SOCK BABY PROJECT

FINAL REPORT DUE: Wed. 10/11

OVERVIEW
CONGRATULATIONS! You are a new parent! You will be totally responsible for the care of your baby as it goes
through the stages of development from ages 0-18. You can choose how you will raise your child and follow through the
various development stages from Piaget, Freud, Kohlberg, and Erikson as well as attachment theories (Harlow &
Ainsworth) and parenting styles. You must parent for 24 hours a day for 7 days.

You must care for your baby as if it were your real child. YOU MAY NOT LEAVE YOUR BABY IN YOUR LOCKER,
CAR, OR HOME ALONE - that’s neglect! When you leave your house, you must either take your baby with you or find
a qualified babysitter to care for it temporarily. The dog, cat, bird, baby sister, etc. are NOT qualified babysitters. IT
COMES TO SCHOOL WITH YOU. You must have the baby in its carrier or out in the open - it may not be stored in a
backpack. If you have a sitter while you work, you better write that down and how much you would pay a sitter per hour
for babysitting. Do not get caught without your baby!!! Once the project is complete, you may keep your baby forever
since you have become a bonded pair!

REQUIREMENTS:
● You are totally responsible for the care of your baby for the duration of this experiment. You must parent
the baby 24 hours a day for the duration of this unit. You can keep your babies forever though, since you have
become a bonded pair.
● You must care for the baby as if it were your real child. You may not leave it in your locker, car, or home
alone. When you leave your house in the evening, you must either take the baby with you or find a qualified
babysitter to care for it. The dog, cat or bird is not a qualified sitter.
Automatic F if you are found without your baby. Your baby must be within VIEW at ALL times. Your baby can
NOT be left unattended. Babies are to be treated properly or you may have points deducted if you are reported for
being neglectful or harmful towards your baby.
● You must have the baby out in the open—If you carry it in your backpack, the head MUST be visible (think
like a baby carrier). You should never go anywhere without your baby, leave your baby in the care of anyone else
undocumented, or let anyone abuse or neglect your child. A real parent must take their child everywhere and so
should you.
● Your baby will NAP during other class periods. You may keep your baby on a blanket on the floor next to your
desk or appropriately in your backpack with its head out as a baby carrier/holder. You are NOT to play with your
baby during another teacher’s class. If a teacher informs me that you are distracted, or disruptive, you WILL lose
points. However, if another teacher informs you that your child needs attention, you must stop what you’re doing
and pick up the baby and hold it while you work.
● Your baby must attend class with you each day. Baby attendance is taken each day in Psychology and all baby
absences will be recorded. Some random teachers will also be doing checks to see if the baby is being properly
cared for.
● You should be extremely protective of your child. If a tragic loss or injury occurs, you will be responsible for
clean-up (NOT the custodians.), report the issue to Ms. Adams immediately for documentation and negotiation of
the penalty. Penalties range from additional research to a report on child abuse. If someone else attacks your child,
find a teacher as a witness to spare you some penalty. The intentional destruction of your or another
person’s sock baby will result in disciplinary action.
ATTENDANCE:
Your baby must attend class with you each day. Attendance will be taken each day and all absences will be noted. If you
miss class, you must bring your baby by at some point during the school day in order to get the points for that day OR
send me sufficient evidence of your baby’s well-being (with timestamp) via email.

Attendance and care points are awarded each day in class according to the following standards:
 Your baby arrives safely to the Psych classroom and is present when baby attendance is taken. (The baby must be
yours... no kidnapping!)
 Each day I will check that you have your sock baby and that it is healthy.
 The baby is properly taken care of during class.
 Participation in Parent Support Group with other members of class for first 15 minutes each day.
 Total point value for bringing the baby to class and caring for it for the day. Unexcused absences will have the
points taken away for that day.
 If you are discovered to have deserted your baby or left it unattended (by a teacher or school employee), without
the care of a qualified babysitter, you will lose your points for the day.

CHILDCARE
● While it is understandable that you won’t be able to “parent” your baby at all times, it is expected that you make a
concerted effort to spend as much time as possible with your baby. If you are at work, an activity, etc., you are
expected to make arrangements to keep your baby with you whenever possible.
● For the safety of the baby, you may consider a babysitter for a brief period of time. HOWEVER, if you need to
have a babysitter, it CAN NOT be for more than 3 hours at a time outside of school unless work is documented to
be longer and NO MORE than 1 period during school. You can only get a babysitter 10 times during the week.
● So, what is your childcare plan? How much do people typically pay a babysitter in 2023? Did you ever leave
your baby during this project? Why? Who watched the baby? How much did you pay them to watch the baby?
Note sitting times in daily logs and include research on how you determined the paying rate.
● If I see you in the hallway, I should see you with your baby. Other teachers are aware of the project and will let
me know if you have neglected to care for your baby. Parenting neglect will result in a 2 point deduction for each
occurrence.

