**Originally published by Anna Swanson, 1999**

A new program has come to Monte Vista for the 1999-2000 school year; one that shows that we students have come a long way since our days of baby-sitting eggs in 8th grade. Our generation  has entered a whole new ballgame, one complete with crying baby robots.

Made to resemble a real baby’s size and weight, these little tykes can holler with the best of them. The students  responsible for the babies have keys attached to their wrists which is the only thing that can make the crying stop.

Annoying? Possibly, but an accurate representation of according to about 60% of the students who participated in the simulation. “It show how a baby can really change our lives. they keep you on your toes and give you a wake up into the realities of teenage parenthood.” said Lauren Fisher.

Not only positive reinforcements were coming from the students’ mouths though.  Freshman Amanda Epperson said, “I believe that the babies are lacking important mannerisms that all real babies have. They have no movement and only respond to harsh treatment with a high pitched cry….students only have 45 minutes to manage the baby,  it is annoyance, but could hardly compare to what having a baby for the rest of your life [is]”

This whole even began when one teacher Cindy Imburtson came up with the idea of showing students what parenthood is really like. Since buying enough dolls for everyone would be impractical, students were split into groups consisting of a mother, father, sibling, and cousin who all had to pitch in and take turns with the baby-sitting. Each student in the semester long course is required to carry the baby around for at least a few periods, while some even volunteer to take them home.

After one such evening, a caretaking “father” commented to his teacher that he had never known how much good late night TV was on. He had, reportedly, not gotten a wink of sleep the night before and was leaving school at noon because he was too tired to attend the rest of his classes and that afternoon football practice.

The presence of mock babies on our campus was not fully appreciated. One Senior was overheard saying “I hate those things”  when the cries echoed through the halls. But teachers may have caught onto something with the whole idea. It lets students know the not so pretty side of parenthood.

Looking past the love and playtimes to a responsibility that is yours all day and all night.