Picking up child off the bus and OTHER daycare kids???

[momof2cuties]

So it just hit me my oldest daughter will be starting school next Sept!! I will have to be there to put her on and get her off the bus since we need to cross the road (people drive too fast here to let her do it alone) The bus stop is still visible from my house, but the other 2 daycare kids I keep won't be in School till Sept 2014. Do I really have to drag them across the street with me when I pick up my daughter? They take naps around that time as well. What is the policy with that? What should I do?

[KingstonMom]

Ummmm opposed to what?? Leaving the two little ones to nap at your plac while you take a walke?? Absolutely not!! Just because they take morning naps right now, they will be older then and shouldn't be taking a morning nap, so they should accompany you while you walk your daughter to the bus.

[GymMom]

My daughter gets off the bus down the road and on the other side of the street from my house. She stays on the sidewalk on that side of the street and then crosses the road in front of my house so I can watch her. Is that an option for your family?

[Inspired by Reggio]

Ya IMO you cannot leave your property with children still in your house even if they are 'sleeping'.

IMO that is a liability suit waiting to happen as technically you are off your property if you are crossing the street to go and get her and well anything can happen in those few minutes and what if the bus is late and so forth

Is it possible to have an older child walk her from your house to the bus stop and back again or to ask another parent who might be getting their own child anyway? This is what many of my friends do and they pay the person $5.00 a day for the return trip morning and afternoon?

[Lou]

Our bus stop is at the end of the street and I absolutely walk all my daycare children to and from the bus stop every day rain or shine (three 2 yrs olds and two 3 yrs olds). If it's storming or "blizzardy", extreme heat or cold, I load them in the van and we go. I would NEVER leave them in the house alone to do this.

[apples and bananas]

Yes.. things happen with busses. They get delayed, they have to go back to the school because someone missed it, they break down and have to wait until another bus comes to pick up.

It's best to keep the kids with you.

My bus stop is directly in front of my house so I can just stick my head out the front door, waive at the driver and out come my kids.

Did you think of calling the bus company? Sometimes they will move the bus stop for you. Safety is their number one priority and if you can prove that the stop is not safe then they will change it for you. It's worth a shot.

My bus stop was origionally down the street and around the corner, but there isn't a sidewalk and very little shoulder. I called and complained and I got a spot in front of my house.

Best of luck, I'm sure you'll make it work.

[momof2cuties]

Thanks for the KIND advice to some, this is all new to me. I would still be on my property, just at the end of my driveway, and there are no other kids that get off at my daughters stop, (we live in the middle of no where) So taking them with me in the afternoon it is! And no Kingston Mom, I will not be leaving daycare to take a 'walke' as you say

[Crayola kiddies]

You could always incorporate outside time with the bus arrival ..... Spend a bit of time before the bus is due to arrive ..... It's a whole year away and who knows what children you will have in enrollment at that time. I don't think I would be stressing too much about it at this time.... : )

Also the transportation department will often change the direction the bus comes in order for a kindergarten student to not have to cross the road and here in Ontario parents (adults) have to be present at the stop or they can not be let off .

[apples and bananas]

Thanks for the KIND advice to some, this is all new to me. I would still be on my property, just at the end of my driveway, and there are no other kids that get off at my daughters stop, (we live in the middle of no where) So taking them with me in the afternoon it is! And no Kingston Mom, I will not be leaving daycare to take a 'walke' as you say

I wait at the end of my driveway while my kids are sleeping some days. They're all safe, I can see the front door. Even if something does delay the bus, I have the bus companies phone number handy, I call dispatch and they fill me in on the delay.

If I have a new child, or someone I'm concerned about I bring the monitor with me.

Once you get into a flow you'll be fine, but definatly plan to take the group on the first week or 2... just so the driver gets to know you. You'll probably find that if you happen to be delayed the driver will honk to let you know he's there... especially if you're in the middle of no where.

[kidlove]

ok momof2cuties: sounds like my house. we live in the country have a decent length driveway, not super long but we are set back off the road a little ways (enough for the children to ride bikes in the drive without danger of the 55mph road out front) anyway, my kids get dropped off the bus every day on that road and have to walk across to get home, granted my kids are now 9 and 11yr. but here is my take, as long as you are on your property and ALL the little ones are napping (as most of mine are during the drop-off time for the bus as well) I think you are absolutely fine to go to the road and retrieve the children from the bus. The alternate choice in my opinion is much more dangerous...if you take all those little ones across the road for the bus, you are opening a "world they didn't know even exists" you are allowing them to GO IN THE ROAD!!!! NEVER, at my house can a child cross the "limit line" near the end of our driveway, not an option!!!! In the winter months, I have also told the daycare kids to stand at the window and watch me go out to the bus with the kids (in the am) I will stand within view of both, the window and the driveway, to keep an eye on both sets of kids. (we also have a 5x12 picture window in front of house) sounds to me like you have more of a setup as I do, where there is NOTHING wrong with keeping the kids safely placed (little ones in pak n play) in the house while you run to the bus. like I said, I would never dream of the "other" option which would be to introduce the young ones to the road in front of my home. Ever!