PRESENTATION/SUBMISSION:
 You will be responsible for your baby for a full week (7 days – Start Date: Thursday, 9/28 to End Date:
Thursday, 10/5)
 It is highly recommended that you work on the parts of your project daily (spacing effect).
 Your entire project must be a Google Slides presentation OR a scrapbook (physical or virtual).

REQUIREMENTS for Presentation/Scrapbook

PART 1: Pregnancy & Birth

You will be drawing a card to tell you how this baby came to be. You might have gotten pregnant naturally, or
through IVF, AI, Adoption, Surrogacy, or “accidentally”. It will also tell you if you are single or in a relationship. You
need to explain your relationship. This is the creativity part! Make up the answers. The point of this is to make you think
about things from another person’s perspective and imagine what life might be like if your future family does not come to
you the way that you dream.
● Single: Is it because the father/mother does not want to be involved? Did one pass away?
● Dating: Have you been dating a long time? Short time?
● Married: How long have you been married? Do both of you work? What jobs/careers do you have?
 ● If your baby came to you via adoption, surrogacy, IVF, AI, what factors would contribute to a couple making this
decision? How much did you spend to get this child if the baby came to you one of these ways?

You just received the positive pregnancy test!

Explain how the baby develops at each stage of pregnancy:
 Zygote
 Embryonic
 Fetal
If your baby was exposed to teratogens how would this affect development?

The Baby is born! Fill out the birth certificate!

Tell me all about your baby!

1. Is your baby male or female? Which sex chromosomes does your child have?
2. What is his/her name? How did you pick out the name?
3. Include a picture of your new baby!
4. Describe 2 gender roles your child might learn from growing up in your home environment.
5. What sort of temperament does your baby have? How do you know? (name 2 aspects of behavior that would alert
you to temperament)
6. What sort of attachment style characterizes your baby? How do you know?
7. When will your baby develop/get over stranger anxiety? How do you know? (name an aspect of behavior that
would alert you to the presence of stranger anxiety)
8. As a newborn there are 6 reflexes we see. Pick 3 that you would notice and explain how the baby demonstrates
these.

PART 2: Parenting Style

● While we always want our children to be good people, sometimes they mess up! It’s your job as the parent to
guide your egg through life and his/her mistakes.
● Fill out the chart below, creating a unique discipline situation for each parenting style. Each example should be a
different developmental stage.

Sock Baby’s Age Sock Baby’s Parenting Style How You Handled Effectiveness/
(Choose four Misbehavior (Cover each of the the Situation Ineffectiveness
different ages) four) (Explain how it Of Style (Explain)
applies to the
parenting style)

Take a parenting style survey. 1. Psych Central 2. Psychology Today 3. Active Parenting
● Tell me about which survey you took. What were your scores?
 ● Do you agree with the survey results? Would or would you not be that type of parent?
● Give an example of how you would demonstrate your parenting style. (Come up with at least two hypothetical
scenarios for any age/stage that your child will go through and then determine how you will handle it as a parent)
● Do you think how a child was brought into this world makes a difference on how you would parent?

PART 3: A Growing Baby

1. As your baby grows and develops there are certain milestones that the baby reaches. (Maturation)
a. At what age did your baby learn to hold its head up?
b. Sit up on its own?
c. Crawl?
d. Walk?
e. Has your baby developed or gotten over stranger anxiety yet? How do you know? (name a behavior
which would let you alert you to the presence of stranger anxiety)
2. At the same time the maturation happens you will see some of the other areas of development that Piaget,
Kohlberg, and Erickson do not talk about within their theories of development.
a. Name at least one thing your baby would have shown habituation towards and how do you know?
b. Has your baby developed or gotten over stranger anxiety? How would you know if your baby develops
stranger anxiety or gotten over it?
c. If you were to implement Harry Harlow’s research with your child, how and why or why not would you
do this?

PART 4: Daily Log You must keep a written record of activities that you and your baby do together. Include daily
pictures! Each entry should tell about your daily activities with your baby. Get creative! Go beyond what you actually did
and talk about what you would do with an actual baby!
Example: Friday, February 10, 2023
● 6:00AM: Sat on counter as I brushed my teeth and got ready for school. I am teaching her by modeling
behavior.
● 7:00AM: Drove to school with baby in an infant seat. We sang Disney songs!
● 8:30AM: Teacher babysat while I went to the bathroom.
● 4th Period: Girlfriend babysat during my gym class. Weightlifting seemed dangerous for the baby to be
around.
● Lunch 3: Problem finding a safe place to leave baby while buying lunch. We both ate and then I changed
her diaper.
● 2PM: Baby had a nap while I was in psychology class.
● 4-5PM: Mom babysat while I went to soccer practice. Paid mom $10.
● 5:30PM: We had dinner together and counted our carrots.
● 7PM: Baby got a bath and played with water toys in the tub.
● 8PM: I tucked baby into bed and read “Green Eggs and Ham” to her.

