In New York City, parents get their kids to school in all kinds of different ways. Some walk, some take the train, others take the city bus, some drive, and then there are the kids who actually take a yellow school bus to school, just like the kids in the suburbs.
Since Ari is only five, I'm not sure if he's ready to take the big yellow school bus. It could be daunting for a little kid to sit on a bus with a bunch of older kids. I remember my mom telling me that's how my brother learned his first curse words, riding the school bus.
Since we live in hippy-dippy Park Slope, there are a lot of parents who bike their children to school. So that could be an option for us. However, since I have two kids, I don't know how that will work out with bike seats.
I've seen some formidable bike seats that I would love to purchase. Like this one, for instance:
How dope is that? I want someone to push me around in that!
So there are some options. I could take both kids on the train every day, but that sounds like a circus. Plus, it's actually two trains I would have to take including a transfer station that's full of stairs. Stairs + stroller = NO!
So I get back to my original question. Is Ari old enough to take a big yellow school bus? If he is, that would be a giant relief to me based on the geographic location of his school in relation to my house.
What do you guys think?
My kids were (still are ) one of those New York city kids that actually took yellow school bus to school.For many years the neighborhood we lived in had no school at all (local school closed in the early 2000's because the building was condemned and and did not re-open when it was time for my daughter to enter Kindergarten) , so we were in what they called "reassignment " zone , which meant there 6 somewhat local school to choose from via lottery process (just like the application fro a pre-K , where you qualify your choices from 1to 6, very nerve-wrecking till you actually find out where your kid will go ...).So, anyway, being that we lived on 90th street, we , of course, got the school on 66th street (there were 3 other schools much closer to us...),. We loved our school and still do, but ...when my daughter was 5, my son barely turned 2. WE needed a stroller in the morning, he was sleepy, cranky and did not want to walk to the bus, not to mention the weather that started to go bad in October/November. There is only one bus that goes on York Ave. M31, and in rush hour it is as full as the sardines box and it takes about 45-50 min with all of the stops 30 blocks ride. MY husband leaves the house before 7 am (sometimes 6 am), both of our parents live in Israel, I had just me to get my daughter to school(along with my 2 year old son). I tried, I really did for about 3 ms : we were all so tired and constantly late, not to mention the days that my son would be sick and I would be searching for a neighbor to stay for 1hr while I do a drop off . Oy, that was really hard. After much hesitation (just like Ari, my daughter was only 5, tiny girl)and speaking to people at school, I decided to put her on the school bus...I picked up most afternoons , but the bus in the morning was a life saver for us . The bus driver actually put all of the little kids right behind her , where as the big kids wanted to be together in the back of the bus. To say that she loved the experience, I can not, but she did not hate it either.My son grow up "putting his sister on the bus" in the morning and was anxious to go on the bus himself .Now, nearly 7 years later,my kids are much bigger, my daughter is in Middle school , but my son still takes a yellow bus in the morning and the mornings that the bus breaks down or stuck in traffic and we have to take city bus M31, which is still awful in the morning, overly stuffed and super slow, just reaffirms that I made a right decision for us . I do agree with your Mom though, over the course of the years, there were kids on the bus with questionable behavior and questionable vocabulary, but it will be the same case in any school as well and my kids learned to stay away and the drivers were always helpful in keeping the peace and discipline on the bus, so there was never a problem. Hope this long story helps a little.
ReplyDeleteMy kids were (still are ) one of those New York city kids that actually took yellow school bus to school.For many years the neighborhood we lived in had no school at all (local school closed in the early 2000's because the building was condemned and and did not re-open when it was time for my daughter to enter Kindergarten) , so we were in what they called "reassignment " zone , which meant there 6 somewhat local school to choose from via lottery process (just like the application fro a pre-K , where you qualify your choices from 1to 6, very nerve-wrecking till you actually find out where your kid will go ...).So, anyway, being that we lived on 90th street, we , of course, got the school on 66th street (there were 3 other schools much closer to us...),. We loved our school and still do, but ...when my daughter was 5, my son barely turned 2. WE needed a stroller in the morning, he was sleepy, cranky and did not want to walk to the bus, not to mention the weather that started to go bad in October/November. There is only one bus that goes on York Ave. M31, and in rush hour it is as full as the sardines box and it takes about 45-50 min with all of the stops 30 blocks ride. MY husband leaves the house before 7 am (sometimes 6 am), both of our parents live in Israel, I had just me to get my daughter to school(along with my 2 year old son). I tried, I really did for about 3 ms : we were all so tired and constantly late, not to mention the days that my son would be sick and I would be searching for a neighbor to stay for 1hr while I do a drop off . Oy, that was really hard. After much hesitation (just like Ari, my daughter was only 5, tiny girl)and speaking to people at school, I decided to put her on the school bus...I picked up most afternoons , but the bus in the morning was a life saver for us . The bus driver actually put all of the little kids right behind her , where as the big kids wanted to be together in the back of the bus. To say that she loved the experience, I can not, but she did not hate it either.My son grow up "putting his sister on the bus" in the morning and was anxious to go on the bus himself .Now, nearly 7 years later,my kids are much bigger, my daughter is in Middle school , but my son still takes a yellow bus in the morning and the mornings that the bus breaks down or stuck in traffic and we have to take city bus M31, which is still awful in the morning, overly stuffed and super slow, just reaffirms that I made a right decision for us . I do agree with your Mom though, over the course of the years, there were kids on the bus with questionable behavior and questionable vocabulary, but it will be the same case in any school as well and my kids learned to stay away and the drivers were always helpful in keeping the peace and discipline on the bus, so there was never a problem. Hope this long story helps a little.
ReplyDeleteThis was so helpful! Thank you. I guess it depends on the bus itself. Maybe Ari can try it out and see.
ReplyDeleteI took a yellow bus from 4-6, and then the subway sans parents, with 4 year old brother in tow from Sunset Park to Bay Ridge every day. I think it should be a-ok for Ari!
ReplyDeleteIt would prob be a lot easier for you if he took the bus. I think there is some kind of law where kids have to be 5 by a certain month in the school year to ride the bus (unless there are bus monitors to help the kids on and off). Kineret couldn't take the bus this year, but is taking it next year. She'll still be 4, but her sisters are on the bus. You can also talk to the bus driver and make sure Ari feels comfortable. And/or ask the school for a class list and see what the other parents are doing. Maybe he can ride the bus with a friend!
ReplyDeleteYay! This gives me hope. And you don't remember kids cursing?
ReplyDeleteA trial run seems like a good idea!
ReplyDeleteOf course they did, but not really all that badly. Besides, the bus drivers I had would yell at them to settle down if they heard anything like that. Still, I really didn't start to curse myself until H.S. in spite of it all.
ReplyDeleteAlso, don't forget my family is from Brooklyn so anything I heard on the bus would pale in comparison to what I heard at home from my grandma! lol
A question I have been asking myself lately!
ReplyDeleteI know right? I still don't know! They called me from the Department of Education today and asked me again, and I said, I don' know! Haha!
ReplyDelete