Teach Your Child School Bus Safety

Make sure your child understands that a school bus is not a place for him to play around. Explain to your child that riding on a school bus is much like riding in a car and that he must follow certain rules to make him and the other kids safe on the bus. Tell your child that he needs to stay seated at all times when the bus is moving and not get up to get off the school bus until it has come to a complete stop. Be sure he understands this concept in it's entirety to keep him safe.

Tell your child that the school bus driver has a very important job of getting all the children to school safely. Explain that this means your child must listen to the school bus driver at all times and never talk back to him. Make sure your child understands that loud noises and yelling can distract the school bus driver and cause accidents. Reinforce that your child needs to talk in his quiet indoor voice and never make sudden movements or loud commotion that could cause the school bus driver to become distracted.

Tell your child to stay away from other children on the bus that are mean or annoying. Sometimes children will find that they get picked on on the school bus or are peer pressured into misbehaving. Explain that other children who act out are only causing the school bus driver more trouble and the less he becomes involved in their behaviors, the better he'll be helping to encourage school bus safety. If your child is unable to get away from children who are mistreating him on the school bus, have him talk to the school bus driver, tell a teacher, or you, the parent, who can talk to authorities for your child.

Help your child be safe on the school bus by having him encourage his friends and other children to act appropriately on the school bus. When your child behaves well on the school bus and listens, other children will hopefully see this and follow his example. Tell your child that he can help keep others safe on the school bus by asking them to lower their voices, sit down, or play a quiet game. Although this needn't be the responsibility of your child, but it will teach him to help others be safe, while encouraging him to take on a more independent role in his own safety.