Parent Support Group

● You MUST participate in the parent support group with those in your class that choose this project for the first 15
minutes of every class period for the 5 days of class.
● You need to bring a concern to the group based on the age of your baby that day.
● You also need to help others with the concerns they mention.
● Feel free to extend this Support Group by creating a group chat to share ideas, photos, & advice videos.
Sock Baby Babysitting
● If you have to go somewhere without your baby, you must find a sock babysitter, so that no babies are left
unattended. Use the table below to fill out times you had to leave your sock baby.
● Remember you can only leave your for more than 3 hours at a time outside of school unless work is documented
to be longer and NO MORE than 1 period during school. You can only get a babysitter 10 times during the week.

Sock Babysitting Log (add more rows if needed)

Date Time Left with Babysitter’s Name Where You Went Babysitter’s Rate
Babysitter per Hour

1. You will have to go to work/school/errands at some time without your baby. What is your childcare plan? How
much do people typically pay a babysitter in 2022? How much does 1 week of daycare cost for a newborn?
(CALL A DAYCARE AND ASK).
2. Did you ever leave your baby during this project? Why? Who watched the baby? How much did you pay them
to watch the baby?

PART 5: Developmental Stages & Conflict Resolutions

Your baby will go through the following developmental stages:

Piaget Erikson Kohlberg Freud
Days
(Cognitive) (Psychosocial) (Moral) (Psychosexual)

Day 1: Newborn Too Young

Sensorimotor Trust v. Mistrust Oral
(0-12 Months)

Day 2: Newborn Trust v. Mistrust Too Young

Sensorimotor Oral
(12-18 Months)

Day 3: Toddler Autonomy v. Shame &

Preoperational Preconventional Anal
(18 months-3 years) Doubt

Day 4: Preschool
Preoperational Initiative v. Guilt Preconventional Phallic
(3-5 years)

Day 5: Grade school (5- Concrete Industry/ Competence

Preconventional Latency
12 years) Operational v. Inferiority

Day 6: Junior High Formal Identity v. Role

Conventional Genital
(13-15 years) Operational Confusion

Day 7: High School Formal Identity v. Role

Postconventional Genital
(15-18 years) Operational Confusion
DIRECTIONS:
 Various conflicts occur at each stage of development. Choose ONE conflict from EACH stage/day and
respond to it in a conflict resolution write up for the day from the above chart. You will need to use each theorist
at least ONCE (Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg, Freud). New theory applied to each day!
 Below are a few conflict scenarios; it is NOT an exhaustive list. Feel free to create your own scenario.
 Decide what you will do and say to your child. Your response to these conflicts needs to be DETAILED and
relevant to the psychological theories. Include all aspects of the situation, your emotions, and parenting style that
you will use to handle the conflict with your child.
 Be creative & age appropriate

FOR EACH DAY:

(1) Explain the stage of development that your child is in at the time of each conflict. This should be 2-3
sentences explaining what each stage involves.
(2) Describe the conflict and why you feel your child is having the conflict (according to the associated
theorist). This should include 2-4 sentences describing a specific situation your baby experienced in this stage.
(3) Explain what you as his/her parent can do to help your child during each stage. What would make them
successful in that stage that you could do to help?

POSSIBLE CONFLICT SCENARIOS (NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST):

DAY 1—NEWBORN (BIRTH-12 MONTHS)
1. Your baby isn’t sleeping at night and wakes up constantly crying throughout the night. How do you handle
the situation?
2. Your newborn is crying for no reason. Since it can’t communicate, what do you do?
DAY 2—BABY/TODDLER (12-18 MONTHS)
1. You take your baby to see Santa Claus and it gets very scared and tries to get away. How do you help your
baby?
2. Your baby isn’t walking yet. It isn’t showing any desire or interest in walking. The doctor tells you your
baby is developmentally delayed. How do you respond?
3. You want to teach your baby to talk. How do you do it? What techniques should you use to help it with its
vocabulary?
DAY 3—TODDLER (18 MONTHS-3 YEARS)
1. Your baby is having a hard time with potty training and it keeps wetting the bed. How do you encourage it to
use the toilet?
2. Your child is at a birthday party and it is stealing toys from the other kids and when they try to get their toys
back, your child hits them. How do you stop this behavior?
DAY 4—PRESCHOOL (3-5 YEARS)
1. Every time you drop your child off at preschool, it grabs onto you and starts begging you not to leave it. How
do you help it become more independent from you?
2. Your child is starting to become more independent and it is continuously trying to do everything on its own.
You’re worried that it will do something dangerous and get hurt but it insists. What do you do?

