Top Tips: How to Find an Adoptive Family for Your Inner Kid

Whether you're new to the age play community or you've been a part of it for many years, the same pressing question bothers most bottoms: How do I find a family for my inner kid? 

While this article is geared toward members of Birchwood Isle (in conjunction with the original posting if our adoption policies), it applies to anyone in the ageplay community who is looking to find a family for their inner kid. These tips should work whether you are trying to be part of a biological family or trying to get adopted in a foster care group.

Members of Birchwood Isle are asked to please read this thoroughly and keep these tips in mind. Potential players will of course be interested in what this has to say, but I wish for people in both groups to understand this first and foremost: We're going to find a family for your inner kid, if you work with us. Unless you fight us every step of the way, or don't want your inner kid to be adopted, we will find an adoptive family for you.

1. Don't ask someone to adopt you. I know that this is incredibly difficult for most people, but when you ask someone to adopt you, you apply pressure to them to say "yes," even if they aren't comfortable making that commitment.
   
   
   Pro Tip: Instead of asking someone to adopt you, open a dialog with them. Ask them what they're looking for in a child they might want to adopt, ask about their discipline policies, and invite them to talk to you about what they want. When you make it about them and not about you, you get better results.
   
   
2. Avoid bratty behavior. While we acknowledge that most of our members are eager to get punished (since that's one of the main themes of our game), bratty behavior (such as hiding out to smoke pot, or running away from home, or shouting obscenities at random) makes your inner kid less desirable, and potential parents are less likely to adopt children who they see as "bratty."
   
   
   Pro Tip: Instead of acting out with the deliberate intention of getting in trouble, try some natural behaviors. A young child is generally less likely to be disrespectful toward adults than a teenager is, but may talk back when she hears something she doesn't like. A little boy is more likely to leave the grounds because he's chasing a rabbit than he is to leave because he's angry with his foster parents. Make the behavior make sense, if you want to get adopted! 

   
   
3. Post a lot. This should go without saying, and our "one thread per kid at a time" rule may make this seemingly difficult, but in any group you encounter, you should be able to post frequently and broadly. Don't just post with adults, find peers to role play with, learn to enjoy different combinations of characters. Play with characters of both sexes, maybe try non-binary genders, kids, teens, adults, teachers, social workers, therapists and other caretakers. Show off how great your kid is so that people will want to adopt him.
   
   

   Pro Tip: Threads between two children often lead to disciplinary measures needing to take place because they often degenerate. This is a natural way to get the spanking you came to the group for in the first place, without appearing bratty. Taking time to get to know other kids could ultimately get you the very thing you first wanted from your roleplay partner, so you wind up killing two birds with one stone! Even better, adults reading threads looking for kids to adopt will see how friendly your inner kid is and may want to adopt him!
   
   
4. Attend site events. This might mostly apply to Birchwood Isle, but if your group has events, the same thing works: Go to the events. Post in them. Make yourself available to the adults who may be looking to adopt. 
   
   

   Pro Tip: Talk to a number of adults at events, if available. Don't focus only on the one that you're already determined that you want. Try not to misbehave and to get in trouble at these events, as punishment is time consuming and disruptive and doesn't allow you to make the most of the time you have. Our events only last one month, so that time is limited.
   
   
5. Be patient. I know that this is hard. When I introduce a new inner kid character, I'm already ready to see that character get adopted into a loving family. It's not always possible for a child to be adopted straight away in a group, so you have to be patient.
   
   

   Pro Tip: Make the most of the time that you spend waiting, by making friends and maybe enemies, and getting to know what all the site has to offer. Every site should have something incredible to offer you as a player, and you can use this time wisely to get to know the group.