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?

They never said they drive I'm guessing they walk and can't afford bus fare for themself.

I love the bafflement of people who can't imagine that not everyone drives. I live in London, I choose not to drive or to own a car.

OP I think depending on the area of London you are in, it's OK. My kids are Yr 8 and Yr 5. The yr 5 walks part of the way home by himself - I meet him part way because there is a very very major road to cross and also a dodgy bit of the walk where a lot of drug deals etc. go on.

Only if the OP lives in London!

God no. Not at 8 year old that's a huge amount of responsibility to put on your eldest and what will you do when she goes off to high school with your youngest

Can you not change your hours at work??? Or volunteer at their school of an afternoon reading with young kids or doing art or filing etc

Tiredalwaystired · Today 11:28

Only if the OP lives in London!

She mentioned Oyster herself.

@kamanmama do you live in London? Just checking because I am sure you mentioned Oyster Zip cards (which are a London thing).
To be honest if you are in London there will be about another 20 children from their school (plus several parents) piling on the bus at the same time. Your kids are hardly going to be alone - and if they are doing this every day it will be the same people from their school and they will know the other children. If anything goes wrong on the journey (broken down bus or whatever) they can ask one of the other parents if they need help in an emergency.
As a London parent I would always help any children travelling on a bus alone if they need it.
I see a lot of children the same age as yours travelling on buses to and from school with no parent with them.

yes, i live in London. Most of the time they get in the bus with another children and parents as you said.
same here. sometimes, i see children by themselves get on the bus too. that's why i want to do the same.

I think that they are a bit young for this. Probably 12 and 10 would be fine.

Having previously lived in London (and used buses) for 5 years, I think that there are just too many potential things that could go wrong e.g. other passengers behaving badly, severe overcrowding, buses very late/cancelled, buses terminated early at an unfamiliar stop, terrorist incidents. To expect the 10 year old to both handle this and be responsible for the 8 year old is a bit much, I think. Though the mobile phone helps, it could run out of charge or credit or get lost or stolen.

I wouldn't be happy with this, it's getting dark earlier and that's a long time for primary school kids to be making their way home alone when there are dodgy people around. It only takes a split second for everything to go wrong. If it was a 5 minute walk then thats different but waiting for a bus then being on the bus for so long, it's a lot of pressure to put on your Y6.

No. Even for the 10 year old alone unless it's a school bus. Def not while responsible for a younger sibling.
And most certainly do not ask if other parents can watch them, no way cheeky fucker. Of course generally all adults do watch unaccompanied kids but to be asked for free takes the mick.

@Boomboom22 if I was travelling exactly the same route home with my child (on a post school run bus that's probably very likely) I would be perfectly happy to accompany the OPs children too.
It's not cheeky to ask. Several parents I know would be happy to do that.
Honestly does everyone in society just hate everyone else and not want to help out within the community once in while ?

No my sons school was the same. They couldn't walk home alone and only a sibling in high school or older could collect them (if a sibling was) they wouldn't allow a year 4 pupil home with a year 6 pupil.

I have an 8 and 10 year old but wouldn't be happy with that. Possibly the 10 year old on his own but definitely not to look after his younger brother.

Are you new to mn? Have you never read a thread about cf?
It absolutely is taking the piss because you would feel beholden and never able to take your kids out or to a club. The whole I'm going that way anyway is nonsense. No doubt people you work with live fairly near but it would be completely impractical for them to expect you to drive them every single day.
I'm 100% sure if you asked this on a class WhatsApp there would be silence. People will help out in an emergency or if you are late, but not constantly for free.

@Boomboom22 obviously I am a very different person to you.
I have always been happy to collect a classmate along with my daughter if their parent has needed me too. I've never had a problem with it. It's called being helpful to others in my community. I regularly helped out with "babysitting" when it was random teacher training days and a parent needed child care. I didn't expect payment - although sometimes I was given cash for bus fare/McDonald's if I took the kids out.

Yes of course as have I. This is entirely different involving every single pick up.

The key is once in a while. This would be 4 days a week for the foreseeable future.

@Boomboom22 if it was a situation that I was travelling on exactly the same bus each day with my child going from bus stop A to bus stop B and then walking past the house where the kids live and just dropping them off I really wouldn't have an issue with making it a permanent arrangement.

Yes, that's perfectly fine, go for it, just gotta prepare them in advance

Our primary would not allow this. Children aren't allowed to walk home alone until the spring term of yr5 and yr6's cannot take responsibility for younger siblings.

I agree , its not acceptable

My children attend an outer London school and this would not be allowed so I suggest checking with the school. Children are only allowed to leave on their own with parental permission in the last term of year 5 and year 6.
My son got the bus home from school after Christmas of year 6 with his own mobile. He was fine with the 10 minute journey and it actually prepared him well for starting secondary school this summer.

It is not for school staff to decide how children travel to and from school. Children are only their responsibility during school hours.

If school staff have serious concerns, they can report it to Social Care.

Of course there does need to be clarity, so that young children whose parents intend to collect them don't wander off at the end of the school day. Parents can simply put their arrangements in writing so there is no confusion: "Jack will be collected every day either by myself or by his sister Jane."

That's bonkers, you're waiting for 15 hours every week!

Can you work extra hours? Are there after school clubs?

If your children are sensible then try letting them get the bus and see how they handle it.

But remember to think about when your eldest moves to secondary school - what will happen then?

Can you advertise in the school if any one needs a cleaner for 2 hrs 4 days a week after you have finished your first job? That would fill the time gap up and leave you to meet them at the school? Personally it’s too much responsibility for your daughter.