What Does Simon Martin Learn in Flour Babies by Anne Fine?

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Farah Hussain 8PT 8h En1

In flour babies by Anne fine, Mr. Cartright’s class (4C) are taking part in this year’s science fair. They are given a choice of the following projects:

‘Textiles,

Nutrition,

Domestic economy,

Child development,

Consumer studies.’

In other words:

‘Sewing,

Food,

Housekeeping,

Babies and so forth,

Thrift.’

Somehow, by a complicated confusion of class, 4C end up with child development, Flour babies. The aim of the project is to act like a parent and to ‘keep your baby in sight at all times’.

 To make this work, they have to follow five simple rules:

  1. ‘The flour babies must be kept clean at all times. All fraying, staining and leakage will be taken very seriously indeed.
  2. Flour babies will be put on the official scales twice a week for any weight loss that might indicate casual neglect or maltreatment, or any weight gain that might indicate tampering or damp.
  3. No flour baby must be left unattended, night or day. If you must be out of sight of your flour baby, even for a short time, a responsible baby sitter must be arranged.
  4. You must keep a baby book, and write in it daily. Each entry must be no shorter than three full sentences and no longer than five full pages.
  5. Certain people will be watching/keeping check of you actions/welfare of then baby.

These rules are set so the children knew the real strains, struggles and responsibilities of parenthood. Unfortunately, no one takes the project seriously except one- Simon Martin.

During the twenty-one days, which somehow turned into eighteen, Simon Martin learns a great deal. This is unexpected since Simon Martin is convinced that there will be:

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‘Mountains of it! Clouds of it! The room will be knee-deep in flour! It would rain flour! Flour would track from the door.’

He gets the idea from outside the staff room- The Glorious Explosion! Since he has to wait three weeks, unpredictable things start to happen…

Simon learns about parental responsibilities. He is extra careful to make sure the baby isn’t dirty, wet, or attacked by Mcphearson, (Simon’s dog).

There was special about babies. ‘Babies were wonderful’. At first he never knew, but then it clicked:

‘That was the thing about babies, Simon decided. They ...

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