I assume someone will be walking him to the bus stop and picking him up from there in the afternoon? I do think he's too young to get himself to the bus stop! But if someone is putting him on the bus and collecting him, I think he will be fine. I would suggest you make friendly with the bus driver and give him your mobile number in case there is a problem (you are running late or the bus is!). One of the mother's from my daughter's class has had her daughter on the bus since prep, she takes the driver a Coke every afternoon when she picks her DD up from the stop! Also, see if one (or a couple!) of the older kids would agree to keeping an eye on him for you - not being responsible for his care, but just making sure he is ok and knows what he's doing.
Honestly, I don't think it's ideal (nor do I think you are an ogre!), but if it is the only way for your DS to attend your preferred school I think you can make it work. Put some back-ups in place, make sure he feels safe and secure and knows exactly what to do and he should be fine. Good luck!
yeah, i think as long as someone is with him till he's on the bus & there to collect him, it's no problem. i wouldn't send a little one on a public bus by themselves, but a private school one will be fine!! my mum doesn't drive so we got the bus together from day one at school. from about grade two, i was getting a private school bus by myself.
Pandora, I have a choice I could send Oscar to a very small school (has only 11 students) and he would have to catch the bus at 8.30am, but given I'm not happy with the teaching at that school or the limited amount of students esepcially boys I am sending him to the bigger town (where I work). On the days I don't work he will be catching the secondary school bus at 8.00am, once at the secondary school he will have to change buses that will then take him to his school, coming home the bus will drop him off at 4.15pm. All in all a pretty long day,. I have been reassured by the school that he will be given a bus buddy that will help him switch buses when he reaches the secondary schoool.
To be honest I am freaking out a bit about the whole thing, especially being on a bus with older kids, and I worry about the travel, but I figure he will know no different and by doing this I am hoping he is going to be getting a far better education.
The bus you are using sounds great to me, and I wouldn't have a problem with it at all. His education is yours and your husbands decision and it is such a big decision and you don't want to let yourself be influenced by others do what is right for you and your family
20 minutes is nothing! I know kids who travel from smaller towns with public schools to the private schools in bigger towns & those trips are up to an hour. They start from 5, some even 3 & 4 for pre school & they are all fine. I didn't put DD1 on the bus til she was 6 & I had no choice, & I DD2 catches the bus because DD1 is already on there, but its pretty similar. There is only the one school here, so they are only with the kids from that school. If you feel comfortable with it, then forget anyone else's problems. Bus is the safest way to travel to school after all!
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