So, obviously Ping-Pong isn't a real baby. It's a mechanical doll that is used in Child Development classes around the country. It's actually called "Baby Think It Over" or also "Real Care Baby". They come in boy and girl dolls, and they also have white, black, asian & hispanic babies.
Chelsea just brought her baby home today. It's a little girl and she named it Brooke. I said that wasn't a "cool" enough name for my grandchild, so I renamed her "Shaniqua". LOL Chelsea cracked up and said "OMG that's hysterical! Shaniqua it is!"
It's designed to discourage sexual activity when kids get a taste of what it's like to have a baby. The babies can be programed so they are better or worse (for example, they can be set to be colicky, crack baby, etc). It keeps an internal record of how long it took you to reply to cries and how good you were at helping the baby to be "happy".
I think it's a good concept, however they don't keep the baby near long enough. They only have it for 24 hrs. That's not a real test. I think they should have the baby a week minimum. One night of losing sleep or having to skip going to a movie with friends because you have the doll that might start crying in the middle of it is one thing. But we parents all know how crazed you can feel when you go several nights in a row losing sleep. And when you want to take a nap to catch up, the baby might have other ideas and instead you rock a crying baby for 2 hrs. THAT's more realistic.
However, for girls like mine, it doesn't work the way it's supposed to. Ashley LOVED having her doll. So much so that she asked to have it again...AND again. She even got special permission to keep it 3 days the second time and 4 days the third time.
The teacher told us she has never had a student want it over and over like that. LOL Chelsea did just get hers today, but she's already been "babysitting" for some of the guys in her class as they have track or baseball practice after school. She was so excited to get her own today. Not quite the reaction the school intended I don't think. LOL
1 comment:
Those are so cool! I remember when they first came out...I think I may have been in college. I was bummed because when I took child development, we had an egg baby. We had to keep a journal and design a budget for buying baby stuff (I "bought" all my stuff at garage sales..LOL!) We still had to take it with us everywhere, but let's face it, the egg doesn't do anything. Basically, you just have to make sure it doesn't crack.....Imagine the smell after two weeks!!
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