| Do you ferry your kids to and from school? | |
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| Oct 22, 2012 03:53 |   |
 | Every morning I encounter traffic jam when the public bus passes by the middle school I have seen too many times. This isn’t over. Many parents drive their kids from home to school and then pick them up after school. No matter how old their kids are, they ferry them to and from school every day. Why do they do this if their kids can go to school and come back on their own? Some Chinese parents answer “We are afraid that our kids do not go to school and come back on time. On the other hand, we are worried about their safety. You know, there are too many cars and buses on the streets. It’s too dangerous. ” Dangerous? Can’t a 17 years old boy forget how to get back home by bus? I don’t believe it. In your country, do you ferry your kids to and from school even though he is 17 years old? |
| Oct 22, 2012 21:44 | #1 |
| Lonely, My friends have the same trouble like you. Recently, she has been late for work four times. She told me that the public bus she uses passes by a famous middle school. Those who send their kids to that school must be rich because the school charges a lot of money. The rich people definitely have their cars. Thus, they ferry their kids to and from school every day. There is a traffic police who direct the traffic. But the parents stop their cars randomly. It is difficult for the public bus to pass by the school gate easily. |
| Oct 29, 2012 15:22 | #2 |
| Many parents feel it's their responsibility to send and pick up their children, even in colleges and universities. Some students feel proud to have their parents to pick them up at the school gate. Wan |
| Oct 29, 2012 21:42 | #3 |
| Quote:Originally Posted by WANHU Many parents feel it's their responsibility to send and pick up their children, even in colleges and universities. Some students feel proud to have their parents to pick them up at the school gate.Wan But they forget that their kids are growing to be adults. I am wondering if the parents will pick up their kids when their kids graduate and work every day. The flower in the greenhouse can die easily if it is taken out of the greenhouse. |
| Oct 29, 2012 21:58 | #4 |
| GUESTHELENNA | Well, lonely J. you gotta be fair. why do u connect this to Chinese again. On the contrary, I see lots of whites ferry their children back and forth between school and home! If public transportation's available, then take it. The bonus for them is that walking home in group with saved fares for enjoying hamburgers at Mcdonalds on their way home... |
| Nov 5, 2012 09:45 | #5 |
| Picking up children has nothing to do with independence or dependence. Instead of them taking a taxi or bus, why not share the vehicle and save money. Further, we can see the family members are moving apart and become individuals. I'd love if my children can pick me up from my office/work, will I be a wilted flower by doing that? People think today, by giving money to parents or children are enough they know what to do because they are old enough to think, but we seldom look at family as an institution, the feeling of closeness. I always look at the other side of the coin. Wan |
| Nov 5, 2012 20:44 | #6 |
| Quote:Originally Posted by GUESTHELENNA Well, I just think that foreign countries have their school buses. So their parents needn't worry about whether they need to ferry their kids to school and back home on their own. |
| Nov 5, 2012 20:50 | #7 |
| Quote:Originally Posted by BBQQ But they forget that their kids are growing to be adults. I am wondering if the parents will pick up their kids when their kids graduate and work every day. The flower in the greenhouse can die easily if it is taken out of the greenhouse. I am with you, BBQQ. When they are young, parents can ferry them to school and take them back home. When they are old enough to take care of themselves, they'd better go to school on their own. I know that some parents are worried about their kids' safety. But can they protect their kids for life? Definitely not. Better teach them how to cope with emergent situations. |
| Nov 5, 2012 21:01 | #8 |
| Wan, I appreciate your opinion on this. Ferrying kids to school and picking them up back home have some advantages. But there are some side-effects too. Your kids migh rely too much on you. As I said, it is ok to do it when they are young. When they are old enough, they can go to school and get back on their own. Last Saturday, I saw a little girl on a public bus. She was alone. I guess she was in fourth or fifth grade in primary school. There was no empty seat on the bus when she got on the bus. You know what she did? She looked around for a second and sat on the tool box behind the driver and then started to eat her snacks. Suddenly, her cellphone ringed. She answered the cellphone and I heard some words. She said "The class is over and I am on the bus. I will be back in 15 minutes." I guess the phone call was from her parent. The little girl got off the bus two stops earlier than me. Honestly, I was impressed by this little girl. She attended the training class and got back home on her own. Really an independent girl. |
| Nov 27, 2012 20:22 | #9 |
| GUEST17115 | In the USA, it's a common practice to bring children to school and pick them up by car. Some of the alternatives are not that good, reliable or safe. |
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