Did you ever have to carry around an egg or a sack of flour when you were in school, to teach you about the responsibilities of having a baby? Not sure if that ever deterred anyone from being a teen parent, but the times have changed. Nowadays, kids care for robot babies (“Baby Think It Over“) to encourage them to think about their decisions and the consequences. Thus, Levi brought home Levi Jr.
At first, Levi was filled with delight. He was excited about the project, and discussed what he would name the baby, and what gender he would get. He told us that he did not want to go out to a restaurant because he would be embarrassed if his robot baby cried in public. So, we stayed in. Levi Jr. slept for about 2 hours, and then the fun began. Levi, Sr. did a good job trying to keep up with the baby’s extensive feeding schedule, obscure demands, and shrill wailing, but the sleep deprivation and frustration were evident in the morning. He was quite surprised to learn that babies eat for more than three minutes at a time. By the end of the project, he was convinced that he should wait a long, long, long, long time before taking on the responsibility of a real human baby. We might never be grandparents thanks to this project. Just one more way we are different from Sarah Palin!
Our friend, Lisa, lent Levi a sling so he could practice babywearing with Levi Jr. The plastic baby didn’t squish up like a real baby, but the effect was still pretty hilarious.