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How young is too young to wait on a main road?
Answered 4 years ago
Due to a change in work circumstances I will have to be at work by 6am. Previously id been lucky enough to be able to start at 9am. The problem is my daughter, shes in yr 6 and it would mean she has to get herself up and fed, lunch packed, hair done and then stand on the busiest road (its a highway through town) and wait for the bus on her own, with no other children. I DONT feel comfortable about her standing on a main road at the same time everyday. If something happened to her i wouldnt know until the afternoon when she doesnt come home! Also i think its too big a responsible for a primary aged kid to be completely independent in the morning with no adult around.
My husband disagrees with me and think it will all be fine and she will have to learn to grow up etc. I dont want to be a parent who cotton wraps their kids but i also feel this isnt a good idea and i think i would panic everyday about her standing on the highway waiting for the bus. Tell me your thoughts on this please!
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ANSWER
4 years ago
I agree with you OP. It’s too young.
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4 years ago
Fuck off old post
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5 years ago
How old was Daniel Morcombe when he was snatched from a fairly busy road at around 4pm?
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5 years ago
Kids and adults have been snatched at all ages! We would never let our kids grow up if we continue to compare to these cases.
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4 years ago
13
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5 years ago
I feel the same as you. Some options take her to work with you until school drop off time, ask a friend to see if you can drop her there on your way to work, get her a phone watch so she can call you when she leaves the house until she gets on the bus and then arrives safe at school.
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5 years ago
OP here, thankyou for your replies, im glad to know im not being over protective. Yes she has a phone, but as stated above, if something happens a phone wont really help. Its a school bus but no other kids near us go to her school as we are actually out of the zoned area for that school, but shes in yr 6 so i dont want to pull her out in her last year.
She has cousins who go to her school, but i felt it was too big of an ask to get someone to drive over to our house to pick her up each morning (since our house if pretty far from the school and they mostly live within walking distance to it) My husband doesnt have any other ideas or solutions, other than the 'she'll be right' attittude. And i had someone set to come over every morning, (grandmother) but she has now bailed on me. Thanks again for your replies
She has cousins who go to her school, but i felt it was too big of an ask to get someone to drive over to our house to pick her up each morning (since our house if pretty far from the school and they mostly live within walking distance to it) My husband doesnt have any other ideas or solutions, other than the 'she'll be right' attittude. And i had someone set to come over every morning, (grandmother) but she has now bailed on me. Thanks again for your replies
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5 years ago
If the bus stop is close to your house perhaps there is a retired neigbbour or something that wouldn't mind a morning walk with her?
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5 years ago
Can you not just drop her to the cousins house on the way to work? Even if it’s early all they have to do is get up and let her in she could lay down on the couch or watch rv until they get up and then get ready there. Not a big ask. You could drop a loaf of bread over for the week or a box of cereal and a bottle of milk and then what is the big ask?? Then she’ll be able to walk to school together with cousins! Perfect!!!!
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5 years ago
Maybe there is a uni student or older person (kids left home or adults) around close by that you could pay to be at your house a couple mornings a week and take her to school? I have a daughter going into year 6 (shes on the older side of the age cut off) and she would be more than capable of getting ready etc but i dont like leaving her home alone and wouldn't feel comfortable about hrr standing on a busy hwy every day to catch a bus.
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5 years ago
I was in year 8, (14?) and my friend used to get dropped over to my house (was home alone mum had left for work) friend came about 8am and then we’d hang out and get ready for school and walk to school together at 850 since I lived close by the school. Was a good arrangement actually. Why not try an option similar? We weren’t close friends but it def brought us closer. I’m grateful I had that friend in my life then actually.
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5 years ago
By that age I was well and truly an independent child. I was used to spending entire days by myself moving freely about town, including the 2km walk to the shops, along the Pacific Highway. BUT that was back in (for year 6) 2001. Things were simpler then (God, it's happened. I've become one of those "back in my day" old fogies). I don't think I'll be letting my children out of my sight until they're at least 16. Sorry guys. Is there someone you know and live close to that could either stay with her in the mornings, or whos house she could go to for breakfast and the bus drop off?
