When I was in elementary school I was regularly getting on the school bus by myself long after my parents left for work (at that time my mother wasn't a teacher

When I was in elementary school I was regularly getting on the school bus by myself long after my parents left for work (at that time my mother wasn't a teacher). It worked fine for me and for plenty of other families. Parental attitudes changed more than anything else. Coddle kids longer, trust them less. That seems to be the current trend.