So my daughter was chosen to have the virtual baby for the weekend. She was really excited – but me as a parent was not so sure. I thought I would share the weekend with you, so you can see that it is something not to embark on without thinking it through. Believe me it will not just affect your daughter but the rest of the family as you will see through the diary entries throughout the experience. Not all bad though!! But a huge eye opener for all concerned – by the end, it will not feel like a plastic doll but like a real baby.
A few practical things first – The virtual baby is a life like baby doll – it has a chip in it which will show how well the baby has been cared for. The baby comes with nappies, clothes, a pram, a bottle and a tag which will go round your daughters arm – She will have to swipe this tab over the baby each time she cares for it.
The baby is programmed to cry - the cry will be either that it needs to be fed, changed or winded. The feeding takes about 45 mins and the winding can also take that long – so when it cries at 2am – your daughter will need to care for it for nearly a couple of hours at a time. Your daughter can not leave the baby to cry – if it is not cared for immediately then it will keep crying and will show on the read out as neglect.
Note – there is no way to turn the baby off! Although it does need to be charged up in the night but it still is working even when charging.
A bit of advice is that my daughter found it helpful to have a friend stay over to support her – as it was the night times that she found the hardest.
Right to the diary – I wrote this on a chat room and I thought you might find the entries interesting as it gives a day by day insight into what happened.
Friday
Well, daughter returned with aforementioned virtual baby - she has named the new addition Teddy! It came with full size pram - a suitcase full of clothes, a charger ( you have to plug Teddy in at night! ) a bottle, nappies and a instruction manual.
Daughter was so happy, baby in arms, feeding it and showing our next door neighbour - who had nearly had a heart attack as she thought my 16 yr old had just had a baby.
10 mins in... and I overhear her say " why won't it stop crying - have I broken its neck!" This, I feel is going to be a long weekend - by the way it really sounds like a newborn baby.
She has now gone out with her new baby in pram ( after she had managed to get it out the front door ) with friends to have noodles at Waggas - last words I overheard her saying to her friend as they walked down the road was "...so do I look like a yummy mummy or what! " I need a drink !!
We will see what happens tonight when she can't get any sleep.
Friday evening – when she had been shouted at by some youths in a car...
She has already been judged, and it does highlight how hard it must be for a 16 yr old with a real baby. To be honest I was only 18 when I had her, and on my own, so I have a kind of idea...that is why I wanted her to do it really. She has already been yelled at out of a couple of car windows - calling her ...well you can guess.
And I must say I found it hard to see her walk out the door with her school uniform on and a pram...as her mum it is not what I want to see for my daughter. Does she see it as a problem? I'm not sure that she sees it as any more than a game at the moment.
She has just returned and is not happy - She says that the baby is only sleeping for 45mins and is then feeding for up to an hour, and then the winding. Welcome to the real world of babies...
The words she used were “I want my life back" - she has only had it for about 7 hours, maybe this will put her off having a baby too young.
Me, I think I might take a sleeping tablet or two/three glasses of wine, or I know that I will hear it cry in the night and end up being the one to look after it - somehow, she is already making it all my fault!!
Friday nightIt does sound real doesn't it - it is asleep in the washing basket next to her bed at the moment - she has her friend staying over for support. You can hear the sound of it breathing which is strange.
Well I'm off to have a bath and bed - as I have a feeling I will be up in a couple of hours.
Friday – 2am 2:00 am - and the thing just never stops crying - ohhhh takes me back a few years.
A very tired daughter has asked for a glass of milk and she is upset because her friend that stayed over to help hasn't woken up..Ha Ha
My Husband is also now awake and not happy - wants tea, has asked if I cannot unplug it. Um no. Thinking about it, don't think this was the best idea to get my new husband of 6 months to think about starting a family...before he was thinking about it - Think I have lost that one now.
