school bus = total failure

JillAly

All the kids entering kindergarten in the fall went to the elementary school today for a lesson on school bus safety and then got to ride on the school bus.  My son was so excited to go - he talked about it for days.  Then he completely freaked out.  Why?  They showed the kids a movie about safety before getting on the bus.  Half of it was showing them the "danger zones".  How they could be crushed by a wheel or run over by cars that don't stop.  My son was so freaked out he started hysterically crying and wouldn't get on the bus.  One other kid there had the same reaction but all the other kids were fine. 

Anyone been through this kind of thing?  I know it was new but now my son is saying he won't go on the bus in September.  I know it's far away in 4 year old time but my son has a really, really, long memory.  He remembers stuff from when he was little that constantly shocks me (that he can remember those things) so I really think he'll remember the fear of today. 

And I'm peeved because I took a day off of work for the bus ride and he didn't go.  But it's about him, not me.  I'm trying to remember that!

neverblushed

I had a similar thing happen at my son's K orientation.  The dumb bus driver took that opportunity to ramble on about far more emergency procedures than the 5 year olds entering kindergarten needed to hear!   He was mostly trying to reassure the parents that safety procedures existed, but what my son picked up on was "this bus must be dangerous!"

What helped in my case was the fact that his big sister had gotten on and off a school bus safely for several years before him.  So he had "proof" that the bus was no big deal, and I enlisted her to help reassure him.  

Maybe an older friend could be a good source of info about how fun the bus actually is? 

JillAly

neverblushed:

I had a similar thing happen at my son's K orientation.  The dumb bus driver took that opportunity to ramble on about far more emergency procedures than the 5 year olds entering kindergarten needed to hear!   He was mostly trying to reassure the parents that safety procedures existed, but what my son picked up on was "this bus must be dangerous!"

What helped in my case was the fact that his big sister had gotten on and off a school bus safely for several years before him.  So he had "proof" that the bus was no big deal, and I enlisted her to help reassure him.  

Maybe an older friend could be a good source of info about how fun the bus actually is? 

That's a great idea.  I don't know why they don't understand how they can scare a little kid- they're teachers- they're supposed to know!