Virtual baby tests parenting skills of teens

NBC News
Published: January 30, 2008

These students at Glen Ridge high school are taking part in a program that uses an infant simulator—for extra credit, kids can volunteer to care for a computerized doll that acts very much like a real and demanding baby. It needs to be fed, changed, rocked—the whole works.

These seniors just finished their turns—talk about a wake up call: “It was definitely surreal. It was so hard. Getting up at night, changing it, rocking it, feeding it.“

Heather Maddaloni said “I like to cook and I was trying to cook for my friends and that was hard—because I had to take care of the baby.“

As part of the program, kids wear wrist bands like. The babies are programmed to respond only to the person wearing the wrist band. So kids can’t pass off the baby’s care to someone else.

We watched 17-yr old Patrick McCann get setup: “we’re going to start your baby.“
Then head off to class, backpack and baby in tow. “Remember you have your diaper, you have your bottle.“

Next up, a test, followed by a diaper change his teacher programmed as a demonstration.

The program allows teacher Maria Dicondina to measure how well the kids have cared for the doll. For example mishandling, skipped feedings, ignored cries all figure in.

The idea here—to encourage kids to think about the reality of caring for a child.

Dicondina says “Decision making. They need to think about the kinds of things they do in their personal life and the consequences can be such, what an impact it would have on their life. “

The program has been at Glen Ridge high school for about six years now—we’re told more students than ever are participating—and the message seems to be getting through.

Student Patrick McCann:“Be smart with your decisions and make sure you’re prepared.“