If you’ve been at BSM for a while, you’ve probably noticed the hallways becoming increasingly full at certain points in the winter and spring. No, I’m not talking with students- I’m talking about the “bundles of joy” that they carry with them.

Every year, seniors taking BSM’s unique and meaningful Christian Vocations class are tasked with the challenge of caring for a “child”. The assignment is meant to simulate parenthood and give students a sneak peak into what their future life may be like should they choose that path. For the sake of practicality and safety, the child is a sack of flour wrapped in tape. However, this doesn’t make the job any less important. It is the young single parent’s responsibility to protect their child at all costs–meaning nothing can happen to it.

Given that the flour children are literally made out of flour, they are not the most invincible things on earth. As a result, these little ones rely on their teenage guardians for safety and shelter from the outside world, making the assignment even more realistic. Just like with a regular child, the parents have to watch out for dangers such as water, dogs, and, surprisingly, other humans. The baby also has to be “fed” and tended to often, requiring them to be with their caretakers constantly through the one-week time period of the project. Thus said, letting go of him or her for even the slightest amount of time could mean deep trouble for not only the poor baby but for the grade of their oblivious parent too. Some sneaky teachers have also been known to temporarily steal their student’s babies too, so let’s just say the parents have a lot to watch out for!

The baby also has to be named. Students were required to create a nice face on the front of their child. At the end of the project, there will also be a contest held to determine the cutest baby of the class for bonus points, a good incentive. Most of them have drawn cute eyes and a mouth on their precious children, with one eager person going to the extent of using a cutout of a friend’s face to represent their baby.

I personally loved this assignment as I think that it taught me a lot about responsibility and adult roles. Though it wasn’t necessarily an easy project to do, it was really impactful in the way it simulated parenthood. I am so glad I chose to take Vocations class and have such a cool experience like this!