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Original poster

How do you prepare an 11 year old girl for getting the bus to school alone?

65 replies

Biostu · 09/05/2023 19:57

My daughter is 11 years old, she has been accepted into a very good secondary school that's further away than we would like. She will need to get two buses.
This is fine - we knew this when applying.
However, how do you prepare them for getting buses?
My daughter is dropped at school by car currently - with a younger sibling. We rarely catch the bus.

She has a day coming up in July when she has to attend for one day. Unfortunately, I am on a training course so can't be there to drop and pick her up (new job - I can't get out of it).
So my husband is on school duty... but he can't be in two places at once and the younger one is not old enough to make his way to school on his own.

This means my daughter aged 11 is going to have to get the bus to and from school on her own for the first time....

How do we go about this??
I'm so scared to let her go... She has a mobile phone and I have even got her a personal alarm for her house keys.
Help?

TIA.

OP posts:
Namechange828492 · 09/05/2023 20:05

Definitely do a dry run. Otherwise she will be bricking it on the first day as she gets on a random bus and hopes she recognises the stop for school (looking at you Mum!)

Colinfromaccounts · 09/05/2023 20:05

Do a couple of trial runs. One with you showing her what to do, then do another with you walking a little bit behind her just as backup but her doing everything herself.

Stopsnowing · 09/05/2023 20:04

Also talk through what if situations. Eg. You miss your stop. The second bus is late etc

thestringcheesemassacre · 09/05/2023 20:04

Practice runs - my daughter gets the train and hasn’t done this by herself at this age.

also do the what if scenarios. What if the bus is late or cancelled etc? Or she feels uncomfortable etc. And get LIFE 360 on your phone

DeathMetalMum · 09/05/2023 20:04

We did a few practice runs, dd had a summer school that we were able to get the bus to on one of the days. Then we did it at the weekend too.

Dd get the bus to local town then another bus, however journey is walkable so I also went into town with her one weekend and did the walk. This was after she had started at high school.

FloweryName · 09/05/2023 20:04

You take some time over the summer holidays or at the weekends and do the journey there and back with her a couple of times.

Stopsnowing · 09/05/2023 20:03

Also get her to get herself to her current school alone if she hasn’t already to build her confidence!

slamfightbrightlight · 09/05/2023 20:03

For a one off day i’d try to arrange someone to have the younger one so dad can take her to and from. An induction day will be overwhelming enough.

For September do a few trial runs through the summer so she’s feeling confident.

Azandme · 09/05/2023 20:01

You have two months to prepare her.

Do the route with her on a Saturday at school time (busy with workers) a couple of times, then do it from a distance a few times. Then get her to get on the bus and you follow in the car a couple of times.

Throughout the process show/tell her what she needs to do, and also what she should do if things go wonky.

My dd is going up in September. I'm also nervous, but I'm sure our girls are way more capable than we think.

ReadersD1gest · 09/05/2023 20:00

Lots of trial runs so there are no surprises. Are there any other kids she could buddy up with?

Parker231 · 09/05/2023 20:00

Practice the journey at the weekend. DT’s had to get the Tube to school - we did it with them and then they started going on their own.
Does your DD have any friends going to the same school which she can meet up with and travel together?

TheGriffle · 09/05/2023 20:00

I will be in a similar situation next year depending on which school my dd gets into. I think you will just have to practice the journey with her. Walk the route to the first bus stop, show her how to pay (if she has to pay, I have no idea!) show her where to get off to get the next bus and repeat on the way back. Do that a few times before she needs to do it on her own and she should be fine.

Stopsnowing · 09/05/2023 19:59

You have practice runs with her at the weekend or during half term. Or you find a babysitter to take her. Or you ask the school if there is another pupil coming from near you.

MySaladDaysAreGone · 09/05/2023 19:59

You arrange childcare for your younger child and your husband goes with her?!

RoseBucket · 09/05/2023 19:58

Can’t you do a trial run with her on the route or is it a school bus and not a public one.

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