Pretend baby

[Joe1]

I recently watched a Trisha show where they had given a couple a computerised baby to see how they would cope with a new born. I felt abit sorry for them when they came back to the show as it seemed they were being judged on how they would be on parents on these few hours (dont know how they would be with a real baby). I think they are really good to show teenagers that having a baby is not a good idea at say 15.

I wonder how I would fair. How do you think you would all do with someone recording your every move with your baby?

Joe1 - dread to think how I would fare, though the idea is interesting. One of my friends who was a schoolteacher did something like this with her class of primary kids. I think there is a book called the flour babies. Basically, the idea is the kids have a bag of flour which they can dress up and have to cart around like a baby - sounds like the programme. I guess a cheap version of the Tamagochis, but the class seemed to get the message. SOunded quite sweet I thought

I saw it.
I thought it was a ridiculous concept and in no way replicates looking after your own baby.
However it is no less than I would expect from that horrendous programme.
I feel quite sorry for some of the participants who have clearly got such low IQs they don't realise they are being paraded as freaks for public entertainment.
As for all that pop psychology by the presenter. Oh Dear.It is just the lowest of the low.

Just imagine what would have happened if they'd tried controlled crying with it.

slug

My daughter just switches her Baby Annabel off once she starts crying. If only kids had switches.....

What a conincidence this thread started today, I was out shopping in our local town & saw two teenagers carrying around those 'fake' babies - they (the dolls) looked quite life like but samll,as if they were premature babies; the girls were carrying them 'properly' & didn't look at all embarrassed. I immediately wondered what they were doing out of school of course! Is that part of the 'educatation' - to take the babies around town do you think?

I clearly need more education in learning to spell properly!

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Mind you, I'd chuck a wailing doll out of the window without a backward glance, and only occasionally fantasised about doing this with ds! Seriously though, unless the doll smells like a baby, is all custard-soft like a baby, smiles like a baby and makes baby noises, it's hardly a fair comparison, is it? Mind you anything that makes teenagers a bit more careful if they don't want kids seems a good idea to me.

So why do you watch it Jasper

I think the Times recently gave one of their journos one of these "babies" for a weekend. She is already a mother of two (aged 7 & 5) and was feeling broody for a third. She ended up putting the "baby" in the cellar with blankets on top of it to muffle the screams in the middle of the night. Needless to say, she felt distinctly less broody by the end of her weekend. It was quite an entertaining article but I'm not sure how much of it was written for laughs and what was genuinely felt.

Tinker, LOL re Baby Annabel! My dd shoves the bottle in Annabel's mouth then plonks her in a corner while she watches t.v., or alternatively, gives her to me saying "you're the granny, can you babysit?" Maybe she's destined to be more of a career girl!

I see what you mean Aloha - but surely nothing could replicate the warm, soft cuddliness of a baby.

Nothing can replicate the fact that it is your own either. Or that you could be arrested if you did seriously neglect it. Mind you, I do find myself gently cuddling Baby Annabel, think she's lovely.

I watch it in the same way you can't turn away from a car crash.

Funny Japser
You DO make me laugh....

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