Need some advice on school and the school bus and three year old...what would you do?

My son will be three in September. He was just approved to go to a speech / language preschool in Plainview, we're in Levittown. He has an expressive delay and would do wonderfully in this school I'm certain.

Question: The hours are 12:30 to 3:00. I have older ones that get out at 3:10, so he will have to take the bus home...but I'm thinking I should drive him to school each day myself. Part of me feels guilty putting him on the bus both ways and part of me thinks maybe I'm overreacting. I'm just worried since he is still so young and b/c of his speech delay it's not as if he can tell me exactly if he had a "bad" day.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Message edited 7/18/2008 9:40:01 PM.

Re: Need some advice on school and the school bus...what would you do?

That's a hard one. Would it be out of the way to drive him? You can also see how he reacts to the bus...if he gets upset or not.

Re: Need some advice on school and the school bus and young son...what would you do?

My son rode the bus from 3-5, as he also went to an EI preschool. He LOVED the bus! I think I cried that first day, but the driver was so nice! They always have an assistant and it's a little bus. They do have carseats and booster seats too.

Re: Need some advice on school and the school bus and three year old...what would you do?

Thank you that makes me feel better. Even though he's my third, it doesn't get any easier when they go to school.

Re: Need some advice on school and the school bus and three year old...what would you do?

My friend just put her 2.5 in an EI preschool and they started with him riding the bus home only for the first week. then the next week he took it there and back. We thought there would be crying, but he is doing awesome at it.

Re: Need some advice on school and the school bus and three year old...what would you do?

My daughter started going to center based EI when she was 20 months...I drove her there and back for a bit and by the time she was 2 she was taking the bus. We actually would have had a better transition had I just put her on the bus to begin with.

Re: Need some advice on school and the school bus and three year old...what would you do?

Thanks everyone for all the advice!