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5 years ago
Daniel Morcombe was taken in 2003. Times weren’t simpler, these stories weren’t just pushed over and over by 24/7 news.
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5 years ago
Daniel was 13
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5 years ago
Hmm, I thought Daniel Morcombe was later than that.
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5 years ago
^ I've done a quick Google search for you. Went missing on 7th December 2003
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5 years ago
Aye, ta. Knew it couldn't have been 2001. I still stand by my initial advice though, about alternatives to sending her alone to the bus stop
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5 years ago
I wrote the above comment about Daniel Morcombe. Wasn’t disagreeing with you about the alternatives, was just stating that due to the 24/7 coverage we hear more of these stories than just on the 6 oclock news like we did back then.
The world has never been a safe place for vulnerable people, we are just more aware of it now and as such put safety measures in place.
The world has never been a safe place for vulnerable people, we are just more aware of it now and as such put safety measures in place.
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5 years ago
My daughter is the same age as yours, just started year 6. I wouldn't let her and we live in a small country town.
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5 years ago
My daughter is the same age too and there is no way I would leave her at home for hours and make her own way to school. I don't even think that I would feel comfortable leaving my 13 year old to catch a bus on a highway.
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5 years ago
I wouldn’t do it I think that’s too young & also against the law. Your work needs to be more understanding of your circumstances, you can’t even do before school care that early. No way, just no way.
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5 years ago
Daniel Morcombe
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5 years ago
Nope not in a million years. You can always get another job but if something was to happen to your daughter??
Ask a friend, a neighbour, family to help. Your husband isn’t thinking straight, yes she needs to grow up at some stage but that doesn’t mean throw her under a bus excuse the pun. Is there a school friend that lives near the school that you can drop her off on the way to work for a couple of hours? Exhaust every possible option, there has to be a better solution.
Ask a friend, a neighbour, family to help. Your husband isn’t thinking straight, yes she needs to grow up at some stage but that doesn’t mean throw her under a bus excuse the pun. Is there a school friend that lives near the school that you can drop her off on the way to work for a couple of hours? Exhaust every possible option, there has to be a better solution.
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5 years ago
I would never do it...no watch or gps will save her if a Pedo gets a hold of her, it could be too late.
I would’ve risk it (then again I watch crime documentaries every night lol)
I would’ve risk it (then again I watch crime documentaries every night lol)
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5 years ago
Exactly this. Can get A gps tracker all you like.. but once someone takes her and turns it off, then wht?
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5 years ago
In this day and age, no way. If some car drove through town and made her get in, you wouldn’t even think twice about the decision. Surely there is some type of before school care she can go in
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5 years ago
Is it a public bus or school bus? That would be what worries me. Having no other kids at the bus stop would be worrying too. Is there another bus stop where there are other kids which doesn't involve crossing the road? Does she have a phone? Maybe you could get her a phone with a tracker app so you can see if she gets on the bus ok and she can text you every time she is doing something, leaving the house now, on the bus, at school now.
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5 years ago
I don't know. My kids are year 5, 6+ 8 and have been catching bus or walking by themselves for years. But there's three of them, at least when they were younger they used to stay in a group. I think you would have to go by how mature she is.
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5 years ago
Get her a phone to message you as soon as she gets on the bus. Make sure she knows stranger danger. Get her taught some self defence.
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5 years ago
Seems too young... Mum's gut knows best.
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5 years ago
Ok if you have no other choice you can get her one of those watches that had the GPS and that she is able to text you throughout the route or when she gets on the bus and at school. If that doesn't help is there another mum in the area who could pick your daughter up and you pay her petrol, or maybe a responsible teenager with a car ?
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5 years ago
I agree with you