I am a father....

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ananag112

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...to a plastic baby. As part of my health class, we have to take care of this plastic baby for four days. It acts like a real baby. You need to feed it, change it's diaper, rock it, burp it, etc. It cries and you need to comfort it. It keeps a log of how you treat it and if you neglect it or do something wrong (like mishandle it) you get points taken off. Wish me luck.

BTW: I am a 12th grade student. Is it just me or isn't it dumb that they make us do this at this age?

EDIT: What I mean wouldn't it be better if they did this at an earlier age? IMO it is a bit late in the 12th grade for this type of thing.
 
No, its not stupid. If teenagers had any idea what its like to have a real baby in your life 24/7, you might not be so quick to have sex.
 
Whoa, when I try to quote screwkick, the put down the dick line doesn't show up..

//edit oh, because he edited it out.

Anyways, I also agree it's not a dumb idea. So many girls are getting knocked up at an early age, it's sad.
 
[quote name='screwkick']No, its not stupid. If teenagers had any idea what its like to have a real baby in your life 24/7, you might not be so quick to have sex.[/quote]

This is definitely true. Taking care of a baby is by far the toughest (and most rewarding) thing in the world to do.
 
dont try 2 screw it up with magnets..no longer works...only hold it by its head, dont have 2 be that real since the sensor is in its head, just keep the head upright, body, who cares..uhh, wat else..yea thats all i kno ..hope that helps :p
 
[quote name='ananag112']Is it just me or isn't it dumb that they make us do this at this age?[/quote]

It's just you. If public chools were to require this of 9th graders, we probably wouldn't see nearly so many teen pregnancies. You at least have to take a test to get a driver's licence, but you can be a complete idiot and have a child. At least with plastic dolls in school, said idiot is forced to experience what it's like to have a child at an early age. Maybe he/she will think twice before having unprotected sex as a result.
 
[quote name='screwkick']No, its not stupid. If teenagers had any idea what its like to have a real baby in your life 24/7, you might not be so quick to have sex.[/quote]

yeah, also if our education system supported a realistic sex education program, those same kids might be able to have sex, and manage to not impregnate themselves, by being more knowledgable of their options.

taking our abstinance only policies, and comparing them to european sex education programs, many of which start sex education in kindergarten, it's interesting to compare our number of teen pregnancies, and abortions to theirs.

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/factsheet/fsest.htm

High five for sexual guilt and repression!
 
[quote name='ananag112']...to a plastic baby. As part of my health class, we have to take care of this plastic baby for four days. It acts like a real baby. You need to feed it, change it's diaper, rock it, burp it, etc. It cries and you need to comfort it. It keeps a log of how you treat it and if you neglect it or do something wrong (like mishandle it) you get points taken off. Wish me luck.

BTW: I am a 12th grade student. Is it just me or isn't it dumb that they make us do this at this age?[/quote]

Considering that we had a patient on our service who is a grandmother at the age of 31, I don't think it's silly at all.
 
They made us use dressed-up bags of flour when I was a lad, but now that I'm reminded of this, it sounds like a Japanese sim game. Raise the Virtual Baby For Luck and Happiness!!!
 
[quote name='Stoneage']it sounds like a Japanese sim game. Raise the Virtual Baby For Luck and Happiness!!![/quote]

It's probably not all the different from Tomagotchi, just a little heavier and louder with a grade hanging in the balance.
 
Congratulations!!! You plastic father! :D

Yeah it seems a little late in the game to be giving out plastic babies to high school seniors... i think maybe freshmen or sophmores would be a better time, but that's just me. Also, maybe the school administrators are worried that immature freshmen would lose their expensive baby-doll simulators that probably aren't all too cheap. Anyway! Good luck! And remember.... if you royally screw up, just dunk the doll underwater and when it shorts out, explain to your teacher that you were just trying to give it a bath. :D
 
[quote name='Xtreme331']Congratulations!!! You plastic father! :D

Yeah it seems a little late in the game to be giving out plastic babies to high school seniors... i think maybe freshmen or sophmores would be a better time, but that's just me. Also, maybe the school administrators are worried that immature freshmen would lose their expensive baby-doll simulators that probably aren't all too cheap. Anyway! Good luck! And remember.... if you royally screw up, just dunk the doll underwater and when it shorts out, explain to your teacher that you were just trying to give it a bath. :D[/quote]

Good idea, but I will have to pay $700 dollars for it then which is not cool at all :(.
 
