For people who have taken child development or are considering it, they might have heard of The Baby Think it Over project. 

The project itself is tasking students with taking care of a computerized baby that records how you take care of it over the span of 24 hours. The baby records back to the teacher, Mrs. McFadden, and she can see how the baby reacts under your care. This project teaches students how to care for a child, and gives the students who take home the baby a sense of responsibility. 

When you take home the baby, you get a diaper bag that’s filled with everything you need. Inside there is a diaper, a baby bottle, a swaddling blanket, and you also get a carseat for the baby. 

Mrs. McFadden, who taught child development for five years, actually took home the baby when she was in high school. 

“I loved it, that’s part of the reason why I became a FACS teacher, just because I love child development class so much,” McFadden said.

When asked what do you think students can take away from this project, McFadden said, “I think the students will probably be more cautious or hesitant to become parents themselves.” 

Some students shared some past reactions with taking care of the baby. 

“It was nerve wracking to be honest, because you kind of have this extra person in the room that you put all your attention towards,” freshman Loukya Vaka said. Vaka then mentioned that she understood what her parents went through. 

Freshman Londyn Riley found the project to be fun but a little stressful.

“I was afraid I was going to miss the signals for my baby, but overall the baby wasn’t horrible,” Riley said. “I felt more responsibility for me and my baby.”