STUDENTS TAKE ON BABYSITTING ASSIGNMENT

Khonda Andrews, right, donated a "Baby Think It Over" doll to Opal Aden at Jackson Junioer High School Wednesday.

Opal Aden, right, demonstated how to feed the doll to Sam Stroder, left, and Jessica Harris.

Now junior high students in Jackson can experience the joys of parenthood when they get the opportunity to babysit a "Baby Think it Over" doll for one night.

The doll was donated to Opal Aden's Family and Consumer Sciences class by Dr. Khonda Andrews of Andrews Chiropractic on Wednesday.

Andrews wanted to help the school obtain the doll for educational purposes so she bought one for the school.

The doll can be programmed to be cranky or calm. The challenge for students who take the baby home will be to see how well they can take care of the baby.

The baby is also programmed to record how the baby was treated by the students.

The simulated baby cries and weighs about the same as a two to three month old baby. It's only drawback, according to Mrs. Aden is that the baby doesn't simulate bodily functions.

But the baby will cry periodically and will need to be fed at the appropriate times.

Also, if the baby is placed on its stomach it will begin to cry.

"This baby makes an irritating sound," Aden said.

If the baby is mistreated in any way it will cry and it will also record that it was mistreated.

Aden said that the students will pick up the baby after school and take home with them. They will bring it back the following day.

Then the teacher can see how the baby was treated by the student.

Last year Aden borrowed a doll from the Parenting Project Network at Southeast Missouri State University for a few weeks.

This doll is the school's doll forever.

Aden said that she will program the doll differently for her students. The doll has three settings; easy, normal and cranky.

She knows if the baby was properly cared for by indicator lights inside the baby's computer, housed with the battery pack.

One light show if the baby was fed on time and another shows if the baby was shaken or dropped.

Aden said that she wants the students to also interact with their friends with the baby.

She wants her students to protect the baby like they would a real baby around people.

The doll, besides being a good simulation of the responsibilities that go along with having a baby, is also a reminder to the teenagers of what could happen should they decide to become sexually active.

Aden also said that the baby is a good way to start discussion between teens and their parents about the responsibilities of parenthood.

Aden's students are anxious to take the doll home. One student wanted to take the doll home this weekend.

"We'll see how that works out," Aden said.

Another feature on the "Baby Think it Over" doll is a lock that keeps the students from disabling the batteries of the doll.

Aden, who is in her last year as a teacher, said that she would like to get a carseat and a diaper bag for the baby in the future so the students can get a feel for the added accessories that they would have to carry around with them with a real baby.

She also said that she has 90 students and there aren't enough days left in the school year for every student to get a chance taking care of the baby.

Dr. Andrews purchased offered to purchase the baby last October, but there was such a high demand for the product that it wasn't shipped until recently.

Aden was pleased with the donation, but stressed that the class could use more of the dolls.

The dolls cost a hefty $250 per doll.