Agreed. Having a baby is, or can/should be, an incredible, positive, life-changing experience. But I know many adults who aren't ready for it and aren't good parents, much less teenagers/high schoolers. Pre-baby and post-baby life are ENTIRELY different. As a kid/teen, be young, have fun, [but don't be dumb], so many things that would have been so easy in your future, are harder if not impossible with a baby.
Only four days?
Does it wake up every two hours wanting to be fed? Does it cry for hours, even though nothing's apparently wrong?
Does it throw its food around the table, or spit up its milk?

Of course, to be positive, does it say 'Daddy, please carry me.'

I don't necessarily have a problem with abstinence-only programs; abstinence is the only 100% safe option. I abstained until I was 20 or 21, and later married that person. But the 'safesex' lobby has gone too far the other way, to basically advocate *against* abstinence in and of itself, and push the 'everybody's doing it' idea, I believe, is foolish and not beneficial to youth.
 
See, I could try and "hack" the baby. It uses something called an ibutton to read from and write to the baby. I have all the software and hardware at home because I used it for a electronics project last year. I will have to check when I go home if I could or not because I think they have the contact place sealed.
 
[quote name='Xtreme331']Congratulations!!! You plastic father! :D

Yeah it seems a little late in the game to be giving out plastic babies to high school seniors... i think maybe freshmen or sophmores would be a better time, but that's just me. Also, maybe the school administrators are worried that immature freshmen would lose their expensive baby-doll simulators that probably aren't all too cheap. Anyway! Good luck! And remember.... if you royally screw up, just dunk the doll underwater and when it shorts out, explain to your teacher that you were just trying to give it a bath. :D[/quote]

Yeah. Some of the plastic babies might be taking time away from real ones!!
 
[quote name='ananag112']
Good idea, but I will have to pay $700 dollars for it then which is not cool at all :(.[/quote]

$700? that's pretty inexpensive for a child. if they only cost that little in real life.
 
[quote name='lord_slappy'][quote name='ananag112']
Good idea, but I will have to pay $700 dollars for it then which is not cool at all :(.[/quote]

$700? that's pretty inexpensive for a child. if they only cost that little in real life.[/quote]

I will have to pay $700 for the baby if I break it.
 
I had to do that, but out school was supposedly in the process of getting new ones, so we had to take care of bags of sugar, and flour. The bad just had to look decent when you come back, and turn in it. It was very stupid.
 
you mean iButton, don't you. Apple has their hands in everything.

700 bucks would be a bargain. My boy's crib and dresser cost about that much, and he's already been to the hospital 3 times for asthma, that and the associated medicine is probably 700 [out of pocket] right there.
 
[quote name='dtcarson']you mean iButton, don't you. Apple has their hands in everything.

700 bucks would be a bargain. My boy's crib and dresser cost about that much, and he's already been to the hospital 3 times for asthma, that and the associated medicine is probably 700 [out of pocket] right there.[/quote]

Yeah, iButton
 
I remember they used to have those in my school, but I guess they got lost?

To a lesser extent you could have kids take care of their pets.

I had to take care of my cat, Curious George (see avatar). He had FIV and during his last couple of weeks it became full blown I had to feed and water him with a bottle due to his extreme weakness. I even had to change his wee wee pad. I hated seeing him suffer, so I had him put to sleep. I have no regrets, because he has do so many cool things in his short life and have gotten to know so many people.

If kids had a more responsible relationship with their pet then maybe they'd take life more seriously and think before they have a kid. Instead I see the grandparents taking care of both the baby and the parents in a lot of situations. Just like with pets.....
 
i only looked at the first few posts...but are girls really getting knocked up at a young age? By our standards today they are, but if you go back a couple hundred years ago, they were married at that time
 
[quote name='MaxBiaggi3'][quote name='ananag112']Is it just me or isn't it dumb that they make us do this at this age?[/quote]

It's just you. If public chools were to require this of 9th graders, we probably wouldn't see nearly so many teen pregnancies. You at least have to take a test to get a driver's licence, but you can be a complete idiot and have a child. At least with plastic dolls in school, said idiot is forced to experience what it's like to have a child at an early age. Maybe he/she will think twice before having unprotected sex as a result.[/quote]

I think he means it's dumb for the reason you said (and guessed said), that it should be done earlier than 12th grade like 9th grade. Too many teenagers do stupid things before 12th grade (and some before 9th grade). By 12th grade, the consequences should be pretty clear. And if it's not, well, you're almost an adult anyways. But 12th grade is late IMO.

