Baby Think It Over

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November 19, 2009  
Filed under Student Life

“From the moment it started crying, it kept crying.” said Michaela Reynolds. “No matter what I did, if I fed it, it would stop crying for two minutes and then start again.” Reynolds is a student in Child Development, and has had the unique experience of participating in a class project called Baby Think-It-Over. The projects goal is to help students realize that being in high school and having a baby are difficult tasks to juggle at the same time.
The Baby Think-It-Over’s have been used for ten years, according to Child Development teacher Mrs. Deb VanHove, and there are ten babies total at RHS. The Baby Think-It-Over’s are created to resemble both boys and girls and are also different races. In fact, students who participate in this project said that often the babies are mistaken for real children when they are out and about. Reynolds know just how realistic the babies are. She received many curious stares and some glares from customers at who were shopping at Target the same to Reynolds was with “her baby.”
“Very extremely realistic, it opened my eyes,” she said. “I really can’t handle having a baby in high school.”
Even having the baby at home proved to be a challenging endeavor for Reynolds.
“I was totally on my own. My dad disappeared downstairs and my mom into the living room. They didn’t want to be around it.”
For this project, students pick up the simulated baby that is programmed to behave as a real baby would in terms of basic needs. Students care for the baby over a weekend or throughout the school week. Upon their return to school, Mrs. VanHove downloads information from the baby regarding the care it received from the student. “It wasn’t quiet at all last night. It woke me up a lot last night,” said freshman student Samantha Meade. “I am not having kids.”
Mrs. VanHove hopes the students will realize that babies cost money, they take time, and the fact that parenting is a big responsibility.

Written by Jaimie Adnerson
Staff Writer

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