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The Virtual Baby Project

The Virtual Baby project for Year 9s is a programme for sex and relationships. This year we gave nine students the opportunity to learn from the experience of what it means to become a parent. The programme is designed to inform young people about the realities of parenting and involves caring for a virtual baby over 3 days.

The Virtual Baby project for Year 9s is a programme for sex and relationships. This year we gave nine students the opportunity to learn from the experience of what it means to become a parent. The programme is designed to inform young people about the realities of parenting and involves caring for a virtual baby over 3 days.

The baby required care throughout the day and night based on the schedule of a real baby. When the baby cried, it was the student’s responsibility to attend to the baby’s needs. The baby responded as a result of the care that it was given. The student had to judge the baby's needs e.g feeding, burping, rocking or nappy changing and then respond appropriately. During the whole process the care provided was recorded by the baby.

This programme is to help our young people and school community to explore the realities of parenting:

·Babies’ demands are unpredictable and must be met promptly.
·Babies require a great deal of time and attention.
·Babies change parents’ lives profoundly.

Students volunteered to participate in this project and were chosen through a selection process. The students involved all did a fantastic job and this oportunity gave them a great sense of achievement.