ds1's bus driver - WWYD

[3Happy]

ds1 (5) just got a new bus driver at the start of the year. The old one used to drop the 2 kids who live in these cottages at the lane end (10 minute walk from house), but was nice enough.
The new driver picks the kids up outside the house, which is really helpful as I had a baby 4m ago and she is often asleep/hungry/crying when the bus arrives.

Recently, ds1 told me that the bus driver has been giving the kids sweets every morning, which made me feel uncomfortable. However, I keep nearly falling out with mil about the boys and how much sweets/chocolates she gives them to the extent that I thought maybe I am being a bit overprotective, and I thought I'd turn a blind eye. But this afternoon, ds1's just got home and announced that the driver gave him and another boy a can of pop to share, then told them to chuck the can out of the window when they'd finished it

I've told ds1 it is not right to throw litter, even if a grown up has told him to do it, but I am wondering if I should take it further. I don't want to cause a fuss, and ds1 has had problems settling in at school - particularly with the other kid who shared the pop (we're the end of the line) and I don't want to give him more reason to tease ds1. And I don't want to sound prissy. Just interested in what other people would do in this situation. TIA.

Talk directly to the bus driver about switching the sweets to healthy snacks and mention a 'new school campaign against littering'?
Maybe you can give him something at the end of the school term though to 'thank him' for the sweets and bus driving.

I would do nothing for all the reasons you describe and give him much less sugary stuff yourself.

Yes, reiterate the littering sermon every so often so he doesn't do it/believe it though

Thank you for your advice.
I suspect if I tell ds1 about littering a couple of times, he'll tell the bus driver "my mum says..." at the earlist opportunity saving me having to mention it to the driver directly!!
Dominique - that's a nice idea to keep him on side. Maybe I should give him a bag of sweets
I wondered about sending him in with fruit to share so that they didn't need to eat his sweets, but a) that may seem equally prissy and b) they'd probably eat the sweets on the way home instead of on the way in.

We have a lovely neighbour, who used to keep giving the girls sweets. It is a common thing in his culture to give sweets to children. It was a bit awkward because I didn't want them to have sweets, but also didn't want to offend his generosity. The way we got around it is I spoke directly to him when the children weren't around and thanked him for being so kind, but it put the children in a bit of a dilemma, because "mummy said we shouldn't have too many sweets", so 'thank you, but no thank you' kind of thing. He now gives them bunches of bananas (course, they don't like bananas, but never mind!)

is there a chaperone on the bus or just your kidlets? maybe they could intervene more tactfully?

That's a good way round it. why do people insist on giving kids sweets as a kindness? It is really nice of them to want to make the kids happy, but why does it always have to be sweets. Between the bus driver, my mil and the lovely old man in the village, my kids are swimming in chocolate/sweets. They still have half an easter egg left (mil gave them 6 between the 2 of them). On the other hand, maybe I am just prissy

Just the kids, no chaperone.