Baby Robots Teach Parenting

Students at New York's Glen Ridge High School are taking part in a program that uses an infant simulator to teach parenting skills.

For extra credit kids can volunteer to care for a computerized doll that acts very much like a real and demanding baby.

It needs to be fed, changed, and rocked...everything that a real baby needs.

"It was definitely surreal. It was so hard getting up at night, changing it, rocking it, feeding it," said 17-year-old Rebecca Cable.

As part of the program kids wear wrist bands that transmit a signal to the robotic dolls.

The babies are programmed to respond only to the person wearing the wrist band, so kids can't pass off the baby's care to someone else.

The program allows teacher Maria Dicondina to measure how well the kids have cared for the doll.

Mishandling, skipped feedings, and ignored cries all figure in.

The idea is to encourage kids to think about the reality of caring for a child.

The program has been at Glen Ridge High school for about six years now.

More students than ever are participating, and the message seems to be getting through.