Reply to How old were your kids when they could wake up and get to the bus stop on their own?

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Reply to "How old were your kids when they could wake up and get to the bus stop on their own?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]That is a sad way to start the day. I say this as a single mom who has had to rush kids out the door for years. If you have the option of a college student staying with you, definitely go that route.

One of my kids could reliably get out the door by the beginning of 9th grade -- alarm, making lunch, etc. I would not expect an elementary school kid to do this. Even if they could, they could burn down the house, get abducted, leave the door unlocked, forget their key, etc. I realize it's from necessity but keep in mind that they still deserve to be taken care of.

Again, single mom myself who has turned down plenty of job options so I could be there at both ends of the day for my kids. They deserve it.[/quote]

DP.  It's great that you are able to afford having a job where you're home for both ends of the day.  Not everyone can.  For many, that would mean only a 5 and a half hour workday if you factor in commute time.  Kids deserve to be taken care of and they deserve food and housing security, which comes from financial stability that a five hour per day job may not provide.

Also, to say it's a sad way to start the day is not the case for everyone.  I had SACC before care for my DD and she begged me starting in fourth grade to let her stay home and take the bus in the mornings instead of going to SACC.  When I finally relented, she was thrilled.  If I ever mention she always had the option of going back to morning SACC, she says absolutely not.  She's not allowed to use electrical appliances like the toaster or microwave when she's by herself.  She has the number of trusted adults in the neighborhood who she could call in an emergency.  I call and check on her multiple times in the morning and she knows if she misses the bus she should go back inside and I'll leave work to take her to school.  She has never missed the bus.  She's an independent kid who likes doing this. My older DS would not have liked this.

If OP's child is comfortable with doing this, with the right planning, no one needs to be sad or burn the house down.  As far as being abducted, OP needs to be comfortable with the neighborhood, distance to the bus stop and whether other kids are also at the bus stop.  She should teacher her kid about precautions to avoid abduction anyway, including not to go with anyone even if she knows them well.  Teach a secret word that only someone really meant to get her would know.  The rule I thought my kids, well before the getting themselves to the bus issue arose, is no adult should ever ask for help from a kid to find their dog, cat, missing toddler, for direction....Don't stop to talk or answer questions.  These are basic lessons kid should know anyway.

OP, make sure your child would be comfortable doing this.  If she is, then just make sure you go through all the details with her and come up with a plan she fully understands.  Good luck. [/quote]

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