what do you think if 10 years old girl and 8 years old boy get the bus and go home after school?

[kamanmama]

Hi All, my children are 10 years old and 8 years old. Every day I finish my part time work at 12:30, and wait their school to finish until 3:15. My girl is year 6 now, so she can off school by herself and pick up her brother in year 4 as well. everyday I just wait them in bus stop at 3:30. I wait outside 3 hours everyday after finish my part time job. if I back home and come back to their school, it take 1hour and half. That’s why I wait outside. Recently, I see many year 6 students, they take the bus by themselves. I just think can I do the same? I will give my girl a mobile, ask her to call me when they nearly get off the bus, and will pick them up at the bus stop at my home town. Is it sounds alright? Is do so, do I need to prepare anything for them? Like zip oyster card? Or they can just get in the bus by themselves?

I think it depends on what sort of area you are in.
Would they be safe waiting for the bus? Would the younger one behave for the older one? How long is the journey?

the journey take 20-30mins. the bus stop is 3mins away from school. it is normally student and parents wait for the bus. I waited the bus with them from May, seems the ppl there are quite normal

I would ask the school if they would be happy with this. I completely agree with you that waiting outside their school for 3 hours every day is a waste of time! Can you add in a couple of hours at work so you finish later and don't have to wait so long?

get them the zip oyster card - it is free for under 11s but they should still carry the card with them.

my only worry is the 10 yr old having to be responsible for the 8 year old. if he decides to do something stupid / run off with a friend / kick a ball into the road, what can she do?

I think that's fine, that's ridiculous you waiting 3 hours a day.

It will depend on your school’s policy - our school lets year 6 children go home by themselves, but they cannot be responsible for younger children. So you would still need to pick up your year 4 child.

Policy should be on the website, or you can ask the school office for a copy.

Yr6... fine.
Younger child... it really depends on them, the sibling dynamic etc.

At the primary school my DD went to they wouldn’t have allowed this ie the older sibling basically in charge of the younger one. I kind of agree with them. But tbh I live in a busy urban area so that may impact my view around risk.

I would worry about a ten year old being responsible for a the eight year old. So sorry I don't think you could do that.
But waiting outside the school for three hours also seems unsustainable. Is there anything else you could do in that time or anywhere else you could go to?

in Scotland this would be both allowed and normal

i did try to ask for longer working hour, but can't get it. oh, yes, forgot to say i only work on Mon to Thur, so i can pick them up Fri. i only want them to try back home 4 days a week

If they have been doing this bus route every day since they were 4 years old then I expect they could do it.
But.... would they know what to do if the bus is re-routed (due to roadworks or similar) and it by passes their stop.
Would the 8 year old listen and behave to the 10 year old.
Having a phone - do they know what your actual number is (rather than it just being "mum" in phone) so if something goes wrong with their phone they can contact you using some one else's phone or a payphone.
Do they know how to use a pay phone and where they are?
Do they know who to ring if they can't get hold of you or where they can go if for some reason there's no buses. To me places like a local library would be a "safe space" to go.
These are the type of things you need to think about.

Have you considered learning to drive. It would change your life completely and give you freedom and independence? Otherwise, give it a try but I would be on the phone with your Y6 child for the first few attempts.

How does the bus ride take 20/30 minutes (40/60 mins total) but if you drove home and back it would be an hour and a half? (So 45 mins each way?) You said it takes an hour and a half for you to get home that's why you stay, but the bus would be an hour quicker than you driving?

@Sallyblackcat I hate it when people say that. Because not everyone has several £1000s just laying around to be able to afford the lessons, a car, the insurance etc....
🙄

@Allthenamesaretaken0 The OP doesn't mention driving or a car so presumably she would need to take the 30 minute bus home after work then get another bus back to the school for pick up and the bus home again with the kids?

Maybe you could volunteer at the school. Help with reading etc. that way your not waiting outside.

The OP isn’t driving, I’m pretty sure. She’ll be taking the bus/walking, and coming from her workplace.

At my school this wouldn't be allowed. Year 6's are allowed to walk to and from school without an adult (as long as they have written consent) but they wouldn't be allowed to take a younger sibling too. That might just be my school/area though.
I personally wouldn't be happy regardless. I think you need to look at ways to tweak your day/hours at work, or just put up with it unfortunately.
Is the school or your work in an area where you can go off and do something other than sitting in a bus stop?

I'm guessing because of the time waiting for buses and /or walking to/from the bus stop to home.

Where I live the buses are every 20 mins so it's the waiting time not just the bus time you have to consider.

No. You are based in London. They are too young. The 8 year old in particular. In the winter it will be dark. They are too young to know how to cope in an emergency with predators, muggings, terrorist incident. No way. I would get a second job or use the time to work out etc.

I think the age is just about ok but what about maturity, are they pretty sensible and know what to do if the bus didn’t come for any reason or if some creep approached them.
Is there a parent that walks to the bus stop at the same time that could look out for them.
My son is in secondary, he has the bus app so can track them if late etc, I also have his iPhone connected to mine so I can see where he is at all times, luckily his school bus is ok but some of our local buses are always full then it drives past stops because it can’t let anyone else on. We’re rural so pretty rubbish anyway but just an example.
I definitely think though you can’t be waiting around that long everyday so if you couldn’t extend work hours then letting them get the bus seems reasonable.
I did it with my two brothers at 8 and we had no phones back then 🫣

I think this would be fine too - you know your children. If they’re sensible then I don’t see why not!

Near where I am, school-employed staff wait by all the bus stops and see the children on and across the roads (I think because there’s been trouble before) so it feels very safe for kids to travel there. Don’t know if anything like that happens near you? Or if lots of children also fake that route?

*take!