When my wife and I were kids this was normal now it is abuse?

[SheilaT]

62. When I was in kindergarten in the mid-50's,

I attended a Catholic School, not the local public school, which was a block from where we lived. Kindergarten was a half day, so I rode the public bus home by myself. Depending on which bus I caught, I either got off a block from home, or about a half mile from home. At the very beginning of the year the bus drivers were a bit startled to see me getting on by myself. I was small for my age, so I probably looked like I was 3 or 4, not the 5 that I was. After a few weeks the regular drivers on the run knew me. In the beginning they sometimes wouldn't stop to let me on, apparently not convinced that a tiny child was really waiting at the bus stop for the indicated purpose. I recall one time, two busses in a row passing me up, and my older brother, who could see me waiting there while he was at the noon recess, came over and made sure the next bus stopped and let me on. He was all of 11 himself, but I recall he more or less read the riot act to the bus driver.

Long before the more protective era came about, I marveled that I could ride the public bus by myself at so young an age.

The next year my younger brother was in kindergarten, and it was his turn to take the bus home by himself.