FACS teacher Danelle Manship has incorporated RealCare babies into her child development class. They have borrowed four babies from Springs Valley High School, and they purchased one from the IU Health Paoli Hospital. The babies come from a company called Reality Works.

The babies help her students realize how much responsibility it takes to take care of a baby, especially as a teen. All of her students have taken a baby home for a weekend as a project. For the project, they must take care of all the baby’s needs and even take them out in public to record people’s reactions.

“Having the RealCare babies in the class really helped with the perspective of having children and how much work it takes to raise a kid. Taking care of a baby just for 3 days was extremely stressful, but I learned my family was completely helpful. A lot of people in the community tended to stare when I walked in somewhere with the baby, and it felt embarrassing. I quickly got over it and got the hang of the baby cues, and it became less stressful,” said junior Harley Bush.

Manship plans to continue to use the babies in her class so her students can experience what it’s like to take care of a baby.

“It was a great experience for my students to be able to see what it is like to care for a baby. I am hoping by next year to have 4 babies total to use in the class,” said Manship.

Story by Angie Ceja