I am a child safety instructor www.savvyparentssafekids.com and I tell parents all the time, it is our JOB as adults to help our kids safely navigate their world. This means, landing our "parental helicopters" and getting kids out into the world and experiencing real life..including riding the bus and walking to school and doing "normal" activities. I believe the most important thing parents can do is to give their kids good common safety sense. Talk about what to do "if" they need help, consider a cell phone and check in with them about their experiences on the bus. I am sure some GREAT conversations will come out of it. Parents will obviously have to figure out if there are off limit areas of town, but with guidance, riding the bus is a great way to help older kids be more independent!

I'm a parent and rather than "I started riding the bus when..." statements, I can share that my 16 year old has been Metro bussing to high school since her freshman year with no hiccups. If your kids are SPS high school students, they'll get ORCA cards rather than a yellow bus assignment to get to school so 14 is seen as an appropriate age by the district. I love that my daughter has figured out how to use Metro's Trip Planner, has general knowledge of what routes take her where and can get herself to orthodontic and other types of routine appointment without me leaving work mid-day. Statistically speaking, it's far more dangerous for the kids to be in my car with me behind the wheel than on the bus and will be exponentially more dangerous once my 16 year old has her permit and starts learning to the drive. Me tooling around the two lane roads of South King County in a '74 Ford Courier with no shoulder belt or air bags at 50 mph on a regular basis during the early '80s was a far, far more dangerous thing to do than take Metro.

I grew up in the burbs of CA, TX & then in Redmond, WA. So the first time I was on a bus from Redmond to Seattle, with my 11 year old brother in tow, to meet my mom for lunch she gave us orders to tell the bus driver where we were going and that we were meeting our mom. We were both a little nervous and scared but also excited at the prospect of traveling like adults (yeah, that excitement soon wears off) and it went off fine.

Instruct your kids on the basics of safety and it should be just fine (and a 15 year old has already got to be feeling like he or she is an adult, I can't imagine that kid hasn't already been on a bus!)

The other answers are excellent. I wanted to add that as a young woman in my 20s when I first came to Seattle, I did experience sexual harassment on the buses several times. I think it is important to talk through different conflict scenarios with your kids to help give them some ideas about how to handle: random crazy people, drug dealers, people trying to pick a fight with anyone, sexual harassment. Solutions could be don't respond, move your seat (especially before it becomes an issue), talk to the bus driver, get off the bus and take the next one.

The book Protecting the Gift is a good one for parent to read about keeping safe, and you can share sections with your kids as you see fit.

My parents got sick of dropping me off at the comic book store and showed me how to bus it when I was 12 or 13.

I also, won't expand on the excellent answers already provided by others, but I will share that I was 14 when I got the green light from mom and dad to ride "Joe."

We used to call it "Joe Metro" or "Joe" for short. As in, I'm getting a ride with "Joe." I doubt kids still call it that. But yeah, I was 14.

I won't try to expand on the good comments already posted, but I'll just say that I started riding Metro at 9, with a 10 year old friend. We'd take the bus to the scary and alluring "Ave", where, it seemed, all kinds of magical and fantastic adult things could happen... Anyway, we survived. My friend's mom's advice was: "Don't make eye contact with random people." It served us well.

I started taking the bus around by myself when I was 11. I lived in Spokane, where the buses were (and are) populated mostly by the homeless, drug addicts, and hooligan teens because the bus system is so crappy that anyone who has a job and a stable life can't count on the bus for transportation. I never had a major problem in Spokane, so I can make the educated guess that your children won't have any in Seattle, where at least half the bus riding population is made up of students and work commuters. I almost always feel safe on Seattle's buses regardless of the area or time of day simply because there are always plenty of other sane, polite, and sober folks on the bus with me.

