Some students are excited about hopping onto a big, yellow school bus right from the get-go. Others may be more hesitant to participate in a travel experience they are not used to. Help your student feel more comfortable and confident on their way to and from school.
Riding in a school bus can be an intimidating experience for some children, especially if they have never done it before. However, we believe every student should be able to feel safe and comfortable on their trips to and from school.
Here are a few tips to help the kids in your life be more enthusiastic about bus travel -- and maybe even look forward to it each day!
Talk Through The Process
Before anything else, your child must understand what will happen throughout their traveling experience. Discussing the ride step-by-step will help them feel more at ease about boarding, sitting through the ride, and arriving at their destination.
Read About It
We can learn just about anything by reading. What better way to prepare for the bus riding experience than incorporating it into the comfort of your nightly bedtime story? You may consider picking up a book about school buses to help your child understand what to expect in an easily digestible way.
Tour the Route
To reduce the uncertainty of the trip, try driving the typical bus route your child will follow so they may feel more secure about where they're going. Point out familiar spots and recognizable landmarks they will pass by, such as their favorite park or a relative's house.
Find a Buddy
We often feel more comfortable in new situations when we have another person to keep us company. If your student has an older sibling or neighbor, or even a friend who lives along the route, help them plan to connect with the individual each day so they can tackle the ride together.
Pack a Book
A great way to make bus rides less daunting is to keep kids occupied throughout the trip by having something to read. Student Transit is proud to support a book program on our buses, allowing students to borrow them for the ride.
Take a Walk-Through
Some schools allow students to check out the buses in person during orientation. If your child can explore the vehicle before riding, it will allow them to acclimate to the environment during their first ride.
Address Concerns
As with any situation where an individual may have some reservations, acknowledging any pre-existing worries may help reduce anxiety, allow your child to ask questions about riding the bus, and work together to create a plan for any concerns.
Be Excited
Children are often our mirrors who reflect what they see from us. As your students' trusted adults, showing enthusiasm for riding the bus will help them feel more excited about the experience.
Here at Student Transit, we love having the opportunity to transport your most precious cargo to and from school each day, and we hope that, even if it takes a little extra preparation, they love the experience just as much.
If you would like to make an even more significant impact in creating positive bus-riding experiences for students, consider joining our team as a bus driver.
