Southington Speaks Up: Do You Wait with Your Child at the Bus Stop?

Inspired by a drive up Route 32 earlier this week, during which one Patch editor saw very few unattended students waiting to be picked up for school, Patch asked parents, 'do you walk with your kids to the bus stop?' 

Well, Southington has answered! 

According to the Southington Facebook page, it seems that parents are split on the issue.

Here's what Southington parents had to say: 

•  "Yes, I wait with my child.. Times are very different and you can't be too cautious. I have a kindergartener and a second grader. We have to go to the end of our street, but even if we only had to go to the end of our driveway I would still go with them."
  
• "I did until middle school, then it's not "cool" anymore (and the fact that my 8th grader just makes the bus with no time to spare every day!)"
• "Yes I do also."
• "Well..my hometown Southington, back in 1960's school was walkable from Berlin Ave to North Center School (across from DellaVecchia funeral home) but I recall my mom walking with us many times or us three kids stayed together. Now in Florida 18years, my own son freshman in HS, just luck both Middle & High schools built in '98 at each end of our street! Bus stop was in front of house or moved close to and I still waited by since '03, he'd rather walk now, remembers the bullies on bus in elem. school."
• "helicopter parents"
• "es I do walk them. I've heard way to many stories in which the child's last words were" Mommy, just once can I walk to the bus stop on my own?" I don't care if these are rare events....our children must be protected as much as possible."
• "Always wait with my kids!! Both schools!! Too many perverts out there, not to mention the fact that at least once a day a car drives through a stopped bus in our front yard!  We also live on a very busy road"
  
• "We have a first grader and have to walk a few houses down to the corner and cross the street for our bus stop. One of us always goes with him. We also went with our older boys until about third grade or so. The main reason is because people drive way too fast and don't stop at the stop sign on Annelise. They blow right through it, even with a group of kids and adults standing there for the bus. We've reported it to the police over the years, and they even finally came once, but nothing gets done about it."
• "Everyday... daddy gets the kids on the bus in the morning and I (mom) get them off the bus every afternoon. If we were not on a very busy main road maybe we might be more flexible. Unfortunately we lost our dog on my road to a speeding car and I am certainly not about to take a chance of losing a child..."
• " We are fortunate that the bused actually comes down our street. For elementary school the pick up is right next door and middle school picks up at our driveway. No need to drive anywhere, but we do not wait with them or wait for the bus to drop them off either and never have."
• "As a child I walked to school myself because it was right around the corner. Today, I have a Home Day Care and the bus stop is right in my driveway. I still wait with the kids for the bus, going on 24 yrs! With today's horrifying child abductions (as the one that almost happened in Bristol) no parent/child or provider can be too safe."
• " As a kindergardener I walked by myself to school, two blocks away (an had to cross a busy street with a crossing guard to do it), but with my kids (8 and 10) I wait, mainly because there are no sidewalks and cars are a serious issue. If there were sidewalks, I'd probably rethink my need to be there, especially as there are neighborhors waiting with their kids too."