Three years ago, when my son was barely two, a good friend’s oldest son was starting kindergarten. In her minivan, probably still in pajama pants with a toddler in the back seat, she followed her beloved’s bus all the way school that first morning. After all, the bus could have rolled over and landed unseen in a ditch. The driver could have been a kidnapper -- or drunk! I teased her, with love of course, certain that I would easily embrace my son’s growing older and kick him, ever so gently, straight onto that bus and never look back. But now I’m the one whose first born is headed off to kindergarten. I’m thinking of not simply following the bus -- that’s for amateurs. I’m going to ride WITH him. I mean, how thorough was the bus driver’s background check exactly? Read more >