Elf Sternberg

I wonder if the Metro-riding training needs to be much, much, much longer - and with a peer (or peer-like person) rather than a parent. Some kids just kind of check out when they are not actively on-the-spot.

FWIW, using her phone was a pretty good strategy (although using it passive-aggressively, to make you look bad to the co-parent... ...not so good.) One kind of has to sigh and add that to the list of things one does: "if you slept here, we're in charge - call US for rescue FIRST." (We had to phrase it that way once.)

Is there any way the school district could help out with the use-the-bus skill? Even by putting a high-school "big sister" on the project (which could work for community involvement credit for the high schooler)?

And kudos to Omaha for doing the Metro-training with Y-C. That's important, and your family is the SECOND one I've heard of that does it - mine was the first. All the other parents I know seem to be able and willing to ferry their kids around to all of their activities (except the ones they can walk to), by car, and continue to do so until the kids have their own licenses. Doing it all by car seems like bad parenting, maximizing the hassle factor and leaving the kids dependent far too long; it almost forces them to be passive. And that passivity steps up and bites them in the face, just as you described above.

In short, you & Omaha are in my golden-roster-of-child-raisers.