Throughout March, Amador Valley’s Child Development class learned and experienced the hardships of caring for a baby. For more than four days, students attended to the needs of a fake baby, which involved feeding and rocking the doll to sleep.

The activity began with a presentation from Anne Johnson, a guest speaker. She shares her experience with in vitro fertilization, in which she froze her eggs at the age of 38 and then used them later to have a baby. 

“I had a baby when I was 42, so I chose to use the eggs that I froze at 38 because statistically, you have a higher chance of a healthier baby. When you’re an older mom, you have higher risks of some birth defects,” said Johnson.

Johnson also reveals the grueling work behind caring for a baby. At every moment, the baby has needs that a parent cannot put aside. She demonstrates this by caring for her baby while giving her presentation. 

“[Babies] are a lot of work. No matter what you’re doing—sleeping, eating, talking to friends, or doing a presentation—all that is trumped when you have a baby. I wanted kids to see the reality of that,” said Johnson. 

After Johnson’s presentation, students brought home their high-tech dolls. The doll simulates a real baby through sensors in its clothes and bottle. It cries at unexpected times and needs constant parental care to stop. 

“It would go on for 24/7 all four days. It put a lot of stress on me, and I couldn’t even sleep sometimes because it would cry all night long,” said Carlos Velasco (‘25). 

The activity serves as a valuable lesson for all participants. Not only does it instill a strong sense of responsibility, but it also challenges them to rethink their preconceived notions of having a baby. 

“Students and young people think that having a baby is fun and cute. No one really understands the amount of work a child or an infant is until they have one. It’s really hard,” said Julie Foley, Child Development teacher. 

Students learn the burdens that come with teen pregnancy through this assignment.  They realize that doing homework, hanging out with friends, or just having fun as a teenager while caring for a baby is extremely difficult. 

“I learned that teen pregnancy should not be taken lightly. Don’t make mistakes like that because it does have consequences. You’ll have to take care of another human from a young age for the rest of your life,” said Velasco.