I would lay some basic ground rules- the kids let you know where they're going and when they're going to be back, they don't take the bus to areas that aren't safe or are unfamiliar to them (it can be pretty easy to get turned around on the bus if you're young and not familiar with your destination), and they don't take buses at night. Your 15 year old is probably quite old enough to take evening buses but I would still suggest that he or she only ride after dark if accompanied by friends. Before you let the kids take off on the bus system by themselves, I would give them a little preparation: Teach the kids how to read a paper schedule and get them copies of the route schedules they'll be riding the most for their backpacks (Seattle stops often have the schedules ripped down or spray-painted over). Do a "dry run" where you go with them on a single ride for the route they're going to start riding alone (home to school, for example). Run over the basics of bus procedure (when to pay, how to pay, when and how to signal you need a stop, changing seats for elderly or disabled riders, etc.).   Finally, have a quick talk with the kids about avoiding trouble- don't talk to strangers on the bus, move away if you see someone behaving inappropriately- yelling, getting physically or verbally aggressive, drinking alcohol, etc., sit on the outside of a seat if you're traveling alone and there are plenty of open seats on the bus (keeps creepers from sitting down next to you and penning you into the window seat), move toward the driver and feel free to ask him or her for help if someone is paying unwanted attention to you, etc. Make sure the kids know to call you if they feel uncomfortable (often getting on the phone can deter people who are behaving inappropriately towards you).

With basic bus etiquette and a good understanding of schedules and routes, I think your kids will be fine traveling on Metro.  

So, I have another (slightly tangetial) suggestion: have you considered taking a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course?

I mention this because these courses are geared towards handling accidents in remote areas where help is hours or days away. The standard for regular first aid is to be able to provide urgent care for ten minutes -- the amount of time it will take an ambulance to get to your location and take over. If you are in a very remote area, you may find yourself in the position of caring for someone in critical condition for hours before you can get to help. This is an example course: http://www.remotemedical.com/wilderness-medicine-training/Wilderness-First-Responder-WFR

As for the question at hand, though you are not legally licensed to give medication, you will typically be protected under good samaritan laws. (And consent is implied once a victim is unconscious.) You could certainly try to get an epipen jr., but given that these medications DO expire, it's more important that you keep the regular epipen on hand, as well as lots of benadryl. With any epinephrine shot, you only buy about 15 minutes before the anaphylactic reaction will start up again -- you MUST administer benadryl a the same time as the shot, and keep administering it until you get to the hospital.

Again, taking a WFR or WFA course will review not only strategies for keeping people alive in remote areas, but discuss in detail how to negotiate thorny legal issues of providing care in emergency situations.

Thumbs up to Fnarf. He's totally dead-on. I started taking Metro - alone - to and from school when I was in 6th grade. My parents' theory was that if I was old enough to walk to the store by myself, I was certainly old enough to take a public bus to school. I never ran into any trouble, and I'm sure I was pretty conspicuous in my school uniform (skirt, knee-highs, etc.).

When I was 14-15, I realized that I could put my bike on the front of a bus, and then I really could go anywhere I wanted. I had a policy to call and check in with my family (this was before we all had cell phones), and it all worked out pretty well. Granted, I was a very responsible kid by nature, but still -- it was very liberating to know that I could figure out how to get myself around without my parents' help.

Seattle is one of the safest cities in the world. Of course they should be riding the bus alone. For one thing, at 15, many kids are starting to drive, which is a MILLION TIMES more dangerous. And, believe it or not, there are tons of kids who travel alone at 12.

I would argue that learning how to travel alone at an early age makes you safer, not less safe. Learning how to get around safely means learning how NOT to get around unsafely, whereas at some point they're going to have to, and they'll be all at sea. It's easy to avoid trouble if you know what it looks like. Street smarts: there's only one way to get some.

Set them some specific tasks at first: go here, and come back. Pike Place Market, say, or the mall, or school or something. Teach them how to use schedules and "One Bus Away" if they have smartphones. Encourage them to ride with friends; at fifteen, they're ready for some adventures downtown without mom and dad dragging behind them.

Your kids are at much, much higher risk in remote deserted areas than anyplace with lots of people around. Despite what you might think, and what the media might suggest to you, there's more trouble to be found in deserted suburban parking lots than busy streets downtown.

