Baby on a school bus?

[cabbagecabbage]

I'm trying to decide if I'm comfortable attending the preschool field trip. My four-year-old wants to go. It's a day at the pumpkin farm with your family. I'd be required to ride in a school bus with my then 3 month old. I can't leave anything on the bus. So...oprtons are:

Strap baby in carseat and pray I can somehow install it on a rental school bus Then I'm forced to bring big stroller to click into it. For a farm. I hate the stroller.

Wear baby, which is my preference for ease and comfort, on a bus.

Skip the outing.

No one else can take the baby. No one else can attend with the big kid. It's the three of us or nothing. I'm going to ask her teacher how they handle infant seats today because they do this yearly.


This feels like I need to skip, right? I hate that.

[verypunny]

Can you drive and meet them there?

[nikki25]

I would drive to my DD'S outings and meet them there as I had the twins. Stay with them and drive home. Worked out perfectly.

[cabbagecabbage]

Sept 29, 2016 10:11:07 GMT -5 verypunny said:

Can you drive and meet them there?

They won't let us. () It's almost an hour away.

[hocus2]

I would look into driving as well since the bus seems like it won't work out. Do you have to go? I've been through prek twice and we never had 1 to 1 parent kid ratios on trips. Usually they'd have 5 parents + teachers for 20 kids.

[cabbagecabbage]

On the flier and permission slip it explicitly states children must attend with a parent or adult chaperone and that you're required to take the bus to enter together as a group.

But I'm still going to check.

[glynn]

I would strap the baby on and go. The baby is just as safe as you and your other child.

[MixedBerryJam]

What would the cost be to go, but pay a separate entrance fee for your kids and you? Then you could just meet up with them inside. She gets her fun field trip family day, you get none of the stress of asking for exceptions to the bus rules/safety concerns about wearing the baby on the bus, etc. Personally, I'd pay a pretty penny not to have to ride an hour on a bus with a preschool class.

[mekia]

I don't understand why you'd not be allowed to drive. Can you talk to them and tell them you have a 3 month old and need to use the car seat?

[thatgirl2478]

Sept 29, 2016 10:21:30 GMT -5 cabbagecabbage said:

On the flier and permission slip it explicitly states children must attend with a parent or adult chaperone and that you're required to take the bus to enter together as a group.

But I'm still going to check.

Can anyone else go with your 4yr old?

I am 99% sure that there isn't a way to secure a car seat on a bus since they don't have seat belts (at least none of the ones I've seen do).

Apparently school buses are actually really safe - even without seat belts www.today.com/parents/why-your-childs-school-bus-has-no-seat-belts-2D80555438 .

According to the car seat lady if you can't install a car seat properly you should wear the baby.  thecarseatlady.com/buses-and-trains/Save

[fivechickens]

Sept 29, 2016 10:21:30 GMT -5 cabbagecabbage said:

On the flier and permission slip it explicitly states children must attend with a parent or adult chaperone and that you're required to take the bus to enter together as a group.

But I'm still going to check.

I always drove my kids on field trips eveb when they took a bus. I mean, they can't not let you drive.

[kris356]

Unless you are taking a small bus, you cannot put carseats in a bus (small buses are more equipped to handle younger students and special needs so they often have seatbelts).

I agree that I would either wear the baby or not go.

[hopecounts]

I would check with the teacher.
An exception may be made for you and baby (or you and your 4yr old and baby) to meet them there given the specifics.
If not then I would either wear baby on bus (wouldn't love it but would be OK with it)
Or keep DD home and meet the school there with all three of you and pay to go in and join them.

[Que?]

People ride the bus all the time while wearing babies. What do you think city folk do when they take public transportation? Your four year old is also not belted into the school bus seat...? Why is this hard?

[hopecounts]

Sept 29, 2016 10:42:08 GMT -5 Que? said:

People ride the bus all the time while wearing babies. What do you think city folk do when they take public transportation? Your four year old is also not belted into the school bus seat...? Why is this hard?

Those of us who don't have public transport aren't use to it so it seems odd when usually using a car seat is a unity horse.

[Que?]

Sept 29, 2016 10:43:09 GMT -5 hopecounts said:

Sept 29, 2016 10:42:08 GMT -5 Que? said:

People ride the bus all the time while wearing babies. What do you think city folk do when they take public transportation? Your four year old is also not belted into the school bus seat...? Why is this hard?

Those of us who don't have public transport aren't use to it so it seems odd when usually using a car seat is a unity horse.

It still isn't hard. Ask for special permission? Circumvent the rules altogether? Lol. Just get on the bus or don't.

[hopecounts]

Sept 29, 2016 10:45:35 GMT -5 Que? said:

Sept 29, 2016 10:43:09 GMT -5 hopecounts said:

Those of us who don't have public transport aren't use to it so it seems odd when usually using a car seat is a unity horse.

It still isn't hard. Ask for special permission? Circumvent the rules altogether? Lol. Just get on the bus or don't.

I think she is looking for reassurance that she isn't a bad mom if baby isn't in a car seat on the bus and it's ok to just wear baby and go.

[chchchia]

You have a baby? Look at you, you have a baby? On a school bus?

[Deleted]

Wearing a baby on a bus is perfectly okay. I would go.

[brooklyn]

I would wear the baby

[textbookcase]

Wear the baby.

[cabbagecabbage]

I am not trying to be a special snowflake here. I'm trying to get feedback from other moms.

[fivechickens]

Why is it so hard to understand that those of us who don't use public transportation might not feel comfortable with this or might question how safe it is?

[isabel]

I would say fuck it and drive myself regardless of what they say. If there's room to park a bus, there's room for your car. I think bringing an infant is a reasonable reason to make an exception.

That said, if they are really going to force the bus thing, I would just wear the baby.

[cabbagecabbage]

Thanks, everyone. I will do some more reading but it appears babywearing on a bus is safer than I thought. I'm going to go with that plan. I should he googled it first instead of assuming.

[cinco]

I would wear the baby.
ETA: oops, I responded at the same time you did

[leshoequeen]

You might want to check with the school. I just went on a field trip as a chaperone with DD yesterday and on the form we received there was a note specifically saying that other siblings are not allowed to ride the bus.

[cabbagecabbage]

Sept 29, 2016 15:06:54 GMT -5 leshoequeen said:

You might want to check with the school. I just went on a field trip as a chaperone with DD yesterday and on the form we received there was a note specifically saying that other siblings are not allowed to ride the bus.

This is a family outing thing and siblings are invited. There's even a place on the slip to check for number of attendees and a seperate line for children under 1 year old (they're free) but otherwise that's a good reminder.

[tacom]

Wear the baby. Buses, particularly city and school buses, blow cars out of the water when it comes to safety.