Is this a MYOB situation??

[Erin1700]

At my daughters bus stop, there are 2 sisters who come by themselves every morning. They are in second and third grade. They have to cross 2 streets to get there, one is pretty busy.

At the bus stop, they run around, through peoples yards, in an alley and sometimes the street. The one has recently started crying she needs to go to the bathroom about 2 minutes before the bus comes and wanting to go into one of our houses. (every other kid comes with a parent).


Should this be reported to the school? If something happened to them, could their parents come after the parents who are at the bus stop??

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Mention to the parents? Maybe. Reported to the school? No way.

 

[happygirl]

At my daughters bus stop, there are 2 sisters who come by themselves every morning. They are in second and third grade. They have to cross 2 streets to get there, one is pretty busy.

At the bus stop, they run around, through peoples yards, in an alley and sometimes the street. The one has recently started crying she needs to go to the bathroom about 2 minutes before the bus comes and wanting to go into one of our houses. (every other kid comes with a parent).


Should this be reported to the school? If something happened to them, could their parents come after the parents who are at the bus stop??

Are the kids dressed apprioate for the weather? the kids in my neighborhood all go to the best stop by themselves. As for having to use the bathroom I'm not sure who that really comes into play. If you don'[t want her in your house don't let her in. As long as the kid are dressed apprioate for the weather I wouldn't say anything

 

[smb6]

I would not report them to the school or anywhere else for sure. If you have concerns- talk to the parents....

 

[Erin1700]

Are the kids dressed apprioate for the weather? the kids in my neighborhood all go to the best stop by themselves. As for having to use the bathroom I'm not sure who that really comes into play. If you don'[t want her in your house don't let her in. As long as the kid are dressed apprioate for the weather I wouldn't say anything

Really, they go to the bus stop at that young an age?

No they are not dressed for the weather and all of their belongings are thrown all over the sidewalk.


One of the moms took the girl to her house to use the bathroom the first time and it was a mad dash back and forth. She wont take her anymore.
We all do that mad dash with our own kids on occasion, no way am I doing it with someone elses kid EVERY day!

 

[golfgal]

I don't understand the need for parents to take their kids to the bus stop every day? In the long run those kids will probably be far more independent then your children. Learning to cross a street is an important skill and by 2nd grade ALL kids should know how to do this?

As for having to go to the bathroom, maybe tell the little girl that it would be easier for her if she would go to the bathroom at home right before she leaves for school.

 

[mjkacmom]

Well, my kids walk to school at that age. If they're not doing any damage to your property, or hurting other children, I'd MYOB. The bathroom thing is probably her wanting to see the inside of houses - kids seem curious as to the inside of other's homes.

 

[Holly]

I may be off base here because I have never lived in an area that is urban enough for bus stops- but kids in second and third grade seem way too young to be walking two streets over and waiting for the bus unsupervised.

If the parents have the poor judgment to allow this in the first place- what good will calling them do?

I would call the school. These children are at risk if they are running in the streets and wanting to go into stranger's houses as the OP described.

 

[Erin1700]

I would not report them to the school or anywhere else for sure. If you have concerns- talk to the parents....

Personally, I would much sooner keep quiet than approach those parents.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Really, they go to the bus stop at that young an age?...

Not uncommon at all. In our previous neighborhood, parents escorted the kids during K and 1st grade, but after that most walked to the bus stop by themselves. When I was a kid, everyone in my neighborhood walked to our school. We walked in groups, no parents, some more than half-mile. Many street crossings. We survived.

 

[Acklander]

Really, they go to the bus stop at that young an age?

Mine did. I drop him off at the stop on the way to work (I don't stay, just drop him because we leave at the same time), and he'd walk himself home after school. This started shortly after starting 2nd grade. We live about a quarter of a mile away from the bus stop.

 

[Erin1700]

I don't understand the need for parents to take their kids to the bus stop every day? In the long run those kids will probably be far more independent then your children. Learning to cross a street is an important skill and by 2nd grade ALL kids should know how to do this?

