HII!! How are you doing? I saw some other post on this caregiver/little thing, and I don't quite understand it. So I kinda thought it migth be helpfull for me to ask you, since you seem very open to questions.
What is this little thing all about?
What's it all about the whole thing?
Is it normal to feel like you want to be babyed?
Can grown ups do this stuff without it turning out to be some wierd kinky stuff? (Because that would just feel wierd, calling somone mommy or daddy should not be sexualised.)
Hope I'm not a borther!
Thank you for taking the time to send an ask!! I will explain everything to the best of my ability! Please keep in mind that I am not a therapist, or a doctor, and everything I say will be from years of personal experience as well as personal research.
Ag regression comes in a few forms. For some people, it is an involuntary reaction (much like a panic attack) that forms as a result of trauma, and may be triggered by specific things or high stress situations. For others, it is a voluntary act (more similar to meditation; it's sometimes compared to age dreaming, which I will also discuss!) in which someone finds comfort in nostalgia or childhood.
Both states of mind (involuntary more so) the person who is regressed may need help performing certain tasks. When regressed, the mind believes it is a child. This disconnect from body and mind can make it difficult to do simple things like cook food. Because involuntary regression is a dissociative state, it's also often times not safe to let them do certain tasks, for fear of hurting themselves or making a mess.
Having a caregiver is a way for regressors to stay safe while regressed. There are plenty of people who age regress who don't want or feel they need a caregiver, and that's perfectly normal. I believe we're called independent regressors? My terminology may be outdated, there. Caregivers provide physical and mental support, and will often take on the role of a parent for a regressor, though I've seen big siblings and teacher caregivers, as well.
Caregivers may also act as a stand in for regressors who had absent or abusive parents while growing up. It's a way to relive what they missed as an actual child.
As for age dreaming, it's basically voluntary age regression without the body/mind disconnect. You may still find comfort in coloring books and cartoons and nostalgia, but your mind is still aware and grounded.
Now, is it "normal" to want to be babied? Honestly, I think on some level, all of us want to be a kid again. To live one more day of summer vacation, to go to one more elementary school Christmas party, to fall asleep watching cartoons on the couch. It's an instinctual comfort, to cry for our mom when we're scared. I do think it's normal. It's part of being human.
It is absolutely possible to engage in this community without it turning into a kink thing. I have been regressing involuntarily for over 13 years now, I'm well into my 20's and at no point has it ever been a kink. As stated above, when you're regressed, your mind believes you are a child, so it is unhealthy for age regression to be included during sexual activity.
Age Play is the community that is often mixed up with age regression, and likely what you're more familiar with due to its prominence online (and in agere spaces...). These are people roleplaying as children for sexual gratification. There are complexities to the community that I cannot speak on, since I am neither a member nor well educated about it, but it IS separate from the agere and agedre communities. Some age play accounts tag their posts with all communities, which doesn't help the confusion.
I hope I was able to help!! I'm always open to clarifying if you have any other questions ^-^
stormborns
izzy806
ellievsbear
annaxmalina
jbbartram-illu
dededos
tangentwithtanner