The My Child New Beginnings a secret chapter is Chapter 4 of the main sequence, titled "A Secret", and it plays in normal order: Moving In, First School Week, Far From Home, A Secret, Tired Security Guard. It needs no separate unlock beyond reaching it, so the genuinely hidden content is a set of side events that trigger off conditions rather than off chapter numbers.
On this page
My Child New Beginnings a secret chapter: the chapter order
Only two chapters have titles that state their content: Chapter 4 "A Secret" and Chapter 8 "A Musician is born". Chapter 4 is the one where the teacher comes to your home because the child has been skipping school. What the later chapters contain is covered here.
Chapter numbers shift between mobile builds, so match the story beats rather than the number.
The hidden events and how they trigger
| Hidden event | Trigger and result |
|---|---|
| The secret cup | The child quietly collects bottles and makes you a cup as a surprise. Do not spoil or destroy it, and it later appears on your work desk. Two designs are known: an uneven white one with a floral pattern and a regular red one with hearts. The trigger may be random. |
| The goldfish | Advise the child not to overfeed the fish. If it survives, a goldfish picture-frame furniture piece unlocks; if it dies, you get a death-education achievement medal. |
| Skipping school | Annie calls and asks you to talk while the child is relaxed, and choosing the third response before bed lets the child open up. Several days later the child starts conversations of their own and unlocks illustrations 1-4. |
| The hedgehog | Requires the child to encounter a hedgehog in the yard. |
| The cat and the bird | A cat catches a bird, which upsets the child so much that they spend the week trying to protect birds. Putting orange peels in the garden keeps the birds safe, because cats dislike citrus. |
| Setting a goal | The child is offered three goals: observe three other children, try to join in an activity, or talk to the teacher. Choose "observe three children" first. The three children are a loud and lively girl, a quiet girl who reads and draws, and a boy who looks frightening. After observing, choose "try joining an activity"; with enough energy left that evening the child may reveal a classmate's name, which adds them to the relationship list and triggers a chapter where the two become friends. |
| Letters | Collecting letters opens hidden side storylines. |
Two more long-term conditions sit behind the scenes: unlocking as many drawings as possible in the album on the bedroom desk supports later story triggers, and the premium Recorder Reporter pack adds two chapters of its own. The goldfish event in detail is here, and the hardest arc in the game starts here.
FAQ
How many chapters can I play?
Up to 34 chapters in the first story book. Each one follows everyday life and growth, with narrative choices and ethical decisions sitting next to the day-to-day parenting tasks.
How far does the first story book go?
The Steam edition is the complete first story book: the move into a proper home in a new village in Norway, the new school, and the everyday parenting tasks that run through it from the first day to the last chapter.