We had something similar in middle school, but it was much lamer. I believe we had to carry around an uncooked chicken egg.
 
[quote name='judyjudyjudy'][quote name='MaxBiaggi3'][quote name='ananag112']Is it just me or isn't it dumb that they make us do this at this age?[/quote]

It's just you. If public chools were to require this of 9th graders, we probably wouldn't see nearly so many teen pregnancies. You at least have to take a test to get a driver's licence, but you can be a complete idiot and have a child. At least with plastic dolls in school, said idiot is forced to experience what it's like to have a child at an early age. Maybe he/she will think twice before having unprotected sex as a result.[/quote]

I think he means it's dumb for the reason you said (and guessed said), that it should be done earlier than 12th grade like 9th grade. Too many teenagers do stupid things before 12th grade (and some before 9th grade). By 12th grade, the consequences should be pretty clear. And if it's not, well, you're almost an adult anyways. But 12th grade is late IMO.

We had something similar in middle school, but it was much lamer. I believe we had to carry around an uncooked chicken egg.[/quote]

Yes, that is what I mean. If schools do this, they should do it by the 10th grade IMO.
 
I did this as well. I distinctly remember playing Blast Corps on N64, and having to pause the game to shut my stupid plastic baby up. :lol: That was over 6 years ago, wow.
 
True, people were married much younger back then, but they also died at 30-50 instead of living till 70-110 like we do nowadays. If your parents didn't find you a husband by the time you were 20, you were an old maid.
Kids did grow up faster back then. You didn't have kids to extend your bloodline or take care of you in your old age, you had them to help on the farm etc. You were out there slopping pigs and chopping wood at age 5, and Mom probably had 8 kids, 4 of whom survived.
It was only in the past century or so where the modern family has enough 'free time' , not spent on raw survival, to be able to spent a lot of time doing other things with the children.
 
Yeah they should do it earlier...

This girl in my old neighborhood had her first baby at 14 with some kid right across the street, and at 16 she had a second baby with another kid a few houses to the right of the first father's house...lol

Maybe they should teach this at around 7th grade! :?
 
My high school couldnt afford those things so we had to carry around an egg for a couple of weeks. We had to hollow out the egg, which made it very fragile, color it, and name it and carry it around in a little basket. Damn that was like 10 years ago. I am getting old...
 
They should definitely be doing this earlier in high school. 12th grade is just too late. Like some have already said there are girls who already have two children by that age and have signed up for a very difficult life. I agree with all you abstinence till your older guys. Taking care of a child is one of the toughest things in your life. It's worth it but you don't have time to play too many videogames with kids, unless they're rated E. Teenagers need to relax and realize that there are other ways to entertain yourself with girls.... right?
 
[quote name='anionyx']They should definitely be doing this earlier in high school. 12th grade is just too late. Like some have already said there are girls who already have two children by that age and have signed up for a very difficult life. I agree with all you abstinence till your older guys. Taking care of a child is one of the toughest things in your life. It's worth it but you don't have time to play too many videogames with kids, unless they're rated E. Teenagers need to relax and realize that there are other ways to entertain yourself with girls.... right?[/quote]

For the first year or so after my son was born, I don't think I gamed at all. Occasionally I watched a DVD while he was napping on me. I'm gaming more now that we've given him a set bedtime and he sleeps pretty well [although he just graduated to a toddler bed! *sniff*]. We try not to watch tv or play games when he's up and with us, we interact with him instead. I can always buy or play a game, but he'll only be 2 once.

anionyx: You're absolutely right. One of the most disturbing things to me in the media was the shift from 'kiss on the first date' to 'f*** on the first date." While I certainly enjoy and appreciate sex, and was of course interested in it as a teenager, you can do other, safer things as well. Plus, maybe it's corny, but getting there's more than half the fun. You're learning about your body and other bodies, and those are amazing things. Take the time, don't rush it, don't make sex the be-all end-all of a relationship or a date.
Not to mention, the portrayal of sex in the media is for the most part entirely unrealistic.
 
