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[quote=Anonymous]We are returning to public school after several years at private school. Due to the age of the kids, they didn't ride the bus when they were in public school (they were twins in Kindergarten), then we switched to private school after the year of distance learning.  Now we are returning to public school.

Anyhow, my question is about bus stop culture.  We have lived in our neighborhood for 5 years but do not know any of our neighbors well and most have been standoff-ish.  When we moved in no one came by to welcome us, so we took over some chocolates and introduced ourselves to the neighbors, and that is the last time we have talked to any of them.  We tried to be friendly and invite them to some backyard BBQs we were having, but they never responded and never attended.  For Halloween we see them but it's a quick hello and no small talk.  There are no kids who are my kids' ages so we haven't been able to make any neighborhood friends.  When I would drive by the bus stop on the way back from private school drop off, I would see both parents waiting with the kids every day.  They were laughing and talking and having a great time and they would linger there talking for 30 minutes or more.  Same with pick up at the bus stop, usually at pick up only one parent is there.

My husband leaves for work well before the time to go to the bus stop, so it would only be me standing there, trying to make small talk with neighbors who have been lukewarm towards us and who we don't know at all.  I am not a morning person and I don't want to put on makeup and get ready for the day just to be presentable to these parents.  I always get ready for the day after my kids are at school, then go to work.

I don't want to socialize with my neighbors in this way and I don't want to hang around at the bus stop.  My kids are too young to walk to the bus stop themselves.  I could drive them and wait in the car but then it would be obvious that I'm avoiding these other parents, and I don't want them to gossip about us.

What should I do?  I talked to my husband about this and he thinks I should drive the kids to and from school every day, which I'm fine with doing, but then I think it will also be obvious that we're avoiding the bus.

I remember back to when I rode the bus to school and there was no bus stop culture.  My mother would wait with me in the car and then when my bus came she would drive back home, she never talked to any parents and I don't remember if any parents were using the bus stop as social time.

Any advice?[/quote]

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