Okay, I guess I'm going to be the dissenting voice here. I don't like these
dolls that simulate crying babies. I understand the purpose is to show teens
that taking care of a baby is challenging, but I frankly don't believe it is
effective in reducing pregnancy rates.
And I think that if teens (who will more than likely become parents one day,
if not now) believe in the experience they have with this doll, they are
less likely to be interested in breastfeeding and attachment-type parenting.
Because you don't fall in love with a doll, you just feel annoyed about the
noise it makes in the middle of the night. The teacher's guide to use with
the doll (at least the one I've seen) tells the student how much better it
is to have a baby when you are older because then you can afford more
options - babysitters, swings to soothe baby, etc. The concept is that
babies are so difficult and unpleasant that you won't want to be around them
much, so don't have a baby until you're sure you can get someone else to
look after it as much as possible. (Okay, some exaggeration here, but...)
And while breastfeeding might be good for the baby, it would clearly tie you
down way too much (as when the teen was the only one who could "feed" the
baby) so bottlefeeding is obviously preferable.
The reality is that a baby can be exhausting and challenging, but they are
also a source of great pleasure and inspire intense feelings of love. My
daughter, who is 20, has spent a lot of time around babies, and loves and
enjoys them and looks forward to having her own. But it is precisely because
she finds such pleasure in babies that she didn't want to have one as a
teen, because she felt she wouldn't be able to give it all that it needed at
that time.
Teresa Pitman
Oakville, Ontario
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