School Bell: To Catch the Bus..... or not

It all seems so simple. The bus comes at x o'clock and stops, your child hops on, and the school day begins. Oh, the first time you put your kindergartner on that first school bus it was tough.  Maybe there were tears [yours or theirs]. Maybe not. But soon the routine became just that.

Sometimes they were ready for the bus.  Sometimes they made a mad dash trailing coats half-on and sneakers half tied, to catch the bus before it rolled on without them.  Sometimes you probably gave them a mercy ride when they missed the bus or there was a problem.  When they are young it's part of the territory.

But now they are in middle school, or in high school and the choices get trickier.  What happens when they oversleep and they are old enough to be responsible for getting themselves up? What happens when they just prefer to sleep, or are too lazy to get up without umpteen calls? Do you make them walk? What about rain?

What if it is 2 degrees Fahrenheit and it is snowing?  What if they are deliberately sleeping in to get a ride? What if they just want to miss the first period of school?  So many possibilities.  Not so simple.  I recently made my 18 year old walk 2 miles to school in the cold, drab middle of winter after being warned repeatedly that if he wanted the rights of 18 he needed to take the responsibilities of being 18. Did it work?  He remembers.  The school remembers. [Yes, I had to deal with the call about him being late, and refusing to excuse him or drive him so that he would be on time.]

But, he has already said that the forecast is for much much colder weather next week.. "Will I have to walk even if it is that cold?" I remind him the new alarm clock works, and at 18 he is able to wake up and be ready in time. "Even penguins don't go out if it's that cold!'      Wish us luck!    

Image credits: postersguide.com, swankymoms.com,highroadism.com