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For some parents, it allows a few extra minutes for them to get to work on time. When my son was in elementary school, school started at 9:00 and I had to be at work at 9:00. My average commute time was 20 min. The earliest I could drop him off at school was 8:45, which meant I wouldn't make it to work on time if I chose to drive him. However, the school bus came at 8:40 so I would drive him to the bus stop then head off to work right behind the bus. I was always cutting it very close and the extra few minutes to walk back to the house, get in the car, and then start my commute would have made me a few minutes late to work on a daily basis.
The majority of the decisions that are made are based on individual circumstance, most of which revolve around time restraints. My decision to drive my son is based solely on the fact that he would have to wake up more than an hour earlier than he would compared to if I drive him. If there was no difference in time, I would let him take the bus and would continue to be just as involved in his school life as I am right now.
Note I said higher percentage and was careful not to talk in absolutes. I speak from a very solid knowledge base and hooray for all parents who support their kids drivers on non drivers. In this age of busy schedules for parents and kids it also provides good face time as many parents use their commute to communicate with their kids and give them valuable interaction time early in the day. That is a part of the American landscape that could use improvement don't ya think? I am sure you spend a ton of time communicating with your children but only you can tell if a tad more would be just as mutually pleasurable for all involved.
Sorta like travel team activities and the question do you know where you kid is? Yeah in the back seat we are coming back from their activity.
I don't know agree with this. There are many hard working parents who are very involved in their kids schooling and activities, who are unable to drive their kids to school due to work hours.
Did you read my next to last sentence that you even quoted? What do you think I wrote that you quoted as disagreeing with and then restated as your position?
We have one child in kindergarten now and drive her to school. When she's a bit older, I'll be more than happy to have her ride a bus. I'm not concerned about safety (by the way, studies have shown that seat belts are NOT a good idea on school buses) or "bad things" that may happen on a public school bus; rather, at her age, I'm concerned that she might not remember to get off at the right stop or be able to communicate effectively to the driver if something should happen.
I don't remember the town or the situation exactly, but I seem to remember cases of kids being dropped off at the wrong stops her in the Triangle area.
Finally, not taking the bus gives us quite a bit of extra time in the morning - probably 30-40 minutes.
I do agree that parents tend to be overprotective (I accuse my wife of this all the time, although she's getting better).
I haven't looked at any data, but I imagine that are more deaths of children in cars than school buses. I wouldn't want my child to be one of those 26, I don't want anyone's child to be one of those 26. If you look at statistics I imagine that far more children die in cars rather than school buses.
As far as NC buses being unsafe...I think one of our local stations broke the story about bus drivers talking on cell phones while driving. That made national news because it was a national problem. NC jumped on it quickly by passing a Senate bill prohibiting it. Every problem that arises NC quickly takes care of it...and those aren't local problems. They happen everywhere.
We have one child in kindergarten now and drive her to school. When she's a bit older, I'll be more than happy to have her ride a bus. I'm not concerned about safety (by the way, studies have shown that seat belts are NOT a good idea on school buses) or "bad things" that may happen on a public school bus; rather, at her age, I'm concerned that she might not remember to get off at the right stop or be able to communicate effectively to the driver if something should happen.
I don't remember the town or the situation exactly, but I seem to remember cases of kids being dropped off at the wrong stops her in the Triangle area.
Finally, not taking the bus gives us quite a bit of extra time in the morning - probably 30-40 minutes.
I do agree that parents tend to be overprotective (I accuse my wife of this all the time, although she's getting better).
A rhetorical question or more to ponder. By the time they are grown up adults with families do you thing more parents wish they had been more or less protective of their kids? Is it protective in this discussion or involved? Is that in the eye of those trying to make a point one way or the other? Is it really any of our business to judge those who do or don't ride their kids to school? Is there harm in driving your kid to school? If you and or wife enjoy doing it then bravo for you. If you don't that's why they provide transportation.
A rhetorical question or more to ponder. By the time they are grown up adults with families do you thing more parents wish they had been more or less protective of their kids?
By the time they are grown, parents wished they'd spent more time with their kids when they were young. Sometimes, 10 minutes with my kids in the car on the way to school in the morning were the best 10 minutes I had with them, one on one without distractions.
I disagree. I can't imagine how driving your kid vs. letting them take the bus has anything to do with how 'good' of a parent you are. I know many parents who let their kids take the bus who are just as involved with their kids' school work and activities as the ones who drive them. I also know plenty of parents who drive their kids yet have no interest at all in what their kids do at school.
Exactly. While someone who drives their kids is obviously not 100% neglectful, it still doesn't mean they are involved in the elements that matter, such as communicating with the teacher, being aware of what's going on with assignments, etc. And of course just because someone rides the bus doesn't mean his/her parents aren't completely involved. I would imagine that there is little correlation between "bus vs no bus" and "involved vs not involved".
I grew up in a rural area and rode the bus until I was a junior in high school. Riding the bus was fun for me until I moved in with my grnadmother. Most of the kids on that bus route were family and hated anyone new. So, while I was not bullied in school...I was constantly bullied on the bus until I got a car and was able to drive myself.
I wish someone would have driven me to school. That is not to say that every child will be bullied but it would have been nice to have the option. Now that is not to say that I will automatically dirve my child to school, we will have to make that decision when the time comes.
Overall, I think that it boils downs to a personal decision. Plus, I would think that driving kids to school is not a major issue when you start discussing the pitfalls in our eduacational system.
For the 3 months my 1st grade daughter rode the bus, she was spit on, punched, kicked, and a boy exposed his private part to her and taunted her with it. I told the VP and the boy was kicked off the bus. The bus driver was aware of all of the incidents. I live in a $500k plus neighborhood, so these kids are just spoiled brats. I will never let my children ride the bus again.
Then you see reports that don't do backround checks and then some of these drivers have criminal backrounds. Then with others you have to worry if they are Drunk.
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