It’s not unknown that Kilbourne offers many creative and stimulating classes such as Global Cuisine, Fashion and Interior Design, Ceramics, etc. but one sticks out: Child Development. This class offers an opportunity none other does: the chance to take care of a fake baby. This may not sound very appealing at first but for some, it is the chance to see if they have what it takes to raise a child. You have likely seen someone carrying a baby doll if not had one cry in the middle of your class, here is why.
Child Development is an elective that is in the Family Consumer Science Department. “The RealCare Baby is an extra credit project offered inside of Child Development. It is not a requirement if a student does not want to care for the RealCare Baby. However, the project is encouraged for students to participate in” says Child Development teacher Camyrn Saunders. So, while students don’t have to partake in caring for the baby doll to take the class, it is the reason why a lot of students look into it.
So what does it take to care for the baby? The doll gets as close to a baby as a doll can: “The baby drinks from the bottle to be fed. It also needs to be changed from using the restroom . However, everything is sensor based,” says Saunders.
The reason you probably know about the RealCare doll is that someone has told you of their experience having it or your experience hearing it during the school day. The thing the doll is best known for doing, you guessed it, crying. A part of taking care of the baby is taking it to school and all your classes. Since it is supposed to be as close to taking care of a real baby as possible, it has no problem crying as loud or as long as it wants in the middle of your English class or while you are taking a test, but that doesn’t mean the process isn’t worth it.
Taking care of a child is something that takes patience and care, it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take care of a baby without actually having to have one. It gives students the ability to add another aspect of their future into place.
“If students are interested in taking it, which I highly recommend, they should talk to their counselor or sign up for the class when organizing their school schedules,” says Saunders.
