By Lauren Krogman

Becoming a parent is one thing that teenagers are not ready for.  This is a lesson Child Development teacher, Meryl Hopper, is trying to teach her students.  Beginning the week of March 24, a few students took “Baby” home for three days and sixteen hours.  “Baby” is a baby simulator that is made to teach students what it is like to take care of a real baby.

“Baby” is a fake baby that is run by a computer and has actual recordings and routines of real newborns.  There are five different babies that students can take home, and they all have different routines.  They are set to cry at different times of the day and night and the student must figure out what needs need to be met.  Sophomore Courtney Musgrave says, “It was cool, but the crying got really annoying sometimes.  At night was the worst because it woke me up a lot.”

When “Baby” cries, the student places a bracelet, which is required to be worn at all times, on its back and listens for a chiming sound.  This indicates that the baby knows it is being cared for.  The next step in responding to the baby is finding out what the it needs.  The student must feed, change, burp or rock the baby.  Once it stops crying, the baby’s need has been met.  Hopper says, “It’s fun to see the students so excited to take the babies home.  Then they return on Monday and give me dirty looks to take the baby back.”

There may be a time when “Baby” is not properly cared for.  This may include rough handling, the dropping of it’s head, having it in the wrong position or giving it shaken baby syndrome.  Each time the baby’s need is not met, it is mishandled, the computer records what happened and points are taken away from the final grade.  Hopper says, “I have had some babies come back with shaken baby syndrome and one with a broken neck.”  Students who mishandle or break the baby are responsible for paying for the damages.

Child Development is a beneficial class to students who are looking to learn more about children and pregnancy.  The class consists of all stages of child development, including prenatal.  Junior Hannah Nelson says, “I think it’s really good for people that babysit or want to have kids in the future.  It gives you a lot of information that you wouldn’t know in general.”