Flour Children

They were little bundles of joy to be cradled and cooed over. Such darlings, they never fussed, even when neglected. And when injured, a bit of masking tape held them together.

Their parents? Eighth-grade students who, it was hoped, learned some of the demands of parenthood.

Last week, 32 students in a Values and Sexuality class at St. Cecilia School in Tustin strolled to the back of their classroom (dubbed “delivery room”) where each adopted a 2-pound sack of flour, dotted with pink or blue marker. Some requested a sex; others wanted to be surprised. Five ambitious parents-to-be asked for twins.

Their job was to keep the “baby” with them at all times--or find a responsible sack-sitter.

They named their babies (Skylar, Skye, Daniel). Over two days, they dressed and cuddled them--and occasionally forgot where they left them. One spent the night in a locker. Teachers found others on the school grounds, discarded. At home, they were left on couches or dressers. Such sacks were turned over to “social services” for safekeeping. Eventually, the students brought their sacks in for a checkup, with grades depending on how well they were cared for. Flour sacks are fragile, and so are babies, teachers said.

When it was over, and the flour in the sacks was taken home to be made into bread or cookies, the students were asked what they thought was the hardest part about being a parent:

“You couldn’t do your daily chores because you had this thing attached to you 24-7,” said Ryan King, referring to the 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week job.

“I think I was a relatively good parent, but I didn’t take it as seriously as I would have if it had made noise,” Sarah Ware said.

Added teacher Shelly McAleer: “They’ll be good moms and dads when the time comes. But not yet.”