As for having to go to the bathroom, maybe tell the little girl that it would be easier for her if she would go to the bathroom at home right before she leaves for school.

We told her to go to the bathroom before she leaves the house and she said "No you people should take me"

I think SOME kids can certainly be independent enough to stand at the bus stop by themselves but these 2 are not.
If one of them is running around and gets hit in the alley, whose fault would it be?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

If something happened to them, could their parents come after the parents who are at the bus stop??

Probably not for the issues outside. But possibly, IMO, for letting them in the house to use the bathroom. Once you take a kid into your house, you accept responsibility for them. What if your dog bites them? What if they fall down your stairs? Etc. I'd also be curious to know how their Mom would feel about them going into someone else's house when she believes they're just on the way to the bus stop? I mean, she could be grateful or she could be angry.

My children had to walk to school by themselves beginning when they were 7yo. Most people in my neighborhood either walked or drove their kids, but we let ours walk by themselves (twins), with some rules (that hopefully were followed). We thought in many ways it was good for them and they're personalities were such that we felt they were safe to do so. I'm sure we were probably criticized by some. But that's ok. Each family has to do what's right for them. I think that for whatever reason, this family has decided their children are ok to go to the bus stop by themselves. If you see they are doing things that are unsafe, IMO it would be a courtesy to tell the parents so they could reinforce the rules with them (no running in the street, stay out of alleys, etc). You *could* mention it to school personnel, but I honestly don't see that a) it would solve anything or b) they'd be able to do much about it. You might well be back to square one again.

FWIW, we probably all have kids in our neighborhoods like this. We have some that I shudder to see some of the freedoms they were given very, very early on. OTOH, I'm sure there were some who thought ours were given too much freedom early on as well. It's a matter of different parenting styles.

 

[happygirl]

Yes, My are in kindergarten and first grade. the first week we went with them and then they walk themselves. If it's cold or raining we will take them.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

...If one of them is running around and gets hit in the alley, whose fault would it be?

The child's fault. Children are not stupid. I suspect that they are playing you more than you realize.

 

[Erin1700]

Probably not for the issues outside. But possibly, IMO, for letting them in the house to use the bathroom. Once you take a kid into your house, you accept responsibility for them. What if your dog bites them? What if they fall down your stairs? Etc. I'd also be curious to know how their Mom would feel about them going into someone else's house when she believes they're just on the way to the bus stop? I mean, she could be grateful or she could be angry.

That is very true!

 

[Holly]

We told her to go to the bathroom before she leaves the house and she said "No you people should take me"

I think SOME kids can certainly be independent enough to stand at the bus stop by themselves but these 2 are not.
If one of them is running around and gets hit in the alley, whose fault would it be?

Well that's it.


If they're running in the streets I would say they aren't responsible enough to wait without a parent.

Sorry you have to deal with this.

 

[happygirl]

We told her to go to the bathroom before she leaves the house and she said "No you people should take me"

I think SOME kids can certainly be independent enough to stand at the bus stop by themselves but these 2 are not.
If one of them is running around and gets hit in the alley, whose fault would it be?

The person who hit them.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Probably not for the issues outside. But possibly, IMO, for letting them in the house to use the bathroom. Once you take a kid into your house, you accept responsibility for them. What if your dog bites them? What if they fall down your stairs? Etc. I'd also be curious to know how their Mom would feel about them going into someone else's house when she believes they're just on the way to the bus stop? I mean, she could be grateful or she could be angry.

Agreed - I would never let a child into my home without the expressed permission of the parents.

 

[kirstenb1]

I think that's really young, but we live in a very rural area. Our buses picked our kids up at the driveway until this year. Our younger dd starts kindergarten next year. I'll probably walk her to the stop til at least 3rd grade. It depends on the kid, but a lot of kids don't understand watching for traffic, etc. They think they're invincible.