If you live in the city, getting your kids from one place to another can be challenging. As children grow older they become involved in more activities. Having the ability to rely on public transportation lets kids who aren't quite old enough to drive (or kids who don't have a vehicle of their own) safely move from place to place.

Here are three tips that you can use to teach your kids how to maximize their use of public transportation.

1. Ride along on the initial route.

Determining which routes to take and which stops to use can be challenging for kids. In order to ensure that your child doesn't become overwhelmed with the transportation process, it can be beneficial for you to ride along on the initial route.

Having a parent or guardian by their side will allow children to feel more confident in navigating public transportation for the first time. You can show your child how to locate their desired route using transportation maps and ensure that your child knows how to travel safely utilizing public transportation by riding along with him or her a few times.

2. Invest in a pre-paid transportation pass.

Streamlining the passenger process can be a simple and effective way to help your child feel more confident while using public transportation.

To avoid having your child deal with purchasing individual tickets for each route he or she will be taking, you should consider investing in a pre-paid pass that will give your child the freedom to travel freely throughout the pre-paid period. These passes can help kids better utilize public transportation and ensure that they always have access to the fare needed to ride a bus, trolley, or train.

3. Teach your child to stay aware.

Public transportation is utilized by many different people, so it's important that your child learns to remain aware of his or her surroundings in order to ensure personal safety. As you ride along with your child on the initial route, teach your child to be vigilant in monitoring other passengers for suspicious behavior.

Let your child know that it is okay to miss his or her stop if something doesn't feel right. Allowing your child to trust his or her instincts will help to develop lifelong personal safety skills that can be applied to public transportation and other situations as your child grows older.

Teaching your kid to use public transportation will give him or her the freedom needed to safely travel throughout your town or city in the future.