While walking down the halls, students might have seen their peers carrying babies around. Although the babies are fake, teen pregnancies are very much real. Sad to say, more than 50% of teen mothers never graduate from high school.
Mrs. Hoggard teaches Child Development, this assignment is already part of the curriculum, she strongly believes it is good for teens to experience the future life of parenthood.
“This simulation is perfect for teens. It gives them a chance to experience what it is like to take care of a baby. By the end of the 3 days, most students realize that it takes so much time and commitment to take care of another human being. Hopefully, this experience can help them realize that having a baby is something that should be in their future when they are an adult and not while they are young,” Hoggard said.
It may seem tedious to learn about raising a child now, but it has a very important lesson to it. The “babies” have a great impact on the student’s life. Not only do the students have to perform parent-like responsibilities, but they need to meet the baby’s every need.
“The computerized baby simulates what it is like to have a real baby. The simulation gives teens a way to know how to take care of a baby and how much time and energy is required to raise a baby. They must feed, change a diaper, burp, and rock a baby. Just like in real babies, the “teen parent” has to use their prior experience to try to figure out what the baby needs,” said Hoggard.
As teenagers grow older, they tend to distance ourselves from talking to their parents about things they are going through at school. Usually leading them to take advice from their friends.
Noah Martinez, a sophomore, went through the experience of taking care of a baby for three days. Even though it was over a three day period it taught him an important lesson.
“Practice safe sex because raising a baby is really hard. It also teaches you to stay abstinent because not only can she get pregnant, but you can also easily get STDs,” Martinez said.
Not only do you have complications with contracting STDs but there are other effects of having unprotected sex. Such as emotional and physical attachments, as well as being limited to certain health services.
So before making choices that you are not sure of the result, ask for advice from someone who does know. While you’re still young live life to the fullest; however be aware of the consequences that come with it.