School Bus Fears: I could so use your help seasoned mommies

[Virginia Mom]

Okay, I'd so love your help with this......my DS, in K, freaks with the school bus.........as long as it is his regular driver he's okay. But if it's a different driver or differnt bus number he refuses to get on the darn bus (and I end up driving him to school, in my jammies most of the time :)............I'm not really sure what the deal is.......at first I thought maybe he was thinking the bus wasn't going to his school...but when I asked him he thought I was nuts..........Of course he knows the bus is going to his school (duh)---but he seems to get stressed about the bus having so many kids....and so many differnt kids (from different stops I guess)

Have you gone thru this? What the heck can I do...........so trying to NOT  have a mommie meltdown at the bus stop :)

[CarrieMF]

relax.  So what if you have to drive ds in your jammies.

Busses are noisy & chaotic, he may not like the noise & chaos.  him not wanting to get on if it's a different driver or the number is different  makes me wonder if your ds likes to have a set routine & these situations changes that routine of his enough that it bugs him.

[Drummer's Wife]

My Kindergartener also doesn't like riding the bus, so I now drive him every morning (which is fine b/c I have to take my youngest to preschool), but he does ride the bus home with his two older siblings. 

I gave up trying to convince him; I figure it will pass, or not.  Last year he begged and begged to ride it to pre-k, and I finally let him and he loved it.  He was only on the bus with a few other kids and they were all 4 yrs old.  There were 2 adults at all times - the driver and an assistant - and for him, it was a fun experience.  This year now that he is in elementary school, he rides the bus with lots of 3rd/4th/5th graders, and he's had a couple issues with some other kids on the bus (as well as with his own brother). 

He happens to have sensory issues as well as speech (articulation) so he doesn't speak up during situations, plus it's all very overwhelming for him.  I figure he'll grow out of it, or DH and I will have to adjust our schedules in the the future to help him avoid riding the bus twice a day.  Time will tell.  My older two children prefer riding the bus, and I figure my youngest will, too, when he's eligible. 

[Drummer's Wife]

oh, and about the changes of a new bus driver - I bet it just makes it a little scary and uncertain.  I know with my same DS who doesn't like the bus, when the assistant teacher is out for the day and someone else is standing at the gate to greet him when we arrive, he is a lot more likely to get upset and cry and cling to me. 

How often is there a different bus driver?  If it's frequently, I'd probably just drive him for awhile and approach it again later on (like next school year). 

[ollyoxenfree]

I think it's fine if you have to drive him for awhile until he's more comfortable with taking the bus, unless that's a problem for your schedule. If he has to ride the bus, I'd try to find a couple of older, responsible students who can act as "bus buddies" for him. The teacher or principal may be able to help you find someone.  

[melissa17s]

Different bus drivers can have different approaches with the kids and that can totally change the ride.  Our current bus driver knows every kid's name and they like him.  When they have had subs, sometimes it takes the bus longer because they do not know the stops.  One sub had the kids telling them where to stop, so they got off on  a different block than usual.