Monday 30 April 2012

The wheels on the bus

Today was one of my biggest heart stopping moments since my twins started school - they caught the school bus home. There are no back to school tips to prepare you for the racing heart and emotions of cutting them loose.

I feel monumental mother guilt. Letting my boys catch the bus to school is not just to give me more time but rather them independence. I can't deny is a rite of passage that most farm kids enjoy.

I was watching the clock tick ...on my laptop from 3pm , counting down by the heartbeat , hoping they were on the bus after the bell went at 3.25pm.

It will save me driving 80km a day. Though they will just catch it home at the moment 4 days a week, otherwise in the morning it means leaving 1 hr earlier. Maybe they will catch it to school one day at week ...to be on time in the morning isn''t so easy.

It also makes for a long day when you are five and half ~ 8am to 4.15pm.

Fortunately , the bus stops directly out the front of our gate , an 800m+ walk {drive} to said 'gate'. It is too far away to see it , so I will wait with them in morning and for them in afternoon.

If the bus beats me is early in the afternoon they can safely start the dirt track road home.

I am so thankful we are the dead end of our road ; they will get on and off the same side of the road too.They have no roads to cross or I wouldn't have let them quite yet.

Being the last stop on the route they can't miss their stop.

I have been reinforcing these rules:
  1. The need to be on time ...no stopping to play on equipment or chasing friends.
  2. Never run to or from the bus ...so there are no face plant or gravel rash from the loose gravel and dirt driveway.
  3. Stand back from the road.
  4. Don't push or shove your brother especially
  5. Stay in your seat.
  6. Don't yell or shout or fight.
  7. Always obey the driver.
  8. Wait till the bus is fully stopped before getting off your seat and listen teacher calling the bus name to be ready to get on (It is very busy at our school with a dozen buses one after the other)
  9. Don't empty your bag on the bus ...and remember to check you haven't dropped anything.
  10. I am also going to write a big B on their hands the day they have to catch the bus, so the teachers sees it mainly - she will however walk them to the bus till she knows they are capable.
Do your kids catch a bus to school ? 
How did you feel the first time ?