Note on Past Meltdown

HistoryBoy doesn't want to ride the school bus. He rode it the first day to school and he rides it home but I CANNOT get him to ride it TO school in the morning, no matter how early we are ready. I fight to get him out the door. I have found I cannot mention the bus. If I just say I am going to take him to school, there is not a problem. However, if I say, it is time to head to the bus, we head toward meltdown city or at the very least make a stop in stubborn town, where nothing goes the way it is supposed to in the morning.

For example, if I need him to be dressed now, he will purposely undress and shower, even though he had his shower last night. He swears he didn't get all the "stink" off last night and needs to wash again. I was in the kitchen making breakfast when he pulled this fast one so I yell for him to make is VERY fast because it is time to leave NOW. I toss a towel into the bathroom and his clothes in there as well. He FINALLY gets out, BUT he no longer want to wear THOSE clothes. He has to wear different clothes.

He is FINALLY FINALLY dressed and we are out the door to school when he decides to talk to me about the bus. He doesn't sit with his friends and he doesn't like it. He doesn't feel safe like he did before. Is anyone picking on you? "No, but no one talks to me either" And there it is. He feels isolated away from friends on the bus. The are only a few seats away but they might as well be miles as far as he is concerned. He can't yell on the bus to them and he won't bother the boys in front of him because of past issues with them. He tolerates it on the way home from school because he is coming home to me, but on the way to school, he just can't do it.

I put a word into the teacher. Have to see if it helps. I don't want him to feel overwhelmed on the bus to school. He needs to feel safe on the bus to school. He should be able to choose where he sits and not be randomly told to sit with the boys, (who he hasn't gotten along with in the past) Have to see what tomorrow brings.