My daughter is starting head start in November she will be 3 they offer a school bus or student drop off my issue is on the days I work she HAS TO take the school bus we only have 1 car so my question is WOULD YOU put your 3 year old on a school bus and how would that work she doesn’t sit still even for a minute.
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To start with why is she going to School that Early?I did not send mine anywhere until 1st Grade they learn the Basicd from me
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Honestly, yes I would. Bus drivers, especially of littles, normally have aides. Your little will learn the expectations and get gently reminded of them when need be. If you want your little to participate in pre school, and this is the way, by all means. Every driver I have met since my kids started school take the upmost care and precaution for the kiddos. Feel free to ask the transportation director any questions or concerns you might have, most are so nice and willing to offer answers if they have them.
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My kids went to headstart and the bus they used had seatbelts for all the children and also had another person on bus to help with the children.
They have kids like this yearly ! So I would not worry to hard.
Headstart is a great way for your child to learn motor skills and interact with other children!
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If I was in the spot I needed them to go to school at 3 years old I would probably need to use the bus too
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we did. if it’s the baby bus they have the 5 point harness straps (in the US) . ours had a driver then a monitor and did curb to curb service. The drivers all gave me their cell numbers and helped eased my anxiety at that age. Our son went bc he had an IEP beginning at age 3 in pre-k through the state for speech language & motor skills for additional therapy. with additional resources he graduated out of his IEP his final semester of pre-k.
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Yup, my daughter was 16 months old and I put her on a bus. It was the best thing I could have ever done for her.
I think it good for them to learn safety and understand the bus before kindergarten then they won’t be as nervous or scared.
My 3 year old went on the bus all last year…
I’m a bus driver and buses are one of the safest forms of ground transportation out there.
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I would be a nervous wreck, putting my kid on the bus at three years old however where My Kids grew up, it was not common to get on the bus so I completely understand the concept that writing a bus is normal and some states but for me, it’s just too tiny
In our county, headstart rides with K through twelfth graders on buses. So, if it isnt a headstart only bus then Id reconsider.
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I did. My daughter was 3 when she first started school as she has a late birthday. She didn’t sit still until she started taking the bus.
Yes……33 years ago I had a 4 yr old and was pregnant and on complete bed rest, so a small transportation bus picked my son up and took him to his daycare and back home……I was a total nervous wreck, he loved it, the drivers loved him,it was a good experience. Please keep us posted. *****funny memory of that time….my son said one day, “are you just going to lay on the couch and gag all day, because if you are,I want to go to daycare!” And I said, “yes,that’s about it” and away he went.
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She won’t be on the bus with bigger children, she’ll be on the headstart bus with other 3/4 year olds who are also in head start so It will also be a shorter route. They know your kid has never ridden a bus before they’re not just going to expect her to automatically know what to do and how to act.
If there’s any possibility that she will need to ride a bus when she gets into kindergarten then this will be a better environment to learn how to ride a bus and what to expect on a bus ride.
I did & my son was going to the elementary school for a preschool program for autism. He sat still though & loved riding on the bus. There was also an aide & not many kids on the bus. That was 17 years ago.
If it is just with other pre k kids I might but never with older kids
I did and she loved it. It was such a great help to me. It gave me the opportunity to go to work and not have to take her. I was able to put her on and in her seatbelt
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No. My speciall needs daughter was yelled at to shut up on the bus on her way to prek because she was crying. Never again
I honestly wouldn’t be comfortable with it but we have to do what we have to do. Sometimes we have no other options. If it’s just a headstart bus and little kids only , I think it’ll be ok. If it has older kids on it too…I’d try to figure something else out
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Is it a bus with seat belts?
Our buses have an aide on them
As long as no other older kids are on i would. But having been a school bus monitor for elementary I wouldn’t if it was a mix of older kids
Ask lots of questions. Bus monitor? What happens if a child won’t sit? You can put it a tracker in her clothes or bag and they have things to hide to record sound
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When my daughter was in head start they had us provide our own car seats or booster seats and we never had an issue with bus transportation. She used to ride that bus from daycare to school then back to daycare at the end of her school day and I was working full time. Now if they didn’t have safety restraints and car seats set up I would have felt really uncomfortable but by law they still have to follow the restraint rules for kids under a certain age. If nothing else, for liability alone.
No. Not sending my child to public school at all.
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Better be cameras on the bus do you can see all the time
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My daughter started school at three years old. She did fine.
I worked in a daycare and I also help with bus Aid when picking up Head Start students yes the parents provided car seats because we had a van kids will learn how to sit in the seat the driver and the aid talk to the kids sing with the kids encourage the kids and help them off the bus never had a problem picking up or delivering we had a book with the kids names that we have to check off when we pick them up and when we dropped them off and then we also have another Staff Check out the van and make sure every child was off the bus before parking the bus/ van…
Fuck NO!!! My older kids take the bus and the stories they have about what other kids do… FUCKKKK NOOOOO!!!
Yes it’s safe they have seat belts for yo7nger children.
I did when my son went to head start 27 years ago
I used to be a monitor on the head start bus . I would help get the kids settled and buckled as we picked them up. They were in a five point harness. We sang songs, played games, had a lot of fun. Most of the kids typically do pretty good. If you have to, then yes try it. She should be ok 
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Mine loved the lil bus it had harness belt
My only concern would be, is the carer in the back of the bus with the kids or riding in the front of the bus with the driver. The carer must ride with the kids. Your child will be in a booster seat, so safe and secure. Check the rating of the centre and be sure they haven’t had any incidents of having left children on the bus. You have a right to ensure your child travels safely. Do your homework. I drive a bus that carries small children. We ALWAYS have a carer in the back of the bus with the children. We do a check on and check off system to ensure ALL children are accounted for. If they tick all the boxes - go for it.
Does she sit still in her car seat? If so, that’s not a problem.
My kid was 3 and a half when she started prek. They put her in a special bus car seat it was fine. If your kid turns 4 before the end of the year they will take her out the car seat. Make sure you ask when they are going to make the change. Mine turned 4 in November I requested they wait until spring to transition to a seat belt and they were fine with. Figured in the winter be safer but in the spring start the transition so she was prepared for next year.
If she can’t sit still then I definitely wouldn’t put her on the bus. Maybe check out local car pools or maybe reach out to family or friends
If you could find a mom of someone in her class to pick her up and take her on the days you can’t, that may work better than the bus.
My son took the school bus at that age and did fine (it was just for the preK kids so no older kids). He’s 18 now.
I would let them after making sure it was safe
Personally no. My kids don’t and won’t ride the bus
I did with both of mine when they were that little. The bus had seat belts & a monitor as well as a bus driver to ensure their safety. 
I have done it, they do fine and they learn to saty seated. You have to do what you have to do.
My kids have been bus riders since pre k. The bus with the pre k kids always had an aide and assigned seating (the youngest directly up front with the big kids in the back). They’re all high schoolers now and still ride the bus. No issues for us. 