tips for your first time rider
Julia Rudden still remembers the day her daughter fell asleep on the school bus on the way home and was transported back to the bus barn. The driver was new and had missed her daughter’s bus stop.
Every parent’s nightmare is losing his or her new rider in the school bus shuffle of the first day. We worry kids won’t recognize their bus number or the driver, or think to look for buddies. They might be too shy to ask for help, or they might fall asleep and miss their stop. In fact, Rudden thinks it’s worth skipping the first-day bus riding experience while drivers familiarize themselves with the route. Other parents say it’s best to jump in while everyone is feeling new and befuddled together.
Once kids get the hang of things, the bus offers opportunity for growth and independence. It’s also the safest (even safer than air travel) and greenest way to get to school. Here’s why.
School buses are easily visible by their color and size, and their compartment height raises kids above car-impact height. They’re equipped with flashing lights, a stop sign arm, cross view mirrors, and a crossing arm in front that forces kids to cross where the driver can see them. Buses have high, padded seats that protect kids much like an egg carton protects eggs. And then there’s the driver, a trained professional monitoring your child from the bus stop to school and back.
Children are 13 times safer on school buses than in other travel modes, according to the Transportation Research Board, part of the National Academy of Sciences. In addition, teens are 44 percent more likely to have a fatal accident if driving themselves or riding with another teen. Even if your own teen is a safe driver, there’s no guarantee others are.
Why greener? Twenty-six million children, more than half the nation’s school kids, ride the bus to school every day, according to the American School Bus Council (ASBC). Riding the bus takes cars off the road, reduces carbon monoxide, and, perhaps most importantly, reduces car congestion at the school during arrival and release times — when our kids are most vulnerable.
tips for the trip
Ready to take the bus? Here are a few tips for making the transition smoother for everyone.
Attend orientation day. Many schools let children ride in a school bus on orientation day, says Michelle Blair, parent of two. She recommends calling your school to inquire if a bus will be included. If the orientation doesn’t include a practice ride, ask about volunteering during the first week of school, she suggests. “Some schools request parent volunteers to ride the bus with kindergarteners for the first week.”
Review bus safety and behavior expectations with your child. Plan to review rules even if you attend an orientation. Below is a partial list of what to talk about (check with your district or americanschoolbuscouncil.org for more guidelines).
- Stay seated while the bus is moving
- Talk quietly to avoid distracting the driver
- Keep hands inside the windows
- Report any problems to your bus driver
- When exiting, walk several feet away from the bus so the driver can see you
- Always cross in front of the bus (never behind)
- Never retrieve something dropped near the bus unless you alert the driver
- Never retrieve something from under the bus
- Be aware of the traffic environment as you exit the bus
Meet parents of riders and get to know the bus stop. Meeting other parents helps you learn about other riders. Consider taking turns monitoring the bus stop and the bus route (check with your district to see if adult accompaniment is required for kindergartners). Prior to the first day, show your child the bus stop. “Try to drive in the same line of travel the bus will take if you know it,” says Brad Clarkson, a school bus driver for seven years. “What landmarks can the child identify that would let her know her stop is next?”
Troubleshoot the first day. If the school does not require children to wear a lanyard with card and bus number for the first couple of weeks, Clarkson recommends equipping young passengers with index cards including name, address, and phone number in case kids can’t remember their stop or their address. Also write the bus number on the other side of the card, especially if your child has trouble recognizing numbers. Blair suggests parents teach children to tell their driver they’re lost, if they miss their stop, and, for the very young, not to get off unless their parent or designated adult is at the stop to meet them. Most districts won’t allow kindergartners off the bus unless kids’ caregivers are there. Children of any age should never get off at an alternative stop.
Befriend your child’s driver. School bus drivers are professionals who care about kids and have a responsibility to see every child delivered safely home (in fact, expect the bus to be late on the first day’s return trip, says Clarkson, because drivers are educating the children). Drivers are just as concerned about bullying as teachers are and receive training to deal with behavior issues, according to the ASBC. But do report problems promptly to the driver or to your child’s teacher.
Sending a child off on the bus feels daunting to any parent of a new rider. Try to remember your child will learn the routine quickly — in a couple weeks he or she will be an old pro.
Joanna Nesbit still remembers the day she got on the wrong bus in kindergarten because she couldn’t remember her bus number, and she was too shy to ask a teacher.
