Have you been wondering why so many Birmingham students are carrying around bean babies? 

 This semester, Birmingham students in the child development classes have been tasked with taking on the role of being parents to a baby, a bean baby. While the students have dressed their bean babies and bought them accessories, such as infant car seats and strollers, it is a highly valuable project in teaching students how infants grow and develop.

However, this project is even more valuable to the child development class because it teaches students the importance of responsibility, gives them an outlook on what parenting is like, and teaches them the challenges of being a parent. What do students at Birmingham have to say about their experience of becoming ‘’parents’’ to their bean babies?

Many students at BCCHS have had differing experiences with the baby project, however, and they all believe the project to be a valuable experience.  Bryanna Licea (11) stated, “I think that it was a stressful project since I had to carry the baby everywhere; however, it helped me recognize that having a baby at a young age is complicated.’’

Similarly, Gisselle Gutierrez (12) also found value in the baby project. She claims, “I believe that the project was valuable because it showed me how much responsibility it takes to raise a child. It made me want to wait until I’m financially stable and have a good support system.

Jocelyn Ayala (12) adds, “I honestly think that child development is important because it shows how important healthy family dynamics are. I found the project itself important because it made me confident in bonding and taking care of a child in the future.’’

Based on all the experiences of Birmingham students, the bean baby proves to be an assignment that is valuable to different students since it teaches them the value of taking care of a child, and the challenges that come with parenthood. This might discourage many teenagers from becoming teen parents.