4 Reasons to We Promote "Relationships First" at Birchwood Isle Spanking Roleplay

Birchwood Isle is different than most typical "ageplay" roleplaying groups you've probably encountered. Some groups allow their inner child members to act out and get spanked immediately, then move on to the next misbehavior and the next punishment. We refer to this as "bratting" (yes, a verb), or as "being a brat." The problem with this wording is that it doesn't matter how terrible the bratty behavior is the person playing the brat doesn't see the behavior as bratty. Believe me, I've seen this time and again, and there's nothing more infuriating than telling somebody to please stop attention-seeking only to have to clean up the pieces of a wounded player who didn't think they were doing anything wrong.

So we've dispensed with this impractical language. Spanking role plays are always going to have their fair share of people who want nothing more than to get to their next spanking -- and quickly. Hey, I get it! I like having my characters get spanked by my role play partners too. I'd be lying if I told you I had no interest in punishment in the role play.

Instead of discouraging bratty behavior, we've started to encourage our members to focus on the relationships that their characters are building through the spanking role play. We do this for some very specific reasons, and it's getting us great results from our players. Why? 

Let's talk about it!

1. The punishments you get from a character (adult) who cares about you are a million times better than being punished by a character who doesn't like you. Many age players enter into a group hoping to get spanked soon after (or even during!) their arrival post. At this point, your roleplay partner (and their character) hasn't had enough time to get to know you and to become invested in making the thread good for you. In fact, intimate physical contact with your character may feel inappropriate to your partner.
2. Some players are uncomfortable punishing somebody they haven't gotten to know yet. Remember when you first joined a group and you were nervous about making mistakes or getting it wrong? The person playing your adult probably feels similarly, and doesn't want to jump right into a thread where they have to punish. Taking the time to get to know the other character eases this tension a bit and builds trust.
3. A strong relationship provides a better chance of "successful" discipline for both the adult and the child characters. If the goal of a punishment is to get through it so that you can move on to the next punishment and get spanked again, then you're getting into trouble for the wrong reasons and you're not enjoying those spankings as much as you think you are. A strong bond means it's more likely that you won't rebound into another quick fix.
4. Adults are more likely to cuddle children they've bonded with, and nearly everybody wants to be cuddled after a spanking. The majority of people who come to Birchwood Isle want to be spanked -- and provided with the cursory after care when the punishment is over. It can be awkward for an adult to provide physical comfort to a child they don't know well and don't have feelings for. A bond ensures that the adult is more apt to provide that comfort.

Is going from one quickie to the next easier than building relationships for you? Or do you prefer to put the time into bonding with your partner? Have you ever seen the benefits of taking your time?