Really, kids are everywhere in this city if you look for them, and they're all safe as can be. Stranger abduction and all the other horror stories are exceptionally rare events; the most dangerous thing about riding the bus for a kid is not looking both ways when darting out in front of one after getting off.

First of all, bravo on your good citizenry in trying to reduce your consumption!

I should think a 12- and/or a 15-year old of any sex would be safe in most neighborhoods during daylight hours if someone is waiting for them after they leave the bus. I wouldn't let them travel alone at night until they are older and perhaps working (upper teens). Also, women are going to hate me for saying this (and it isn't always true), but young girls are still more at risk than young guys who have some semblance of physical strength discouraging the creeps out there looking for the vulnerable.

You probably know the rougher parts of town. Don't let them go there after dark until they are adult enough to realize the dangers for themselves.

There's no need to scare the bejesus out of them regarding traveling alone on the bus, but make sure they are well-versed in safety issues: don't talk to strangers, don't accept free rides, don't share personal information, sit up front near the driver, etc. And it might be a very good idea for them to have cell phones for emergencies when they are out on their own.

BTW, many kids in many cities take city buses to school because some school districts have ceased operating their transportation systems. It's cheaper for them to subsidize bus fares for their students with discount passes and tokens.

This is definitely something you should consult a real doctor about, not just Dr. Google. My daughter had a cardiac arrhythmia in utero, and we had a fetal echocardiogram with a pediatric cardiologist at Children's. I felt well taken care of and had absolute faith in their knowledge, professionalism, and ability to care for my child. Ask your son's pediatrician for a referral and go talk to an expert.

I am a huge, huge proponent of probiotics. They are definitely safe for kids. I gave my baby probiotics throughout her first year. They were lower dose probiotics--you just look for the baby probiotics at the store. Super Supplements and Pharmaca have good ones.

That being said, unless your kid is experiencing digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea, or you have a family history of IBS or IBD, you probably don't need to give them anything beyond yogurt.

Make sure it's a low sugar yogurt, and just add berries to get them over the tang.

If you feel that it is imperative to have such a device at your facility and you have already obtained one for just such emergencies, then it would be most appropriate to also pay for a consultation with an physician/pediatrician that specializes in emergency medicine to really have a better idea on when it is appropriate to use it and what parameters to follow concerning children.

Medical devices approved for emergency use by non-medical people like the recent line of defibrillators are designed and prepared for use by persons without medical training. They come to market having been tested for use by lay people being able to follow the pictogram and limited instructions posted on them and being able to follow the programmed computer voice instructions.

I am sure you are maintaining current first aid and CPR certifications and would expect that this additional training could be covered by the same mandate. Right now there are no physicians listed as contributors to this category and I would be reluctant to have you rely on the opinion of contributors here on the best use of such a device. I don't think you want to find yourself being deposed in legal proceedings explaining how you knew it was alright to use the device because of what was said by a Qlander.

Most immediately I would suggest getting a good magnifying lens and sit down and meticulously read all of the product information sheet that came with the pen and if the info is not there you could call the manufacturer also. But for best practice get a consult with an emergency doctor.

Ever fed your kid yogurt with live cultures? Congrats, you've fed him/her probiotics.

Most guts are pretty low maintenance. You really don't need to track down rare and exotic kefirs and sourdough starters and whatnot just because. But, if you like yogurt et al., you're not going to do any harm.

Just don't waste a lot of money on it.

I think there's a difference between being in the room at the moment of death, and visiting the adult WHILE THEY ARE CONSCIOUS and able to react. Likewise, there's a difference between that and coming in after their passing to view the body.

PS: I wouldn't use the expression ghost when telling a child that Grandma's spirit will be looking down on you from heaven. "Ghosts" have such a negative spin for kids.

At that age, the only reason to give milk is usually to ensure enough calcium in the diet. If your son is getting enough calcium from other sources (cheese, yogurt, etc), he'll be fine without milk. Don't bother with a toddler formula - it's just marketing making you think it's important. If you choose to give a milk, stick with cow milk or almond milk. Soy milk is very processed and isn't the best for boys due to the estrogen-like effects.

