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Would you lend your baby to a teenager for practice?
Filed under: Teens, Media, That's Entertainment
Teen pregnancy stats in the UK are on the rise. Never ones to miss an opportunity to turn the tragic into blockbuster success, the BBC have created a reality series called The Baby Borrowers. Branded as "a unique social experiment," the show revolves around five teens who get a taste of adult life as a sort of deterrent from growing up too fast."The couples, aged between 16 and 19 and itching for independence, will be given their own homes in a quiet street in Norwich. In their first week, they'll start real jobs and experience 'pregnancy'; being forced to wear simulation 'empathy bellies', attending ante-natal classes and preparing for the arrival of a child. The real thing will arrive at their doors very shortly..."
Apparently five mothers have entrusted these teens and the producers of this show with their babies. Now, I could use a week off like the next mom, but would I really be so willing to hand over my kid to a show? Doesn't that seem the least bit dangerous to you?
Regardless of my feelings about this bizarre babysitting situation, the show does sound rather interesting. The babies are replaced after three days with toddlers, who are then replaced with pre-teens and then young teens. The teens experience 40 years over four weeks. While I doubt this will scare these teens into abstinence, it may make them take safe sex more seriously.
If you live in the UK and know a 16-19 year-old who could use a reality check, the show is looking for people to participate in the next series. Interestingly, the website does not seem to be soliciting for babies and toddlers to be on the show. Aw shucks.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
3-14-2007 @ 4:40PM
april said...I watched this the other month when it ran on BBC3. If the parents want to they can sit in a room nearby and watch a video feed 24/7. Also, all the teens have a nanny in the house at all times to make sure they are being safe. Some had the nanny step in a lot. One set of parents also stepped in after 24 hours because the teenage couple was arguing so much it was awful and they were really upsetting the baby.
So most of them don't have the time off, the parents of the babies anyway. Some of them found it extremely stressful as the kids did so badly and I doubt they would ever want to do it again.
I think they only left the babies for three days as well, not a week. :)
Some of them did really well, but I think they all had a shock at how much work it was. I was a little disappointed they did not give much time to the teens who did well, but I guess he disasters make better TV.
With the older kids I think a lot of the parents did not stick around once they saw they were okay. Some of them seemed to be there watching a lot.
I thought the baby episode and the elderly episode were the most interesting.
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