[quote name='optimolife']Yeah they should do it earlier...

This girl in my old neighborhood had her first baby at 14 with some kid right across the street, and at 16 she had a second baby with another kid a few houses to the right of the first father's house...lol

Maybe they should teach this at around 7th grade! :?[/quote]

Damn, that kid has good aim :puke:

Ok, this post is beyond apologies.
 
Thankfully, none of my schools ever did this project. I can see where this project has some positive impact, but you are definitely dealing with a double-edged sword.

What if a kid does well with his plastic baby? Then, they might think, "Hey, I'm ready to be a parent" and this gives them the excuse to go have unprotected sex.

What about the kids with good grades, the ones who abstain from sex, the ones who know about the consequences, etc.? That kid already has enough on their plate. They are probably busy with a job, homework, studying, chores, or a bunch of other factors. However, they manage their time well, and are doing well in life. Throw a plastic baby into the mix, and what if the kid does bad with it? Obviously, their grade will drop. Do you think that's fair, to make a good kid's grades suffer, when they know that they are not ready to be a parent, and have taken the steps necessary to prevent pregnancy?

Obviously, we know that certain things in life will happen no matter what we do. However, I do think it's good that we try to stop these things. However, there will never be a complete fix for any of these things... be it teen pregnancy, murder, or whatever.
 
[quote name='Saucy Jack']
What if a kid does well with his plastic baby? Then, they might think, "Hey, I'm ready to be a parent" and this gives them the excuse to go have unprotected sex.
[/quote]

Uh, I really don't think teens think "Hey, I carried around a plastic baby all day and handled it okay, now I can go have unprotected sex and in case we make babies, I can raise them for the rest of my life." People don't avoid having unprotected sex because they're trying not to be incapable parents... they avoid having unprotected sex to not become parents at all.
 
[quote name='judyjudyjudy']Uh, I really don't think teens think "Hey, I carried around a plastic baby all day and handled it okay, now I can go have unprotected sex and in case we make babies, I can raise them for the rest of my life." [/quote]

I see your point. Unfortunately, I went to school with some "rocket scientists" who would be happy to use a good grade on this project as their excuse for pregnancy. In fact, there was a female student that was interviewed for the school TV program several years back who used that excuse. The school had a portable building set up for the babies of teenage mothers, in fact. She said, "I think I'm a good mother. My teacher said that I did very well when we had to carry around those dolls for a week. She said I would be a good mother, so when I got pregnant a few months later, I knew I'd be able to handle this."

It's a shame when the students would be at lunch and see the teenage mothers head across the street to go check on their babies... or when they would have to skip and/or leave classes to go to the baby area. Hopefully, those children learn from the mistakes of their parents and turn out OK.
 
[quote name='ananag112']

BTW: I am a 12th grade student. Is it just me or isn't it dumb that they make us do this at this age?[/quote]

Uhh, no. I saw girls in my 12th grade classes who were carrying live babies of their own or were visably pregnant with them.

Uhh, maybe they should have started teaching this class earlier than 12 grade. o_O
 
[quote name='Spacepest'][quote name='ananag112']

BTW: I am a 12th grade student. Is it just me or isn't it dumb that they make us do this at this age?[/quote]

Uhh, no. I saw girls in my 12th grade classes who were carrying live babies of their own or were visably pregnant with them.

Uhh, maybe they should have started teaching this class earlier than 12 grade. o_O[/quote]

I agree with you. Read my edit. I clarified my initial statement womewhat.
 
[quote name='ananag112']...to a plastic baby. As part of my health class, we have to take care of this plastic baby for four days. It acts like a real baby. You need to feed it, change it's diaper, rock it, burp it, etc. It cries and you need to comfort it. It keeps a log of how you treat it and if you neglect it or do something wrong (like mishandle it) you get points taken off. Wish me luck.

BTW: I am a 12th grade student. Is it just me or isn't it dumb that they make us do this at this age?

EDIT: What I mean wouldn't it be better if they did this at an earlier age? IMO it is a bit late in the 12th grade for this type of thing.[/quote]

They shoulda done this to ya at an earlier level. At my school people this age are already prgnant so whats the point of the class. I say make the kid take the class in like 9th grade.
 
[quote name='help1']is that the baby think it over baby? I hated that thing in 8th grade.... Only one day tho![/quote]

Yup, its the baby think it over program.
 
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