Also, limiting nursing at that age is totally normal, it doesn't mean he'll wean completely (unless that is what you want and you encourage it). He may just drop down to only nursing one or two times a day, which can continue as long as both of you are fine with it. Usually, if he is dropping nursing sessions it is because he is getting nutrients from the solid foods. Keep feeding him and giving him water to drink (or whatever milk you choose) and he'll naturally regulate his nursing sessions. If you do not want to wean, do limit the amount of milk (cow or other) you give him so it doesn't replace the caloric value of your breastmilk.

Bonus tip: avoid giving him drinks in bottles if you can, because some kids will develop an attachment to bottles and you'll then be stuck with bottle weaning at some point.

To me it definitely depends on the child - as in every situation the child's maturity and capability to handle emotions will determine if they are able to process watching a loved one pass. I know for my five year old she will bring up movies even that she has seen (Bambi for example) months later that she was bothered by. Actual life events are good growing experiences and it allows us to use situations to talk with our kids about life, death and expressing our feelings. It all goes back to the child - for my Daughter now would not be a good time for her to gain any benefit from being in the room when her grandparent passes but this is something that I am open to just would depend on if I felt she was ready.

I think that this is a pretty personal question and that there isn't necessarily a 'right' answer- maybe not even an answer that applies to all three of your children. I can confidently say, though, that I don't think you should ban any of your children from being in the room when a loved one passes, unless that's the desire of the person who is dying.

The first thing to consider is what the child's perspective and temperament is- do they seem scared about the situation, do they have some understanding of what is occurring, do they want to be in the room or are they too upset? Are they old enough to remember the event or remember being excluded from the experience? If they're old enough to remember and they want to be there, I absolutely think they should be allowed. There's nothing like the feeling that you didn't get to say goodbye to a loved one- they'll be angry, resentful, and feel guilty all of their lives. I think children's emotions are often treated as less important or less powerful than adults', and it's really important to acknowledge how powerfully children feel, especially about something as major as losing a loved one. To deny them access to their parent or grandparent while he or she is dying might make them feel like their grief is being treated as less real or important to deal with than that of the other family members.

Second, can you handle it? Are you (or another important adult) in a position to care for and pay attention to them while the death is happening or are they going to be watching someone die and feeling ignored/alone? Are you prepared to explain beforehand, pay close attention to their needs during, and help them process the experience afterwards? A child shouldn't be expected to deal with a death that is never explained or discussed afterwards- if they are going to be present it should clear that they can talk about and work through their feelings afterwards as often as they need to. The other thing here is that I think that if an important adult in a child's life is dying, the child should be with another very close adult caretaker- so if the whole family is at the hospital or wherever the child should be with them, not with a babysitter.

The first time I lost a close loved one I was 12. My grandfather died in a pretty horrific and totally unexpected accident in the woods, and while I wasn't there when he died, I did see his body in situ shortly after (before it had been moved or cleaned up at all). It was a terrible shock, but I am so thankful that when my family went out to see him I was allowed to come along- that was when I really processed the fact that he was dead, not when I saw him looking so artificial and posed at the funeral home. I did have some bad dreams afterwards, but I think of that night as an important one in my life. I know that I would have felt excluded from an extremely powerful family experience if I hadn't been allowed to see my grandfather's body the night he died.

In general, I'm a pretty big proponent of including your children in every aspect of normal life- both the positive and negative parts, so if I had to boil my answer down, it would be that I think children should be present if someone they love is passing. It's just important to make sure that they have lots of context and support both before and after the event.

Like many life experiences, it really depends on the child. It also depends on how the family views death.

I would prepare the child for the death of the grandparent by going to the local library and asking the children's librarian to suggest some books. A parent can gauge a child's "readiness" by their reactions and the questions they ask.

For example, if they're asking questions about whether the ghost will come and surprise them in their dreams, I'd say the child is anxious and shouldn't go.

