Blacon High school pupils practise being mum with virtual babies

Jul 14 2011 by Katie Oakes, Chester Chronicle

WHO said being a mum was easy?

Certainly not the Year 10 girls at Blacon High who spent last weekend looking after virtual babies as part of a GSCE course.

The girls had to feed the life-like dolls, change them and recognise their different cries, giving them as much love and attention as any new mother would.

And in case the teenagers thought they could go out and leave the dolls behind, or not bother to feed or change them, the virtual babies had in-built computers, tracking the level of care.

Childcare and development teacher Jackie Ash has been running the scheme for many years.

She said: “We haven’t got the computer print out yet but we know one baby was shut down early because it fell off the bed.

“The girls were all worn out. Let’s just say that nobody loved it, some have said they are never having children ever, but I don’t think they mean that.

“We don’t have teenage pregnancies here, we just don’t. And although I couldn’t say that this project is the reason for that, I think it does teach the pupils that being a mum is not as easy as it might seem.”