Bundles of Plastic Joy
-Carling Jones

All around school, every class knows about the CHEE Babies.  The crying, screaming and wailing simulator babies that every Senior loathes.  There are so many rumors and fears surrounding these projects that the details floating around my word of mouth are hazy.

After finishing my “Baby Think it Over” project on the 18^th of October, I could recognize many of the misconceptions about the Baby.  Contrary to popular belief, the Babies cannot hear you, see you, or feel hot or cold.  They do not cry all night or actually soil their diapers.

At the end of last year, the old Babies were replaced.  The new ones have all the same features as the old, but they can also record shaken baby syndrome.  That is when the head goes all the way back and forward within 2 seconds.

It is common for them to wake up multiple times during the night and need care, but in general they are fairly easy to deal with.  “Take it bit by bit.  Don’t freak out about (the Baby) by looking at it as one huge frightening inconvenience.  It happens gradually not all at once and is pretty easy to deal with.” said Senior Stefani Diaz.

Also, the comments made by other students when walking around school, Baby in tow, are sometimes shocking and offensive.  If I could count the number of time that a comment similar to ‘use protection, you’re scandalous’ was yelled in my direction I would be much more satisfied with the results of this project.

If you have yet to have this project, be it this year or in the years to come, be respectful of those who have a screaming alarm.  And those of you who have had to deal with the diaper changing, the feeding, the burping and the rocking should realize that the fear of a head-drop or rough handling are no laughing matter!

Hopefully you finish this article enlightened and appreciative of how easy it is to not have children during your teenage years.