SaturdayGood Morning all - well the house is now quiet, she had to get up three more times...she is flat out now though fast asleep - If I was mean, I would wake her up and tell her that it is time to clean the house, cook breakfast for us all, walk the dogs...well, is that not what a real mum does even when she has been up all night with the baby?? The day goes on.
Saturday afternoonOk - it has happened she has cried!! That’s my daughter not the virtual baby, we all know that cry’s.
So...Her Grandmother came round and told her that she was doing it all wrong and was laughing at her when she couldn't find where she had put the nappies and told her that maybe it would be better if she held it differently.
Then it happened - "I just feel so criticised by her" - welcome to the world of Motherhood!
Saturday afternoon
The feedback is that they have a key that is attached to their wrists - which they cannot get off. Looks a bit like a hospital band
They have to feed, change ( the nappies have a sensor in ) and the neck has a senor that shows if the neck has snapped back to fast. On, yes and wind - by rubbing the tummy with key thing. The feeding takes about 45 mins and the baby makes different cry’s for different needs - sounds very real. Winding takes different amounts of time - last night she had to do it for a whole hour.
It also shows if the baby has been treated to rough, shaken, thrown etc. If she does not do the right things - and the baby is left for example crying for too long it shows up as neglect.
When she gives the baby back - they will get the data from the weekend and give her the results
Saturday nightDaughter is STILL OUT with the virtual baby, she was meant to be back an HOUR AGO- she wouldn't be able to do this with a real baby. So this bit is not realistic. Out with friends having a BBQ - Am not happy with her, thought she had grown up a bit over the last couple of days - but I think not. Just think if it was a real baby - would I be now left holding it whilst she was out - with me ringing her telling her to come home and her not!! No thanks.
Sunday morninglast couple of updates as the baby is going back tomorrow 10am - anyway - after last night - up twice with it 1am and 4am ( not me I would like to add - but her ) I didn't even wake up to be honest - Left her to it.
She was in a reflective mood this morning and was asking a lot of questions about how I coped when she was a baby - she seemed to have just a little more respect and understanding towards the job I had been doing for the last 16 yrs. This was nice. I even got a hug ( been a long time since I got one of those )
She says that she is tearful and doesn't know why - BABY BLUES - do you think you can get that even with a virtual baby?
I asked if she was looking forward to giving Teddy the VB back tomorrow - and she said through a stream of tears - I can't wait, really I can't... but I know I am going to miss him as soon as he is gone - ( know the feeling )
Sunday afternoon
When she went out yesterday to the bbq - she had the baby, and I think that the bbq (from what she has half told me) turned in to quite a party - parents had gone out. The 'boys' turned up - and mixed reactions - some helped her out as they saw that she was tired, and some tried to be stupid with him.
Friends are being great and still helping her out -in the day - but...no one there to help her at night. She says already, that she can't imagine her life without virtual baby with her
She was in the shower and asked if I would keep an eye on him - after 5 mins she ran down the stairs shouting did I hear him crying - no I said, but she took him with her.
Sunday night
I am finding it hard to let go at the moment in general and know how much to let her do - it seems to be a fine old line. The being there when she needs me but letting her make her own decisions!!
Her having this baby has made me see her in a different light - she is a lot more grown up than maybe I had given her credit for. So it has been a learning curve for the two of us.
Monday morning – and the end of a very long weekend Well the end! She has taken Teddy the VB back to school - through floods of tears and with her best friend to do the handing over
In conclusion has it taught her anything - yes, how to care for something other than herself, what lack of sleep does to a person, how she has grown up in the last three days, how she feels different, and THAT SHE DOES NOT WANT A BABY (well for now anyway)
Has it taught me anything - yes, that my dd is growing up fast, that I have done a good enough job with her, what lack of sleep does to a person, and THAT MAYBE I DO WANT A BABY again around the house - I better have a word with my husband!! I miss that old Virtual baby. Bye Teddy
So if you are thinking of doing this – Good luck!! And I mean it!
Take a look
http://www.youtube.com/user/educationrecycle1 
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