What would you do??

[MareQ]

I have 2 kids in school right now - DS8 who is a Special Ed child and DD5 who is in Kindergarten. They sit together(By their request ) on the bus.

DD told me the week befoer Christmas that there was a kid on the bus that was bullying them. She said he was calling my DS names and kept reaching over and unbuckling their seatbelt. She said he also was trying to trip them when they got to school and got off the bus.

I don't know who this kid is - he's not at our bus stop and although DD is not prone to lying and making stuff up - she is only 5 so I just couldn't be sure of the facts. So I decided to address it only with the bus driver. She said she had been aware that there was a problem and had moved the boy as punishment to sit behind her but then he was being good so she was going to move him back but not near my kids. I also asked one of the 6th graders on the bus if this was true and she said yes - this boy was bugging/doing things to my kids etc.

Now I find out yesterday from DD that this kid is now bothering somebody else and doing the same thing - reaching over to unbuckle the seatbelt - trying to trip these other kids.

So now I am wondering - did I make the right decision? Should I have addressed it with the bus driver AND the principal to make her aware of this? It's one thing to be a bit of a bully - but the seatbelt thing is REALLY concerning to me and while MY kids are not being bugged now- this kid is still doing it - just to somebody else's child now.

I just don't know if I should leave it be or just send the Principal a "Hey I just want to make you aware of something....." type of email.

 

[supercarrie]

I'm not a parent, so I'm sure other people will be able to give you better advice. But I would take it up with the principal NOW. Its clear the bus driver either isn't clued in enough to notice (bad) or can't handle the situation (also bad.) Even if the bully has stopped bothering your children, others are still in danger.

 

[CEDmom]

I would definitely let the school know about it just like you said with an FYI to the Principal. Explain that the bus driver did address and resolve the issue with your children but that this child is now bothering others and you thought the school should know.

 

[ilovejack02]

Let principal know asap.

 

[mommasita]

I would do this right away. If the child is doing this, he may be doing other things. I believe you should go straight to the principal. The 6 grade teacher, and bus driver can back you up.... You could stop this from happening further.

 

[MNT568]

Definitely call or email the principal. My DS was having a bus issue, another boy was pinching him, pushing him out of the seat or if he sat behind him, hitting him on the head. I talked to the driver is was OK for about a week and then it started up again. I called the principal, I told her I didn't want to get any one in trouble but I am afraid someone is going to get hurt, she spoke to both boys (my DS and the other boy), haven't had a problem since. In fact now, the boys play together at recess. But they still can't sit together or near each other on the bus. It can't hurt to call.

 

[jen0610]

Please let the principal know. We had this issue 3 years ago with a little boy who rode on the bus with my DD and DS. While he didn't mess with my DS, he was an issue with my DD and her friend. He would push them with getting on/off the bus at school, try and trip them in the p.m. getting off the bus, while sitting behind them pulling their hair or flicking their ears or necks. Would mess with their backpacks.

We worked with the bus driver on this issue and only when the boy was made to sit directly behind the driver, did we not have something going on, but as soon has he was allowed to choose his own seat, the issues started up again. We addressed it with the principal and they were working on the issue. When we talked to the principal, we found out that there were a lot of other issue the school was having with this boy.

Before they could find a resolution to the boy, he pushed DD to far on the bus with his antics and she ended up punching him (it was VERY hard to not tell her good job, while we were telling her that ISN'T how she should have handled it). Needless to say, he was removed from the bus. And for us it was a little to late. So we pulled the kids of off the bus and Grandma takes to/picks them up from school.

 

[PlutosFriend]

I think I would let the principal know. Seems like certain kids tend to go wild on the bus. We have that here also. The driver can only do so much since they are trying to drive.

 

[poohandwendy]

Definitely time to take it to the next level, the principal. I would send an email and follow up with a phone call.

 

[MareQ]

Thanks everybody - I am going to let the Principal know. I hate to "waste" the Principal's time so I just wasn't sure what to do. I am going to send an email and leave it at that

 

[GraysMom]

MareQ, I think you're doing the right thing in contacting the principal. Any kind of goofing around is a distraction to the bus driver and puts ALL the kids in danger.