DAY 5—GRADE SCHOOL (5-12 YEARS)

1. Your child comes home from school starving every day and you soon find out that a bully is stealing its lunch.
How do you solve the problem?
2. Your child is having trouble grasping the concept of reading. What do you do? How do you help?
3. At school one day, your child got into a fight with another child. How do you react?
DAY 6—JUNIOR HIGH (13-15 YEARS)
 1. One day at work, you receive a call from a police officer telling you that your child has been caught
shoplifting. It will be taken to the police station if you don’t pick it up from the store. What do you do? What
type of punishment do you give at home?
2. You stop by your house during the day and you catch your child huffing from aerosol cans. What do you do?
3. Your child wants to start dating. What is your next move and why?
DAY 7—HIGH SCHOOL (15-18 YEARS)
1. Your child just started high school and is getting ready to get a driver’s license. Although this is really great
for its independence, your child isn’t the best driver and you are sure it will wreck your car. What do you
do?
2. You have needed a lot of help at home lately but your child thinks that friends are more important and is not
listening to you. What do you do?
3. Your child is going to school while working at a part-time job. Its grades are slipping but your child keeps
insisting that the grades will improve. How do you handle this situation?

PART 6: Miscellaneous Questions

1. Schemas – as your child develops his or her ideas about the world changes how would this happen in your child?
2. Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal development – provide an example of how your child may be in this stage and how
to help him or her “advance” to the next stage.
3. Remember how you had to tell me about your relationship? Based on that, what gender roles would your child
learn from growing up in your home environment? How do you feel you will contribute to society’s gender
stereotyping (will you give your child gender specific clothing and toys?)
4. How would you use social learning theory to impact your child’s gender identity?
5. Adolescence – When did your child reach adolescence? How do you know?
6. How would Gilligan’s work influence your child?
7. How do you implement Harry Harlow’s research with your child? If you don’t, why not? (describe how you use
the research found by Harlow or not)

PART 7: FINAL ANALYSIS

You will have a one-page paper (double-spaced if typed). I am not concerned about MLA/APA formatting, etc. You can
type or hand-write your paper, but a physical copy must be turned in (no digital submissions). You will write about your
experience with your baby.
In your final analysis you will explain your thoughts and experiences from this project.
1. What did you learn?
2. How did it feel being responsible for another “being”? What was it like to be reminded to feed your baby, change
its diaper, or take care of it as it was crying?
3. What aspects of your schedule did you change or have to exclude your baby from the most? Who did you trust
most with your child if you could not be around?
4. What were your struggles?
5. Did anything funny or surprising happen?
6. What were other people’s reactions towards your project? Did people ask you about your baby?
7. Did this assignment teach you anything about the struggles of parenthood?
8. How has this project changed your views of parenthood?
9. Discuss your fitness as a parent at YOUR current developmental stage.
10. What kind of parent might you be? Would you parent differently from your parents? If so, how? If not, what
would you keep the same?
11. How can you assure that your child forms healthy attachments in their life?
12. If you were given a child that was not neurotypical, has that changed your perspective or your attitude toward
parents that live with that everyday?
 13. Talk about whatever you want that happened to you during this activity. Be thorough and detailed.
*Note: This is by no means meant to show you what “real” parenting is like. Babies are much harder to raise than
socks . It is meant to stimulate thought and reflection while also having fun and thinking about psychology
throughout the day. It is also a recruiting tool for next year’s students, so show your baby off proudly!

PROOF OF ATTENDANCE

 Each required day you must get proof from me of your baby’s attendance via my unique
signature.
o IF ABSENT FROM SCHOOL, YOU MUST SEND ME PROOF OF LIFE (INCLUDE
TIME IN PHOTO) VIA EMAIL OR STOP IN BEFORE 3PM IN ORDER TO GET
ATTENDANCE CREDIT.
 Detach this sheet and turn in on the due date along with your written portion.
 Must Upload picture for Proof of Life on Google Classroom on Saturday & Sunday (no
late submissions as I will assume your baby didn’t make it)
(5 points/day)

Day Teacher Signature

1
9/29/23

2
9/30/23
(Saturday –
send proof of
life on GC)

3
10/1/23
(Sunday –
send proof of
life on GC)

4
10/2/23

5
10/3/23

6
10/4/23

7
10/5/23