Geetle was distressed this morning because there’s a 4th grade boy at the bus stop that skips to the front of the line and gets on first every day, thereby claiming the prized “one person seat.” She says that the kids on the bus tell him its not fair and that he literally growls at them.
I have made small talk with his mother at the bus stop over the past few months. He has been skipping in line since the first day of school and she always told him to go to the back. But lately she has not been coming to the bus stop in the morning and he is unsupervised.
I saw him this morning and he skipped again. I got out of the car and went up to him and asked him if he had skipped; he said “yes”. I asked him to move back to his place in line and he said “no” and walked right past me on to the bus.
So, what’s my play here?
I know from making small talk with his mom that he is on medication for one thing or another (ADD/ADHD?) I also know that she is divorced and struggles with him. Just interacting with him for 30 seconds today I can tell he is troubled.
So, do I call up his Mom and tell her that he is not following social etiquette at the bus stop? Seems petty, but when she used to come to the bus stop she yelled at him for the same thing he is doing now. Geetle is not the only kid that complains about it. And he is really being a jerk.
But, on the flip side…he clearly has issues that transcend the bus stop. I’m sure his Mother has plenty of things to worry about.
But on the flipped flip side, if Pookie was doing something wrong at the bus stop, I would want to know.
But on the flippety flip flipped side, who am I to criticize some body else’s kid when mine might someday need the benefit of the doubt.
Any thoughts?
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d lean toward sending an email or a note to the mom with a “just thought you should know” tone. non-confrontational but gives her the info you would want if it was your kid. maybe include something to the effect of “if you want me to try correct him in the future, please feel free to let me know, but if I don’t hear from you I’ll assume you’d prefer for me to butt out”
Does he have a sibling watching all this go on? Or a neighbor kid. Mayber they would tell the Mom. What about if you stood first in line and when the bus pulls up you allow the appropriate person on first . I suggest that it not be Geetle . Or somehow get that seat filled before he can get it. I don’t know how you would do it but perhaps you can think of a way. Would the bus driver cooperate? Love MOM
Could you convince the others that they should want him in a seat by himself?
He does have a sister that is 1-2 years older, but she is quiet and seems to want to ignore him. I have told Geetle that some people are just jerks and we should talk to them about their behavior nicely, but if they insist on continuing, we should just walk away and let them be jerks alone. BAGD says what our bus stop needs is a good old fashioned bully, you know, to bully the bully. He says that if we had some 5-6th grade boys worth their salt, this 4th grade jerk would not be pulling this crap. Unfortunately, all the kids at our bus stop (except the jerk) are really nice and well-behaved.
I watched him do it again this morning, walk right past 8 kids and stand at the front of the line. I may have to approach his Mother. But what worries me is that it will be a burden on her. He is not the kind of kid to be afraid that someone will tattle to his Mother. I don’t think he will behave unless she is at the bus stop every morning…and even then maybe not.
At the end of the day, line skipping is not a huge deal, I know. But this kid is troubled on a lot of levels.
I’ve never ridden a bus or had a kid ride the bus versus walking, but I was under the impression that there were bus drivers and they were scary folks who had an authoritarian hold? If the kid will admit to cutting, could that person ask?
The bus driver said he has already told the kid. This kid is a real jerk and not afraid of grown ups. He is supposed to be afraid of grown ups! LOL!
I agree with the comment about convincing the others that they want him to sit alone. While I wouldn’t feel good about him always getting what he wants, but he seems like enough of a jerk to be a problem to whoever he ended up sitting by. If he gets the seat to himself, his mom doesn’t have to baby-sit him at the bus stop in the morning, and his behavior does not rub off on all the nice well-behaved kids. I’m sure this is crappy advice, but this is a tough one!