In years past, students in Lisa Tapper’s Child Development class at the high school would use baby dolls to help them learn the care, feeding and everything else that goes with being a parent. But the current COVID-19 situation changed all that. So the resourceful teacher and her students came up with a great idea.
“We’ve got two watermelons, a cantaloupe, two eggs, a zucchini, flour and sugar sacks simulating our students babies,” said Tapper. “In other words, we decided to go ‘old school’. The kids seem to be enjoying it.” Tapper feels like the main thing she’s trying to teach them is responsibility, which they will certainly find out about big-time when they get out into the real world and real life with kids of their own to take care of. The big difference with these kids…they don’t need feedings or diaper changes and they never cry! That definitely adds to the responsibility!
“They can’t leave their child in their locker, so they take it to all classes,” said Tapper. “They have to be responsible and think of someone else besides themselves.” And just like in the real world, little injuries can happen to the kids. While I was there to take the photo, one of the eggs cracked! Tapper got a bandaid (what else?) and placed it carefully on the egg, and soon the ‘child’ was feeling much better!
To add to the realism of the class experience, Tapper added another twist as a name of a student is drawn each day to wear the ‘pregnancy pillow’ for a day! Parents of these students have also been giving encouragement to their future parents on the care of their babies. Someone who was very impressed with one of the students, and expressed it to Tapper, is Deb Dencklau.
“Greer (Mingus) brought his baby watermelon, named Jared, to see me,” said Dencklau. “I was impressed with the care and attention that Greer knew to give his baby and that he was recognizing the responsibilities involved even on the first day! I noticed the time, effort and thought that this baby was creating in his life already!”
On the day I took this photo, Chloe Steil had the ‘honor’ of being the pregnant student. “I get hot in this really fast,” said Steil of her bigger belly. “I also can’t lean forward. I feel clumsy.” She felt her baby was not as hard to take care of as the ones used in the past. “I like this better,” she said.
“It’s pretty easy,” said Maddison Kaiser in taking care of her child (an egg). “It’s working really well. I had to pay my mom to babysit.”
“It’s alright, but it gets annoying after a bit,” said Greer Mingus of his watermelon ‘child’. “I’ve had a few babysitters already. It’s a good experience. I know you can’t forget and leave a baby in a car.”
“It’s fun carrying it around,” said Derricklee Harms. “It helps me keep better track of my stuff.”
“It’s going pretty good for me,” said Olivia Anderson. “She’s really quiet. I even taught her how to do ballet.”
Clara Moffitt had probably one of the more unique babies, and certainly has drawn attention with it, when she carries around her 9 1/2 pound zucchini all wrapped in a blanket. According to Tapper, the child is a bit on the heavy side as 7 1/2 pounds is considered the average for an infant. “It feels like a real baby,” said Moffitt. “I’ve even been asked it it’s real.” She shares ‘custody’ of her baby with Connor.
It’s safe to say that these students are learning real life lessons on what it takes to be a parent. I would say that, from what I’ve learned and seen, they are going to be great at it when the time comes!
