Brandon Twp.- The babies don’t wake up and cry at 3 a.m., but students in Jennifer Williams? Intro to Parenting and Child Development class are still learning to some degree what it means to have an infant when they take a doll for 48 hours.
Each of Williams? 33 Brandon High School students must carry a baby doll everywhere with them for two days, using a car seat, keeping a journal and writing how it affects their social life and schedule.
‘Some wanted to go out with friends, but didn’t have a sitter,? says Williams. ‘I’m hoping they made it as real as possible at home… It’s good to have first-hand experience.?
The dolls used to cry, but don’t work anymore. They also had instruction manuals, which have been misplaced. The class has seven dolls, but only three can be out at one time, since there are only three baby seats, says Williams.
In the class, Williams teaches students all about infants, including picking up, putting down, holding, feeding, burping, bathing, dressing, undressing, and, of course, how to change a diaper.
‘I think they’re surprised how much work goes into taking care of a baby,? she said. ‘They get the gist of how much responsibility it is and how much time it takes, but not fully. If we had babies that cried, they’d get it more.?
Tabitha Jeans, a sophomore in the class, ‘gets it.? The 17-year-old has a real baby? her 14-month-old son, Darius.
?(The doll) is not anywhere close to the real thing,? she says. ‘A doll you can leave in the car. A real baby is very different. It’s hard. You don’t get a lot of sleep.?
Still, she has learned from the class, like how children develop at different rates.
Amanda Steenson, 17 and a junior in the class, said she has learned a lot of hands-on skills that will help her in babysitting her younger siblings and cousins. She has also learned about childhood illnesses and how to treat them.
Steenson says she wants kids someday, but not anytime soon.
‘Some things you learn make you worried and nervous about having kids, but it makes you excited, too,? she said.