We had a baby come to stay for the night this week.........and if our teen wasn't already sure that she had dreams and ambitions to pursue before then she sure does now.....
As part of her Children and Families subject at school she bought home the "teaching baby".
There was great excitement about maybe how fun it would be...she was taking the achieving high marks very seriously....we dug out some cute baby clothes to personalise the experience...
all was traveling well between 3 pm and 6pm....not much action...happy to be sleeping....
But like all good babies dinner was served and the baby needed attention...leaving her dinner cold on the table.
I had to be out for the evening and upon my return at 10pm I heard a strange but familiar sound..... venturing to the teens room I found her attending to the baby - much disgruntled because she had just fallen off to sleep.
I left her to it...closing all doors between her and the rest of the household.
7am came around quickly and I set off to make sure all were getting ready for school.....in the teens room I found not a happy mummy but a grisly tired bear. The baby had needed hourly attention and for this teen, sleep is not a luxury but a necessity.
She had to record throughout the experience what attention she gave the baby, what it had interrupted and how she was feeling... let me tell you the log progressed something like this...
3pm Okay
6pm Okay
10pm tired
11pm tired
12pm HEADACHE!!!!!!
1pm tired
2pm tired........
well you get the picture.
I found the baby propped in the corner of the bed...no clothes on ( because apparently the clothes got in the way during the night)
Poor lovely...she said she felt like she was going crazy during the night.....her mind was doing strange things!!
I explained that lack of sleep and having to be on the ball for a dependent baby is no mean feat....
Also that the nine months preparation you get of interrupted sleep prepares you a little better for the little bundle ...plus there is something that happens at that point and you fall completely in love with the addition......
A little different that bringing in animate object home that seems completely out of control....
So clearly and thankfully this is one life change that she clearly is not ready for and hopefully will not be ready any time in the very near future
Also that the nine months preparation you get of interrupted sleep prepares you a little better for the little bundle ...plus there is something that happens at that point and you fall completely in love with the addition......
A little different that bringing in animate object home that seems completely out of control....
So clearly and thankfully this is one life change that she clearly is not ready for and hopefully will not be ready any time in the very near future
She was peeved as she didn't get the highest score even though she was so diligent at being right onto the first sounds the baby made......
Ahhhh one day she will understand and by then I will be better prepared to be a good grandmother. x
Interesting experience by the sound of it!
ReplyDeleteI have heard of those baby dolls... I think it is a great idea for our teens to get a (even if a tiny bit unrealistic) taste of what is involved in caring for an infant. Hopefully she was able to sleep better the next night.
ReplyDeletethat is awesome - although you wouldn't want to be scheduled on the night before a big test! x
ReplyDeleteOh what a fabulous experiment the school have done here, well done to your girl for taking part in it so actively and really trying hard for the experience. I think all schools should make this type of thing mandatory for teens. Because I can say, hand on heart, it is NOT a situation that any teenager should have to go through for real. I think 18 is the absolute earliest anyone should consider bringing a baby into the world...and quite honestly, at 29 when I had my first bub, that was young enough! ;)
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