It also depends on the parents' state of mind regarding death. Will you (the parent) be able to model a calm and accepting manner or will you fall apart? Your reaction will also affect the child.

If it were me, I wouldn't bring my kids and I wouldn't want my young grandchildren to be in the room. Death is very intimate and physical, as is birth, and it can be easily misinterpreted by young children.

Let them in. Be honest. They can take it.

Both of my parents died this year. I was in the room for my dad, my sister was in the room for my mom. I don't know how she feels, but I feel tremendously guilty and regretful for not being there for my mom. I'm 32 now, but I can't imagine it being any different than when I was a kid and I was too sad to go look at my grandmother's body at her funeral: now I regret that, and I wish I could have said goodbye to her face.

Death is a part of life, and sheltering kids from life is more damaging, I think, than not.

I think it would be more damaging to children to not watch a parent pass. It's a parent, after all. This is not to say that children who attend at a deathbed won't be upset about the passing of a loved one--they likely will. But, it can allow everyone involved to make final goodbyes and bring about a sense of closure. I know, am related to, and am part of that group myself, a large number of people who, for whatever reason, could not be present when a close family member died. Nearly all of us regret not being able to be there, even if it wasn't physically possible.

It is upsetting to lose someone close to you, but blocking children from death (which happens to us all, eventually) seems to me to be stunting their emotional development. Shielding kids from death now doesn't mean that they won't witness it in another form, either--pets die, classmates and other relatives could get deathly ill or have accidents, car accidents in the news, etc.

Take any instance of death as a lesson in how to grieve and remember. As with anyone, though, watch for signs of complicated grief. A cousin-in-law of mine is about 10, and one of his classmates died of leukemia, which sent the boy into a tailspin that lasted over a year and required counseling to get him out of. I've also seen 40 year old relatives do the same thing.

But why would you want to give a kid beer? Just because she loves it? Is it because you don't want her to cry or have a tantrum?

Don't know if anyone mentioned this, but the original study that figured out that girls have their periods at age 12 or 13 was flawed.

They looked at white, middle class girls in the same area. Zero diversity - and this was many moons ago.

If the pool is broadened out to include a more diverse race/class bunch, most girls have their periods at 10 or 11.

That and we're fatter and healthier and therefore ready to breed sooner. Goody.

I am repeating my answer to a related question from three months ago:

"There is strong supposition that the increased chemical soup that children are being exposed to through products and processed foods are involved. Certainly the xenoestrogens in plastics and the phytoestrogens of increasingly modified foods (including high soy isolate inclusion) may be implicated in the early maturation and change in normal hormone growth cycles. Other sources include hormones in meat production and pesticides and other chemicals used on crops.
For the rest of us (adults) this exposure could be affecting normal endocrine systems, aging, inflammation processes, disease, tumor growth and maturation."

Reference:
http://questionland.com/questions/16988-why-do-kids-girls-know-days-go-through-puberty-so-early

I asked this of my daughter's pediatrian several years ago, and was told that it is because of the better general health and nutrician in the USA. She said the general trend has been to lower starting ages due to good health in general.

She didn't indicate that this was a problem or "bad", just as a result of improved health.

To answer your second question about the fallout, there's evidence that early menarche in girls is linked to a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer, especially if it accompanies late menopause. The longer those hormones are coursing through a girl's/woman's body, the greater chance she has of getting estrogen-related cancer.

To learn more about hamish's answer below, try googling for "endocrine disruptors" or "xenoestrogens."

The effects of these pollutants are pretty shocking. They've been linked to childhood obesity, breast cancer, prostate cancer, early onset puberty for females, and stunted genital development/low sperm count for males. Who knows what else we will eventually find out...

The prevailing theory for this is that better nutrition actually has a lot to do with it. I believe 10 is still fairly young on average but remember that everyone is different. There are still young women starting puberty at 15. There isn't any evidence that eating organic will delay the onset of puberty far as I know. Not to mention starting puberty isn't exactly a disease and doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you. Additionally there may have been social pressure against disclosing information about ones cycle in the past.