their parents. There are some who are habitually late.

I used to get annoyed at this. But, I know that I will worry about the kids and if something bad happens to them because they are alone at the busstop, I will forever feel bad for not waiting with them. BTW - I am not paid in any way.

So, ask around. There are many people who will help you out without any pay. And there are people who will help out for a very nominal fee as well.

PP, this really is kind of you. But perhaps the parents who drop their kids off at the bus stop do so because they think that the kids are old enough to wait at the bus stop by themselves until the bus comes? Likewise the after-school pick-up -- perhaps they think that the kids are old enough to wait at the bus stop by themselves until the parent comes. When my child was in fourth grade with a central bus stop at an elementary school, I was late a few times picking her up, and another parent waited. It was nice of the parent to wait, but it would have been fine with me if the parent had not waited.

I'm a SAHM and my own parents entrusted me to walk to/from school by myself. So when the time came for my own kids to walk to the bus stop I had no trouble allowing them to do that. I would drive and let them sit in the van on days when it was pouring rain and lightening but if it was just sprinkling I would let them figure out whether to bring an umbrella with them or wear a jacket and off they would go. Sometimes they would walk out the door without a jacket or an umbrella and it would drive me crazy but they didn't melt either and I think they learned not to do that. But they were only outside for a short while before the bus came (within 5 minutes).

I would not have felt comfortable with them hanging out at the bus stop for half an hour or more. Even if they were well behaved what about the other kids who are not being well behaved or nice? Even walking to school I would want them walking when the other kids were walking - not alone, 20 minutes before everyone else was out. A pattern like that of being alone every day is going to draw attention. So no, I wouldn't just drop them off at the school early. I would arrange for them to walk to school from a friend or sitter's house.

LOL. I am the SAHM who waits at the busstop. These are magnet ES kids, and their school bus comes early for them in another MCPS school in the am and later than usual in the pm. I did not write this to start a debate.

I do this because I am not comfortable with any ES kid or kids being alone on the bus stop. It does not mean that others need to think the way I think. I don't expect for people to understand, notice, feel obligated, thankful or judged in any way if they come to the bus stop late and see me waiting there with their child.

People do what they think is best for them and their child. I also do what I think is best for myself, my peace of mind and my child.

I think it's fine for you to do what is right for your child. If that means standing at the bus stop with your kid - do so without apology. I would have done that myself up to a certain age but my kids were walkers or I drove them to school. Of course, I assumed that other parents knew what was best for their child too.

^To clarify - my kids didn't start catching the bus until late elementary/middle school age. In elementary I used to walk them most of the way to school and then let them walk the rest of the way by themselves (I would watch them until they go to the school). By 5th grade I walked with them only a little way and then let get them walk the rest of the way by themselves (the equivalent of walking around a corner to a bus stop).