Students in Cheri Mendoza’s child development class at Foothill High School are complaining they’re not getting enough rest because of a computerized infant simulator that needs regular feeding, burping, diapering and rocking, sometimes at 2 a.m.
The students are taking part in a teenage pregnancy prevention program called Real Care Baby. They take an infant simulator home for two days and are required to take care of all its needs. If the “baby” cries and they don’t pick it up, it’s all recorded in a computer inside the infant simulator. Students wear a tamper-proof wristband that is required for the baby to recognize the parent and accept care.
“This gives the students a snapshot of what it’s like to be a teen parent and the responsibilities that go along with having a child,” says Mendoza. “The Real Care Baby program also teaches students about issues that go along with parenting, like creating awareness about shaken baby syndrome. If a student gets frustrated and shakes the infant simulator, the computer will record that. The computer records proper care, neglect and abuse.”
Students sign up for one of 12 infant simulators. On their designated day they pick up the simulator, a diaper bag, and a stroller. When the students return their “babies” at the end of the simulation, they are given a computer printout of their overall performance.