Baby Borrowers
TV series)
The Baby Borrowers is a reality TV show produced by Love Productions for BBC Three. They start off attempting to look after a baby for three days, before moving onto toddlers, pre-teens, teenagers and finally an elderly person.
There were also two spin off shows; The Baby Borrowers: Compilation showing highlight moments from the previous week, and The Baby Borrowers: Friends and Family asking what the teenage couples dearest and nearest think.
Criticism
Before being broadcast, the program received bad publicity as it was seen to be immoral to allow inexperienced teenagers to look after real babies.
However, the BBC assured viewers that the parents of the babies had given consent, and that a nanny was on hand at all times to intervene if need be.
In actuality, when the show aired in the UK, few parents intervened even when their babies were extremely upset, and the nannies gave controversial advice, including letting babies "cry it out". One older baby was refused a clean diaper because he had been potty-trained before the show started, even though such a regression is only to be expected when babies are traumatized by separation from their primary caregivers.
Episode guide
Episode one (aired Monday, July 8 2007)
The teenage couples settle into their new homes and prepare for parenthood.
They go on an afternoon training course and the females need to wear a two stone 'empathy belly'
Episode two (aired Tuesday, July 9 2007)
The couples are all given a baby to look after. Surprisingly, one of the couples to hand over their baby was Dr Julian Beezhold (a consultant psychiatrist based in Norwich) and his partner.
The day starts with the trainee parents dealing with rounds of constant crying, nappy changing, and feeding. The parents of the babies watch via monitors and some have to step in and warn the teenagers over their behaviour.
Episode three (aired Thursday, July 11 2007)
For the final 48 hours of having their baby, one person from each couple returns to work, leaving a stay-at-home parent to care single-handedly for their baby.
After having their baby taken away yesterday, Ava and Fisnik must prove they’re fit to care for another youngster.
Carl and Kayleigh have a real-life scare of their own as it appears Kayleigh could actually be pregnant, however, it appears it is just a scare.
Episode four (aired Friday, July 12 2007)
The couples get toddlers to look after where one is in the middle of toilet training. The weekend kicks off with a children’s party, hosted by Kallai and Raiesa - and they’re not talking to each other.
Episode five (aired Monday, July 15 2007)
Our couples move on to looking after super-charged six to eleven-year-olds.
With no manual or nannies, the teens have to discover how to be a parent to a walking, talking child with attitude and opinions. Alex and Sam have two hell-raisers called Aiden and Connor to contend with.
These hyperactive kids run them into the ground with their early starts and constant demands.
Episode six (aired Tuesday, July 16 2007)
In the most explosive episode yet, the couples are given younger teenagers to look after for an entire weekend. Saturday night kicks off with a party and it’s not long before the young teens are giving their new ‘parents’ the run-around.
Ryan and Lauren find their rose-tinted view of parenthood is challenged by Jack, a 13-year-old with cerebral palsy. Having conquered babies’ dirty nappies, will the teens be just as ‘hands-on’ with the personal needs of their new houseguests? Kallai and Raiesa's relationship reaches breaking point - and with 82-year-old Margaret trying to play counsellor they are forced to confront the issues they've pushed aside for weeks.
But have the teens learned anything? We revisit all five couples back at home and see whether the experiment has had any effect on them.