{first day on the bus}
If you know Luke well, you know that he can be a bit of a worrier. He doesn't love new situations and he sometimes has to be prodded a little to try new things.
I wonder where in the world he could have picked up some of these traits?
So recognizing this about Luke, you might understand that it was kind of a big deal for him to ride the bus home from school today. In kindergarten I picked him up each day, so this was an entirely new experience.
His school is massive and there are ten bus lines that run each day. He was worried about getting on the wrong bus, so I gave him a cheat sheet with his bus number and his stop intersection. I talked him through what it would be like to leave his classroom and follow the students to the bus pick up line. I told him to find the bus with his number on it and then get on and find a seat up front near the driver. I told him that the bus would then be heading to the intermediate school and he would see Gracie get on. I told him it would stop often and that he should be careful to watch for our stop so that he didn't miss it, especially this first week. We talked through it all and it seemed to comfort him a little.
I was nervous for both of the kids today at dismissal time. (Though Gracie rode the bus last year, she is at a new school and things were different for her too.) Drew, Kate, and I waited for the bus to pull up and I was a little fearful that one of the kids would not be on it. I had my cell phone and keys in my pocket in case we needed to hop in the van to pick someone up at school.
As I saw the big yellow bus headed toward us, I saw two things in the front window- the driver and Luke. The bus pulled to a stop and Luke was right there at the doors with a determined and sightly anxious look on his face. I saw the driver say something to him and then the doors opened. Luke stepped out looking really embarrassed and walked towards our house. The bus driver said to me, "Please tell your little boy that if he stands there again, he could go through the windshield."
My literal Luke had listened so closely to my warning that he pay attention to not miss his stop that as he recognized our house was approaching, he got up from his seat and went to wait by the bus doors. It was completely unsafe, of course, but also pretty funny. He was acting as if his elementary school bus was more like the New York City subway.
Evidently the driver did not go over bus safety rules- Gracie verified this- and since Luke had never been on a school bus before, he really didn't know what a safety rule he was breaking. We had a quick chat about staying safe on the bus and he assured me it won't happen again.
There were lots of other first day moments today and the kids shared a few stories, but mostly they got home kind of worn out and crabby. I think the beginning of a new year can just be a little exhausting. I feel bad for them that their first week of school is a full five-day week; they will really be ready for a weekend come Friday!
I wonder where in the world he could have picked up some of these traits?
So recognizing this about Luke, you might understand that it was kind of a big deal for him to ride the bus home from school today. In kindergarten I picked him up each day, so this was an entirely new experience.
His school is massive and there are ten bus lines that run each day. He was worried about getting on the wrong bus, so I gave him a cheat sheet with his bus number and his stop intersection. I talked him through what it would be like to leave his classroom and follow the students to the bus pick up line. I told him to find the bus with his number on it and then get on and find a seat up front near the driver. I told him that the bus would then be heading to the intermediate school and he would see Gracie get on. I told him it would stop often and that he should be careful to watch for our stop so that he didn't miss it, especially this first week. We talked through it all and it seemed to comfort him a little.
I was nervous for both of the kids today at dismissal time. (Though Gracie rode the bus last year, she is at a new school and things were different for her too.) Drew, Kate, and I waited for the bus to pull up and I was a little fearful that one of the kids would not be on it. I had my cell phone and keys in my pocket in case we needed to hop in the van to pick someone up at school.
As I saw the big yellow bus headed toward us, I saw two things in the front window- the driver and Luke. The bus pulled to a stop and Luke was right there at the doors with a determined and sightly anxious look on his face. I saw the driver say something to him and then the doors opened. Luke stepped out looking really embarrassed and walked towards our house. The bus driver said to me, "Please tell your little boy that if he stands there again, he could go through the windshield."
My literal Luke had listened so closely to my warning that he pay attention to not miss his stop that as he recognized our house was approaching, he got up from his seat and went to wait by the bus doors. It was completely unsafe, of course, but also pretty funny. He was acting as if his elementary school bus was more like the New York City subway.
Evidently the driver did not go over bus safety rules- Gracie verified this- and since Luke had never been on a school bus before, he really didn't know what a safety rule he was breaking. We had a quick chat about staying safe on the bus and he assured me it won't happen again.
There were lots of other first day moments today and the kids shared a few stories, but mostly they got home kind of worn out and crabby. I think the beginning of a new year can just be a little exhausting. I feel bad for them that their first week of school is a full five-day week; they will really be ready for a weekend come Friday!
Comments
Bridget, you are right- he hates when he breaks a rule. I have no doubt that he will be firmly planted in his seat while the bus is moving from this day forward! :)