Tags
baby care, children, dad, daddy, Family, father, Inspirational, motherhood, parenthood, Parenting, Teenage pregnancy
After bundling up for the cold weather, I stepped outside. Walking across the frosted lawn, I was struck by the sight of a teenaged boy awkwardly holding a baby car seat, straight out in front of him. As he passed by me, I glanced inside. He firmly held a bottle to a baby’s mouth.
A naked baby.
A naked baby?
After doing a double take, I realized it was simply a doll, albeit a rather sophisticated version of a real baby.
What was going on?
You likely already know.
I have heard of this concept of giving teens ‘something’ to care for a week so they understand the time consuming responsibility of caring for a baby. Many teens today don’t have younger siblings to care for and perhaps the goal is also to impact teen pregnancy.
Since that morning, I have seen several teen boys carrying that baby car seat. They all tend to walk with that same awkward step, holding that seat with that same none too pleased look.
While I can appreciate the thought behind the concept, this is not daddy-hood.
Yes, babies are time-consuming and interrupt important moments.
Yes, babies need to be fed and changed at the most inappropriate times.
Yes, babies throw up on your best clothes and cry for no reason.
But, this doll provides a fake experience of parenthood.
Nothing can compare to the experience of holding a Live baby.
Women experience a sense of wonder when pregnant.
Men experience a sense of awe when becoming a daddy.
It happens when they hold their child that very first time in their arms.
A man becomes a daddy who will more likely hold his baby like my husband did, cuddled close, protected within the bend of his arm, rather like a football.
A man becomes a daddy who will dance with his baby for the umpteenth time to the same song, just to make his child laugh.
A man becomes a daddy who will feel pride when his baby says that first word – Dada.
Give teens an opportunity to feed living babies.
Give teens a time to laugh while holding a baby with smiling eyes.
Give teens an opportunity to develop a relationship with a living baby.
Then we’ll truly prepare a teen boy for a life affirming relationship.
With the person who will call him-
DADDY.
Live Life in Crescendo 
I didn’t realize this lesson was now being taught with fake dolls. Back in the time my kids took that course, they were given eggs. Hardboiled, I am assuming. As we never broke our babies. Being the grandparent to an egg and babysitting a hardboiled egg was exhausting but I did manage. Perhaps that experience is why I am such a good grandparent (you do get that I am joking??? Right??)
I think the course, was actually fun from the point of view that the kids had to document all their activities each day and how they handled the “baby’. So it became more that a course about parenting but included time management, writing skills and thinking about how to include various activities into their day.
I am not sure that even the kids involved have any idea that having a real baby would be a gazillion times more difficult.
It is kind of cute seeing teenage boys being responsible for something though. I smiled everytime my son tucked his egg into it’s little bed. Hhahahaha
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Yes, NOTHING really prepares a person for parenthood, even caring for other people’s children. A real live baby does cry but it also loves and smiles right at you, and gosh, how they can make you laugh and laugh. Parenthood is amazing, but it is a LIVED experience. Not until you live it do you really understand it.
I can just imagine it was kind of cute seeing your son tuck his egg into it’s little bed. Good thing he had that egg, or gosh,I can only imagine what your poor grandchildren would have gone through.Egg-actly. I always get that you are joking. I so enjoy that aspect in your blog.
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