Pre-K & the Bus

I'm a school bus driver,I love my job, for the past 2 years I have just been a substitute driver only driving when someone was sick or needed off. This school year I was fortunate enough to get my own bus, this bus was elementary students but at a different school than my girls go to. I loved this bus load of kids, yes we had our ups and downs, but for the most part I thought they where great kids and they thought I was "The Most Awesomist Bus Driver Ever." About 1 month in to the year I was able to get a bus that was at my daughters' school, so I took it. First week was awful the kids hated me, and I wasn't so sure if I didn't hate the kids some too. But we worked things out and now I think they like me, just like, not awesome.

I mostly had problems with the 5th graders at the beginning, but now I'm having problems with the prekindergartens (pre-K) and the kindergarten. Now I know with this next statement I am going to make a few people mad, BUT this is what I believe right now.

"4 year olds should not, and do not need to be riding a school bus"

OK! who's still with me, 1st off I was like those of you that disagree with me. I thought there is free transportation for my child (not the my children went to pre-K) to school so they should be riding the bus.

WRONG, School buses where not designed to accommodate 4 year olds. Some of them can't even step up on the 1st step with out mom's help and most of them don't know how to sit in a seat with out having a seat belt on they still ride in a car seat in the car but not a bus.. They don't understand that if the driver has to watch them in the mirror then they don't have their eyes on the road.

I am blessed with 5 little pre-k on my school bus, I have them all sitting in the seats right behind me so that I can keep them under control, Yeah right who am I kidding. Ok I know I've gone on to long just remember if you have a pre-K child you are better off taking them to school.

While I'm still on the subject of school buses, if you want your child to sit with a brother or sister then take them to school yourself, they can sit side-by-side in the back seat of the car, they will probably get along better for you than for me. Take it from me bus drivers hate it when dad/mom request where their child sits, and most of them have a seating chart and a full bus (3 to a seat). If the bus is full it is not always easy to move 1 or 2 to accommodate the wishes of every parent.

I know I'm the driver, Been There, Done That, and have the T-shirt. Now where's my DUCK tape.